Chairman Michael McCaul of the House Foreign Affairs Committee has expressed strong skepticism regarding the recent statement made by National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby, in which he claimed that no weapons were left behind in Afghanistan during the American withdrawal.
During an interview, Congressman McCaul labeled Kirby’s statement as “insane” and presented evidence to the contrary.
“Kirby commented that no weapons were left behind, which is insane,” McCaul stated. “There were $7 billion worth of weapons, and I can provide videos showing the weapons and cash that were abandoned.”
McCaul’s response came in light of Kirby’s assertion during a press conference that the United States did not leave any military equipment behind for terrorist organizations in Afghanistan.
Kirby maintained that the equipment left behind was intended for the Afghan defense forces.
ARY correspondent Jahanzaib Ali questioned Kirby about reports of $7 billion worth of weapons falling into the hands of terrorists. Kirby reiterated that the military equipment had been transferred to the Afghan defense forces as part of the U.S. mission to bolster their capabilities, suggesting that it was the Afghan forces themselves who had neglected the equipment.
In addition to his concerns about Kirby’s statement, Chairman McCaul also called for transcribed interviews with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and State Department spokesperson Ned Price to discuss the Afghanistan withdrawal.
“We want to talk to Jen Psaki. The messages she was conveying from the White House were vastly different from what was happening on the ground,” McCaul stated.
“Ned Price, the State Department spokesperson, made optimistic remarks, but we have sent letters requesting their testimony. They were all presenting a positive picture while the reality on the ground was quite different. As a former federal prosecutor, I will follow all the facts to get to the bottom of this.”
Chairman McCaul’s calls for further investigation and testimony aim to uncover the discrepancies surrounding the Afghanistan withdrawal and the fate of the military equipment that was left behind.