McCaul asks USAID to detail operations, plans in Afghanistan

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) recently requested details from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on both its role in the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and how the agency now plans to move forward in the Taliban-controlled country.

“The rapid deterioration of security across the country and steady warning signals that precipitated the full withdrawal of the U.S. Embassy presence mandated that USAID take decisive action to ensure the safety and security of USAID staff, implementing partners, and beneficiaries of USAID-led programs,” Rep. McCaul wrote in a Sept. 10 letter sent to USAID Administrator Samantha Power.

Unfortunately, he continued, the actions taken by USAID and the role it played in interagency deliberations leading up to the withdrawal are unclear. 

“Despite repeated staff requests to be briefed on these actions and USAID operations moving forward, we have not had access to the requisite information to fulfill the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s oversight responsibility,” wrote Rep. McCaul, who is the ranking member of the committee.

With the humanitarian and refugee crisis in Afghanistan continuing to grow, Rep. McCaul asked Power to answer numerous questions, including how USAID has sought to mitigate the fallout of the Biden administration’s actions to date, as well as how the agency evaluates the successes or failures of USAID programs in Afghanistan over the last 20 years, among many others. He also invited Power to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee to answer broader questions in the coming weeks.

“It is critical that U.S. assistance does not, in any way, benefit the Taliban or legitimize a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan,” added Rep. McCaul. “It is imperative that any assistance is implemented with every necessary precaution to prevent diversion, safeguard against waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensure effective oversight of U.S. taxpayer dollars.”