Representatives Seth Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Peter Meijer, a Republican from Michigan, said Tuesday in a joint statement that they had traveled to Kabul “to oversee the evacuation mission of Americans and our allies” and that the trip had had been carried out in secret “to minimize the risk and disruption of people on the ground.”
“As members of Congress, we have a duty to oversee the executive branch,” said Moulton and Meijer, both military veterans who had served in the Middle East. The couple said they had traveled to Afghanistan “on a plane with empty seats, sitting only in crew seats to make sure no one who needed a seat would lose one because of our presence.”
But the trip, apparently a typical investigative mission in Congress, blinded the House leadership and the House Armed Services Committee, according to a senior aide to the Democratic leadership, as well as the White House, according to a source. familiar with the matter.
A U.S. official characterized the visit as a “useless distraction,” which told CNN on Tuesday that it also failed to warn the Department of Defense that congressmen would fly to Afghanistan.
The visit came as U.S. officials worked to increase the pace of evacuation flights and the unannounced arrival of U.S. politicians in the middle of a war zone would have sidelined scarce resources and personnel. the evacuation mission, especially in the midst of a persistent terrorist threat. of ISIS-K and other groups that want to attack American and coalition forces.
“I am writing to reiterate that the defense and state departments have asked members not to travel to Afghanistan and the region during this period of danger,” the California Democrat wrote. “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.”