Thread by @JewhadiTM

Blinken’s claim that no one expected Kabul to fall before the US military left was countered by months of intelligence warnings that the situation in Afghanistan was “going to hit the fan.”

When Blinken said that Biden “speaks very clearly and very deliberately for himself,” Risch asked, “Well, are you saying that there is no one in the White House that can cut him off?”

“Because yesterday, that happened, and it’s happened a number of times before that. It’s been widely reported,” Risch said.

“Somebody has the ability to push the button and cut off his sound and stop him from speaking. Who is that person?”

Risch added: “This is a puppeteer act if you would, and we need to know who is in charge and who is making the decisions.”

But unlike during Blinken’s appearance before the House Foreign Relations Committee on Monday — when most Democrats blamed the Afghan chaos on former President Donald Trump — some key Senate Democrats excoriated the Biden administration for its failures.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), meanwhile, pressed Blinken on who exactly was killed in the Aug. 29 American drone strike that followed the deadly ISIS-K suicide bombing outside Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport three days earlier.

When Blinken said that was still unclear, Paul asked, “So you don’t know or won’t tell us?”

“I don’t — I don’t know, because we’re reviewing it,” Blinken answered.

Paul shot back: “You think you’d kind of know before you off somebody with a Predator drone whether he’s an aid worker or he’s ISIS-K.”

Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) told Blinken that “there must be accountability,” adding: “My office and other congressional offices have heard rumors regarding potential cabinet resignations over the situation in Afghanistan.”

“So, I want to ask you: Have you submitted your resignation regarding this issue?” Hagerty asked.

Blinken answered: “I have not.”