US Congress Demands Khalilzad Transparency on Afghan Peace
US House Foreign Affairs committee democrats, in a letter to the state department, urges Special representative on Afghan peace process Zalmay Khalilzad to brief them about the peace process in Afghanistan.
US House Foreign Affairs committee democrats, in a letter to the state department, urges Special representative on Afghan peace process Zalmay Khalilzad to brief them about the peace process in Afghanistan.
In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, the members decried the Secretary’s unwillingness to allow Ambassador Khalilzad to brief Committee members, including during his March testimony before the Foreign Affairs Committee.
“We urge you to immediately reverse your untenable position and commit to having Ambassador Khalilzad brief this committee within seven days of his return to the United States,”
“As we know you appreciate from your service in Congress, the Committee has the right to such information, and we are prepared to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that we are able to conduct our constitutionally mandated oversight responsibilities,” the members wrote.
The members of the congress also told in the letter to Mr Pompeo that he also incorrectly asserted that the Department doesn’t brief Congress on “secret” negotiations, knowing full well that successive administrations have routinely briefed the Committee on the status of sensitive talks with Iran, North Korea, and the Taliban.
This comes as Mike Pompeo had earlier refused to make a commitment that Ambassador Khalilzad would be made available for a member-level briefing on the negotiation and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
