Blinken testifies on Afghanistan before House lawmakers angry about the war's chaotic end

The top US diplomat, the first member of the administration to publicly account for the events in Afghanistan before Congress, spoke before a virtual hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and defended the decision to leave the country as Republicans decried the withdrawal as a"debacle" and a"betrayal."

"We planned and exercised a wide range of contingencies. Because of that planning, we were able to draw down our embassy and move our remaining personnel to the airport within 48 hours. And the military -- placed on stand-by by the President -- was able to secure the airport and start the evacuation within 72 hours," Blinken said in his opening statement, noting that no one expected the country's collapse to happen as quickly as it did.

Lawmakers demanded answers and condemned the administration performance. The leading Republican on the committee, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, called the withdrawal and the end of the war"an unmitigated disaster of epic proportions," a"debacle" and"a betrayal."

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