Blinken faces GOP critics in Congress who say Afghanistan withdrawal ‘lit the world on fire’

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken has appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee to face questions for the last time regarding some of the darkest moments of Joe Biden’s presidency: the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Blinken defended the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal, blaming the chaos on a deal that President Donald Trump reached with the Taliban in 2020. Republicans shot back that Blinken and the Biden administration had been ill-prepared and disengaged as Afghanistan’s government collapsed. Blinken’s testimony comes months after Republicans issued a scathing report, blaming the disastrous end on Biden’s administration and minimizing the role of Trump.