Washington, D.C.— Today, Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) released the following statement after House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul secured an agreement with Secretary Blinken that will allow all members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee an opportunity to view the Afghanistan dissent cable.
“I commend Chairman McCaul for his unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability. This marks an extraordinary leap in the progress of our committee's inquiry into the Afghanistan withdrawal. In an unprecedented move, the State Department has granted Congress access to a dissent channel cable, providing valuable insights from Embassy Kabul staff who witnessed the events leading up to the collapse, along with Secretary Blinken's response to their apprehensions."
In a March 2023 House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing Congressman Barr read into the Congressional record a deeply disturbing letter he received from a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from his district who was serving on the ground during the Afghanistan withdrawal. The harrowing experiences described in this letter shed light on the immense challenges faced by our military personnel on the ground, as they carried out their mission under unimaginable circumstances.