House Foreign Affairs Chair Questions Afghanistan Peace Plan

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., on Thursday called for the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan to testify about a potential peace plan with the Taliban, The Hill reports.

Engel has requested Zalmay Khalilzad, the State Department's Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation and the lead negotiator with the Taliban, come before his panel sometime this month to discuss their progress.

"I am calling this hearing so that Congress and the American people will have the long-overdue opportunity to understand the contours of your negotiations with the Taliban and the potential risks and opportunities that may result," Engel wrote to Khalilzad in a letter, according to the Hill. "After nearly two decades of war, we all want to see the fighting in Afghanistan come to an end. But we want to make sure we are negotiating a peace [deal] and not simply a withdrawal."

Engel previously asked Khalilzad to testify in February, an invitation that was also extended by Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the ranking Republican on the panel.

"Given the challenges this Committee has faced in getting information from the Trump Administration on this issue, I want to be clear: I do not consider your testimony at this hearing optional," Engel wrote. "Your appearance before this Committee in an open setting is essential to our ability to carry out our oversight responsibilities. If this letter is insufficient to secure your attendance, I will consider other options that would ensure this hearing takes place in a timely manner."

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