Blinken facing contempt of Congress threat allows McCaul to see 'dissent' cable in Afghanistan exit

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul is scheduled on Tuesday to review a critical cable sent from diplomats in the U.S. Embassy in Kabul shortly before the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. 

After McCaul, a Texas Republican, threatened last week to schedule a vote holding Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress, the State Department said it would allow McCaul and the committee's top Democratic member, Rep. Greg Meeks, to view the cable at the agency.

The top House Foreign Affairs members will be able to review the cable with the names of the signatories redacted. 

The State Department has briefed McCaul on the classified cable, but McCaul threatened to hold a contempt vote against Blinken after he did not comply with a subpoena issued in March.

"I will pause efforts to enforce the Committee’s subpoena pending my review of the documents," McCaul said after the State Department invited him and Meeks to view the cable. "Please note, however, that 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 is also pushing for the agency to allow other members of the committee to review the dissent cable.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.