Thread by @jchaltiwanger

"A war that has gone on for almost 20 years is a disaster," HFAC chair Gregory Meeks states at the beginning of the hearing with Sec. Blinken.

Meeks is opening up this hearing by underscoring that the Trump administration made the deal with the Taliban to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan, echoing one of the Biden administration's key points in defending its handling of the withdrawal.

Michael McCaul, ranking member on the committee, characterized what recently happened in Afghanistan as an "unconditional surrender" to the Taliban. Not quite accurate. Though he was correct to say Biden was warned the Taliban could rapidly take over if US troops pulled out.

Worth noting that the withdrawal began under Trump — and not just in terms of signing the deal with the Taliban. Trump began pulling troops out, bringing the number in Afghanistan down to around 2,500 by the beginning of the year.

A lot of GOP criticism of Biden over the withdrawal ignores an uncomfortable reality: the US had already lost the war years ago.

The point McCaul just made — the notion that US military presence in Afghanistan prevented a terror attack in the US on the scale of 9/11 — is highly debatable.

Blinken starts off by emphasizing that the Afghanistan withdrawal was set in motion by the Trump administration.

Blinken underscores that State between March and August urged Americans 19 times to leave Afghanistan (this is basically a defense against critics who say the admin. shuffled its feet on getting Americans out)

Blinken has basically just been reiterating the Biden administration's standard defense of its handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. Nothing new here so far.

Blinken says Taliban legitimacy (in terms of recognition) depends on its "conduct"

Blinken finishes opening remarks. Now come questions. This could get heated.

Blinken says at the end of last week there were still about 100 Americans in Afghanistan who'd signaled they want to leave.

Blinken said the interim government in Afghanistan falls very short of the mark in terms of the standard set by the international community re: inclusivity etc.

When asked about over-the-horizon capabilities and the threat from Afghanistan, Blinken said the terrorist threat is greater in other places like Yemen, Iraq, Syria.

This Afghanistan hearing has not really provided any new info so far. It's basically been Democrats defending the withdrawal and Republicans blaming Biden for everything.

GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger says the Trump admin. failed in the set up of the Afghanistan withdrawal, while the Biden admin. failed in the execution.