McCaul Accepts State Department Offer to View Afghan Dissent Cable, Pauses Subpoena Enforcement

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) speaks at a bipartisan news conference, on the Afghanistan evacuations, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Aug. 25, 2021. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) has accepted the State Department’s offer to view a dissent cable from the time of the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

During a May 17 briefing at the State Department, after months of back-and-forth tensions, Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson, said the department sent a letter to the committee on May 17. The letter contained an offer for McCaul and the committee’s ranking member, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), “to view the dissent cable at the State Department in camera, with appropriate personal information redacted.”

In a May 18 letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, McCaul said, “I am available to view the documents as soon as possible.”

McCaul also wrote that he “will pause efforts to enforce the committee’s subpoena pending my review of the documents” even though “the subpoena remains in full force and effect, and the acceptance of this accommodation does not waive any of the Committee’s rights regarding the subpoena.”

McCaul called for other members of the committee to be able to access the cable.

“As chairman of the committee, I am leading these oversight efforts, but not to the exclusion of other members of the committee who are undoubtedly entitled to review the contents of the dissent cable and response,” he wrote. “As such, I must insist on the department allowing other members to review the dissent cable and response.”

Despite the subpoena, Blinken has repeatedly refused to give the committee the cable.

The committee subpoenaed Blinken in March for the cable, which, as The Wall Street Journal first reported, shows the U.S. Embassy in Kabul warning the State Department about the Taliban quickly gaining ground and the Afghan forces falling apart. They gave suggestions on how to expedite an evacuation and alleviate the situation.

“The cable, dated July 13, also called for the State Department to use tougher language in describing the atrocities being committed by the Taliban,” the Journal reported, citing a person familiar with its contents. The withdrawal was completed on Aug. 30, 2021.

On May 17, McCaul announced a markup holding Blinken in contempt of Congress for not handing over the cable. Whether that will proceed is to be determined.

During the May 17 press briefing, Patel lamented the scheduled markup. “It is unfortunate that the House Foreign Affairs Committee has continued to pursue this even before the State Department had the opportunity to respond to the chairman and the committee,” he said.

When McCaul will view the cable is to be determined.