Pentagon officials appear furious over an unannounced visit by two lawmakers to Afghanistan this week, saying that their presence took precious resources away from a precarious situation as the deadline to evacuate thousands of Americans and Afghan allies nears.
Reps. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Peter Meijer, R-Mich., said in a joint statement Tuesday that they "have a duty to provide oversight on the executive branch."
Both lawmakers are veterans who have been highly critical of the chaotic U.S. exit from Afghanistan, particularly the fact that the majority of U.S. troops were pulled out before civilian evacuations began.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters Wednesday that the Defense Department was not aware of the visit ahead of time, adding that forces on the ground had to scramble to offer security accommodations for the lawmakers.
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"They certainly took time away from what we had been planning to do that day," he said, adding that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would have "appreciated the opportunity to have had a conversation before the visit took place."
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Neither Moulton nor Meijer's office immediately returned a request for comment.
Moulton said via Twitter that the pair traveled in secret "to reduce the risks and impact" on the mission. He added that they rode in seats in the crew area of the plane so as not to take a place away from anyone fleeing the country.
High-profile officials -- in this case, lawmakers -- can be a huge logistical burden for the military, and visits to war zones are almost always scheduled in advance to make arrangements, such as a personal security detail.
The situation at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul is tense, with thousands of Afghans pressing to get into the facility for an escape flight, desperately trying to avoid what is expected to be a reckoning from the Taliban government. That could include the executions and torture of those who worked with the U.S., coalition partners and the recently collapsed Afghan government, and there have been early reports of threats and warnings from the Taliban.
The U.S. is trying to complete its withdrawal by Aug. 31, but President Joe Biden has ordered the Pentagon to draw up contingency plans in case the mission must be extended. However, if coalition troops stay past the deadline, the Taliban has threatened to break what is effectively a cease-fire.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Wednesday condemned the lawmakers' trip, saying their visit was an "opportunity cost" diverting resources and attention away from the evacuation effort.
"This is deadly serious. We do not want members to go," she told reporters at a press conference. "We don't want anyone thinking this was a good idea."
Kirby told reporters 88,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan so far, including 19,000 in the last 24 hours. That includes American civilians, Afghan allies and their families.
But the Biden administration doesn't know how many more need to be evacuated. Given the U.S. plans to withdraw early next week, it is unclear whether the airport will need to be closed off to new passengers ahead of that deadline. It's also unknown how long the U.S. will be able to secure the airport, given it is surrounded by the Taliban and it's likely that fewer troops will be on the ground as the deadline gets closer.
The Taliban control the city of Kabul and have established checkpoints on the streets. There have been reports of Afghans being beaten as they attempt to flee. The U.S. has conducted at least two missions outside the airport, evacuating roughly 180 people by helicopter.
-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.
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