In feud over Afghanistan exit, House panel subpoenas State Department
Washington PostMar 28, 2023
US Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, subpoenaed the US Dept. of State on Tuesday to turn over a cable written by US diplomats serving in Afghanistan before the US withdrawal.
McCaul said the subpoena became necessary after "multiple good faith attempts" were made to have the State turn over the cable, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s response to it, were rebuffed.
It would be unprecedented for the State Dept. to turn over anything it feels is too sensitive for Congress’ eyes, and the House has few tools to force compliance with this request. Allowing Congress access to the "dissent line" would have a chilling effect on future correspondence between diplomats and their bosses. Blinken has made many other documents available and is more than willing to brief Congress on the cable’s contents, but instead, the House has opted to issue a subpoena it can’t enforce.
There must be Congressional oversight of the State Dept., especially when it bungles something as badly as it did the Afghanistan withdrawal. Thirteen US service members died because of government incompetence, and the American people deserve transparency. Beyond the "dissent cable" — which can reasonably be reviewed as a redacted version or in a secure location — the State Dept. should turn over everything the committee has requested so it can get the answers it needs.