Washington, Sep 14: Secretary of State Antony Blinken is facing a second day of tough congressional questions about the Biden administration’s much-criticized withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, Blinken sought to parry a new wave of bipartisan lawmaker anger over the operation that resulted in the complete takeover by the Taliban, and has left many American citizens, green card holders and at-risk Afghans stranded in the country.
The top two members of the committee, New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez and Idaho Republican James Risch, both assailed the withdrawal as a debacle in their opening remarks.
The withdrawal “was clearly and fatally flawed,” said committee chairman Menendez, who has been generally supportive of President Joe Biden’s foreign policy but has taken issue with several of its aspects, including Afghanistan. (AP)
