A Republican congressman is challenging Secretary of State Antony Blinken's assertion that the State Department did not prevent citizens from leaving Mazar-i-Sharif Airbase during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, has written a letter demanding answers regarding the number of planes blocked from departing the airbase, who authorized flight clearances, the criteria for delaying flights, and any communication with the Taliban.
Reports surfaced post-withdrawal that 1,000 individuals, including Americans, were stranded at Mazar-i-Sharif Airport awaiting approval for their charter flights to depart. Many had traveled 400 miles from Kabul to reach the northern Afghanistan airport for quicker evacuation.
A flight organizer alleged that the State Department failed to inform the Taliban of flight approvals or confirm a landing site in Mazar-i-Sharif.
During discussions with the State Department, Davidson was asked about multiple flights that had not received authorization for takeoff, indicating potential delays.
Col. Francis Hoang, involved in Afghanistan evacuations, revealed efforts to protect nearly 400 individuals from the Taliban using donations from American supporters.
At a recent hearing, Davidson pressed Blinken on whether the State Department obstructed American citizens from leaving Mazar-i-Sharif Airfield, to which Blinken denied any knowledge of such actions.
Republicans previously recommended holding Blinken in contempt for not testifying about the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, citing a lack of planning by State Department officials to evacuate Americans and allies while troops were still present.
Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul criticized Blinken for disregarding warnings of a Taliban takeover from embassy personnel, while Blinken defended the administration's evacuation efforts, stating that all Americans wanting to leave were given the chance to do so.
President-elect Donald Trump pledged to seek resignations from senior officials involved in the Afghanistan withdrawal, while Democrats attribute the war's tumultuous conclusion to a withdrawal deal negotiated by Trump with the Taliban.
