House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul expressed strong skepticism about National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby’s recent statement that no weapons were left behind in Afghanistan during the American withdrawal.
During an interview, Congressman McCaul called Kirby’s statement “insane” and pointed to evidence of the contrary.
“You know, John Kirby made the comment that no weapons were left behind, which is insane,” McCaul told Tapper. “There were, you know, $7 billion worth of weapons. And I can show you the tapes of the weapons and the cash that were left behind.”
McCaul’s comments came in response to Kirby’s assertion during a recent press conference that the United States did not leave behind any military equipment for terrorist organizations in Afghanistan.
Kirby maintained that the equipment left behind was intended for the Afghan defense forces.
ARY correspondent Jahanzaib Ali questioned about reports of the $7 billion worth of weapons falling into the hands of terrorists, Kirby reiterated that the military equipment had been handed over to the Afghan defense forces as part of the U.S. mission to strengthen their capacity. He suggested that it was the Afghan forces themselves who had abandoned 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 regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal.
“We want to talk to Jen Psaki. You know, the messages she was sending out from the White House were so different from what was happening on the ground,” McCaul stated.
“Ned Price, you know, the State Department, making rosy comments, and we did. You know, we sent letters to have them testify, all giving you a rosy picture while at the same time, what was happening on the ground was very different. I don’t know where this is going to end, Jake, but as a former federal prosecutor, I’m going to follow all the facts.”
Chairman McCaul’s calls for further investigation and testimony aim to shed light on the discrepancies surrounding the Afghanistan withdrawal and the fate of the military equipment left behind.
