Jim Jordan Puts Adam Schiff on Notice, Lays Out What He Can Expect for His Role in Afghanistan Disaster
The American people ought to hear what anti-Trump Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California knows about American policy in Afghanistan, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio said Wednesday.
Jordan said Schiff — the chair of the House Intelligence Committee — is among many top Democrats who have played leadership roles in the Biden and Obama administrations and need to be put on the hot seat, but will be protected by the Democratic majority in Congress.
Jordan spoke about the issue with Stuart Varney on Fox Business Wednesday.
“Are we going to get hearings in Congress to find out what on Earth went on and who is to blame? Are we going to get those hearings?” Varney asked.
Jordan noted that the majority party makes those decisions, making a full inquiry unlikely.
“Well, I hope so, but I doubt it. I mean, the Democrats are in charge. So, I do think we are going to take back the majority, and when we do in a year-and-a-half, we can have hearings. But I doubt the Democrats do it,” he said.
“But if we were going to have hearings, it is obvious who should come. I mean, the same people who made all these decisions that led to this debacle in Afghanistan are the same ones who were burning foreign policy, Stuart, back in the Obama, Biden administration that gave us the Libya, Benghazi situation. So it’s Blinken, it’s Burns, it’s Sherman, it’s Sullivan, it’s Rice, those people need to come,” he said, listing many top Biden administration officials, many of whom also played lead roles in the Obama administration.
“And frankly, I think we need to bring Adam Schiff in too. What was Intel Committee, what kind of information did he get prior to this, this, this ordeal that we watched unfold over the last several weeks? So those are the kind of people who should be brought in, but I doubt if the Democrats will do it,” he said.
In 2017, Schiff criticized former President Donald Trump’s efforts to beef up the military aspect of America’s involvement in Afghanistan, according to the Beverly Press.
“Ultimately, peace and stability in Afghanistan will necessitate a bold diplomatic solution, which will require clear-eyed direct negotiations with the Taliban to bring an end to the conflict that has taken so many lives,” Schiff said at the time.
Schiff became chair of the House Intelligence Committee when the Democrats took control of the House in 2019.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California has criticized Schiff for using his position to focus on the now-discredited allegations that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia instead of focusing on the conditions that led to the debacle in Afghanistan, according to the Washington Examiner.
“We should have been having hearings on what’s going on over there. We should have been able to gather that they would collapse this fast. But Adam Schiff was too focused on impeachment than doing the job he was supposed to do,” McCarthy said.
“How much time did Adam Schiff spend looking around the world of what his responsibility is?” McCarthy said. “When you’re on the Intel Committee, you learn things that other members do not know. But he spent all this time on politics.”
Schiff has said committee members were briefed about the fragile nature of any fight the Afghan army might make to defend their country against the Taliban.
McCarthy said if the GOP takes control of the House, a wide-ranging hearing would be held to inform policy going forward.
“We have people who have such expertise, were on the ground,” McCarthy said. “I would take it through all committees, from Armed Services to Foreign Affairs to Intel. And I would change the Intel Committee back to the purpose of what their responsibility was.”
“They have a responsibility of overseeing the agencies. But what did they do? They turned it to look within. They spent it as a political arm.”
During his Wednesday interview, Jordan slammed President Joe Biden.
“Yesterday the president of the United States said that this was an extraordinary success. I mean, 13 service members were killed. You have hundreds of Americans stranded and left behind,” he said.
“[Y]ou have thousands of our allies left behind including a guy who helped President Biden 13 years ago. This guy named Mohammed. And then you have billions of dollars of equipment and weapons left there as well. And what did Jake Sullivan say yesterday? They’re thinking about paying the Taliban. And they call that success?
“So of course Americans have no confidence in this foreign policy team, but frankly, I don’t think they have any confidence in President Biden.”
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