WASHINGTON (AP) – Two members of Congress flew unannounced at Kabul airport amid the chaotic evacuation underway on Tuesday, shocking State Department and U.S. Army personnel who had to be diverted resources to provide security and information to lawmakers, U.S. officials said.
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., And Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., Flew in and out with charter planes and landed at Kabul airport for several hours. This led officials to complain that they could occupy seats that would have gone to other Americans or Afghans fleeing the country, but congressmen said in a joint statement that they made sure to leave on a flight with seats. empty.
“As members of Congress, we have a duty to oversee the executive branch,” the two said in their statement. “We conducted this visit in secret, talking about it only after our departure, to minimize the risk and inconvenience to the people on the ground and because we were there to gather information, not to make a grandstand.”
Both lawmakers are military veterans, with a background in the region. Moulton, a sailor who has been a sincere critic of the Iraq war, made several tours in Iraq. Meijer deployed as part of the army reserves and later worked in Afghanistan in a non-governmental organization providing aid. Both are members of the House Armed Services Committee.
Three officials familiar with the flight said State Department, Defense Department and White House officials were furious with the incident because it was done without coordination with diplomats or military commanders directing the evacuation.
According to officials, the U.S. military learned of the visit when the plane of lawmakers entered Kabul. Officers spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing military operations.
A senior US official said the administration considered the visit by lawmakers to be manifestly useless and several other officials said the visit was considered a distraction for airport troops and commanders who are pursuing a race against the clock. to evacuate thousands of at-risk Afghans and others as quickly as possible.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement Tuesday evening noting the desire of some lawmakers to visit Afghanistan and saying she was writing to “reiterate that the defense and state departments have asked members not to travel. in Afghanistan and the region during this time of danger. Ensuring the safe and timely evacuation of people at risk requires the full attention and attention of U.S. military and diplomatic teams on the ground in Afghanistan. ” .
The Pentagon has repeatedly expressed concern about security threats in Kabul, including the Islamic State group. When members of Congress have routinely gone to war zones for the past two decades, their visits are usually planned and coordinated with field officials in order to ensure their safety.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden stated that the August 31 deadline for completing air risk was met when people fled Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
The two congressmen said they entered their visit wanting to “push the president to extend the August 31 deadline. After talking to the field commanders and seeing the situation here, it’s obvious that since we started the “Evacuation so late, that we do what we do, we will not get everyone out in time, even on September 11.”
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Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Matthew Lee contributed to this report.