After long wrangling, Blinken to testify in Congress on Afghanistan

— U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blanken has agreed to testify publicly at a House committee hearing on the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, the panel said Tuesday after a long dispute with the Republican-led committee. Blanken had pledged to appear at a Dec. 11 public hearing to discuss the recall committee’s investigation three years ago, he said. The committee and the State Department have been sparring for months over Blankenship’s appearance. Panel Republicans voted in September to hold Blankenship in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena. The State Department claimed that the panel was given a large amount of information, including that Blanken had testified before Congress more than 14 times about Afghanistan. The department provides nearly 20,000 pages of records, numerous high-level briefings and transcribed interviews. Republicans investigate withdrawal from chaotic Afghanistan8 on the committee, the Democrats criticized President Joe Biden’s administration for the failures surrounding the withdrawal. The issue had become highly politicized ahead of the November 5 presidential election. In his successful bid for a second term, Republican former President Donald Trump drew criticism for shooting a campaign video at Arlington National Cemetery where he appeared at a ceremony honoring fallen soldiers. Evacuation