Comer Presses Biden Admin To Answer For ‘Trend’ Of Embassy Closures And Evacuations | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the The Daily Wire. The author of this post is Daniel Chaitin.

    On Tuesday, House Republicans demanded the State Department offer an explanation for the "trend" of U.S. embassy closures and staff evacuations during the past few years of the Biden administration.

    Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken requesting a briefing on how the United States can meet its foreign policy objectives with a "diminished diplomatic presence" in "high-threat" countries.

    The chairman noted the State Department has been "forced to reduce or suspend operations at several posts across the globe since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, including in Burma, Afghanistan, Belarus, Russia, Sudan, and Niger."

    Comer also listed Haiti, where an elite Marine team was deployed to protect the U.S. Embassy in the capital of Port-au-Prince after the military evacuated non-essential personnel as the country descended into chaos.

    "Now, the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti recently began evacuating some personnel and enhancing security given deteriorating conditions and gang violence close to the compound," he said.

    "These closures and service reductions are leading to a diminished U.S. diplomatic presence abroad," Comer said. "Closures and reduced service status have serious implications for U.S. citizens residing in those countries, as well as foreign nationals who must travel elsewhere to access consular services."

    Comer said his committee is "also concerned about the repeated necessity of withdrawing U.S. personnel, and whether deteriorating conditions in those countries are the result, even in part, of failed U.S. foreign policy."

    The chairman said his panel is requesting a briefing from the State Department "on this trend" by April 2.

    "Briefers should specifically be prepared to identify and discuss all embassies or consulate posts experiencing closures or reduced services, other high-threat posts not currently in closure or reduced status, actions being taken to secure embassy personnel and assets at these high-threat posts, contingency plans to respond in emergency situations, an assessment of why this trend has occurred, and an assessment of whether this trend will continue," Comer said.


    "Briefers should also be prepared to discuss the impact of closures or reduced service status on national security, the administration and oversight of U.S. foreign assistance, and the Department's ongoing ability to effectuate U.S. interests abroad," he added.

    The Daily Wire reached out to the State Department seeking comment.

    In response, an agency spokesperson said the department does not comment on congressional correspondence as a "general matter."

poll#211

26 days after the October 7th Terror attacks on Israel, where over 1400 Jewish men, women and children were gruesomely murdered, and hundreds more made hostage: Should the Biden /Harris administration finally state that the administration's primary Middle East negotiating partner, Iran, is behind the funding and strategy of the aggressors, the Hamas Terrorists, or continue to take the more moderate position of "Don't," which is clearly not working?

  Yes, name Iran as the funding /strategy culprit, and begin to enforce the President Trump era sanctions to END Iran's ability to prosecute this war against Israel and the United States.

  No, Iran is a valuable partner in the motives of the Biden / Harris administration, and must not be named as the culprit and our enemy.

  I have larger concerns just to survive in this economy.

310 total vote(s)     What's your Opinion?

poll#209

In the minds of many, since January 20, 2021, the World has become far less safe in every theater of conflict, beginning with the attack of Israel by Iran /Hamas, so the question becomes: What caused this Worldwide calamity of extreme geopolitical dysfunction, and what will correct it?

  Joe Biden is the cause of this frightening Worldwide situation, and it will end when a Republican is elected president.

  This delayed Worldwide dysfunction and constant conflict is all Donald Trump's fault, as it is with everything that occurs going forward, and long before the man ever became the 45th president..

  Joe Biden is the "root cause" of this frightening Worldwide situation, and it will end when former President Donald John Trump is elected president.

  In the imitable words of Alfred E. Newman: "What, me worry?"

412 total vote(s)     What's your Opinion?