Toronto Star

Blinken pushes back on GOP criticism of Afghan withdrawal

-

WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed back Monday against harsh Republican criticism of the handling of the military withdrawal from Afghanista­n, saying the Biden administra­tion inherited a deal with the Taliban to end the war, but no plan for carrying it out.

In a sometimes contentiou­s hearing Monday before the House foreign affairs committee, Blinken sought to blunt complaints from angry GOP lawmakers about the administra­tion’s response to the quick collapse of the Afghan government and, more specifical­ly, the State Department’s actions to evacuate Americans and others.

Blinken echoed White House talking points blaming the Trump administra­tion for the situation that U.S. President Joe Biden inherited in Afghanista­n.

“We inherited a deadline. We did not inherit a plan,” Blinken said, maintainin­g that the Biden administra­tion had done the right thing in ending 20 years of war.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada