Lawmakers exit classified Afghanistan briefing after unanswered questions

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Republican and Democratic lawmakers became frustrated after officials from the State Department, the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Security failed to answer their basic questions during the briefing for members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the sources told CNN.

State Department officials – both in private and in public – continue to say that around 100 Americans are still in Afghanistan and want to get out. Some lawmakers told CNN they did not understand this accounting, given the department said it evacuated more than 75 Americans from Afghanistan thanks to evacuation efforts in recent weeks. State Department officials said the dynamic situation on the ground was the reason they couldn’t give a more precise figure.

A State Department spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday that “we generally do not comment on communications with Congress, especially those conducted in a classified setting.”

Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead” Wednesday that “everyone is out” of the meeting, and he’s asked if administration officials still knew the number of Americans. in the countryside.

“You know, the point is, I think there are still hundreds of Americans behind enemy lines. The majority of the performers you and I talked about haven’t come out,” he said, referring to him. to Afghan interpreters who had worked for the US military, adding that he received “horrible stories” from those in the country.

“I don’t think they know all the answers, quite frankly,” he said of the administration.

A Democratic aide told CNN that some of the members left Wednesday’s classified briefing because there were Republican members who were not wearing masks in accordance with Covid-19 protocols. The aide added that many members are happy with the State Department’s commitment.

Evacuation flights continue to leave Afghanistan at a slow pace, including one over the weekend with more than 21 US citizens on board. Officials say it takes a tremendous amount of work, especially given the coordination required between the United States, Qatar and the Taliban to check the backgrounds of people who do not have all the necessary documents.

The goal of the Biden administration is to make flights out of the country routine, but this can only be achieved when commercial flights enter and leave Kabul airport and it could be weeks before this happens. State Department officials said.

Planned coordination efforts between the State Department and individuals or groups – which have borne fruit after initial tensions between the two sides – are now underway. The State Department holds twice-weekly calls with the AfghanEvac coalition, and those involved describe the current situation as less chaotic than it initially was.

“I don’t think we can get any better coordination than what we are currently building,” said Shawn VanDiver, founder of the San Diego chapter of the Truman National Security Project, which is leading the AfghanEvac effort. “We feel like we are part of the team and have a common goal.”

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misrepresented Rep. Michael McCaul’s involvement in the briefing.

CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis and Shawna Mizelle contributed reporting.

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