Afghanistan hearing cancelled due to “debt ceiling related craziness”

Posted By Josh Rogin Monday, August 1, 2011 - 4:10 PM Share

First it was Congress's Libya debate that was postponed due to the ongoing fight over the debt ceiling and the budget. Now, oversight of the war in Afghanistan is falling victim to the chaos in Congress as well.

The Senate Armed Services Committee cancelled a scheduled Tuesday hearing on Afghanistan that was supposed to feature testimony from two prominent and outgoing officials: Deputy Defense Secretary Bill Lynn and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. James Cartwright. A separate panel was to be comprised of Ambassador James Dobbins, Gen. Wesley Clark, and Gen. John Keane.

"It was canceled due to other Senate business. We expect it to be rescheduled after the Senate's August recess," SASC spokeswoman Tara Andringa told The Cable.

Another Hill aide confirmed that "other Senate business" referred to "debt ceiling related craziness."

Meanwhile, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is still planning on going ahead with confirmation hearings for two ambassadors currently serving under recess appointments: Frank Ricciardone, Jr., to be Ambassador to Turkey and Norm Eisen, to be Ambassador to the Czech Republic.

And Wednesday the fireworks will fly when SFRC holds confirmation on two of the more controversial State Department nominees: Robert Ford, the recess appointed ambassador to Syria, and Wendy Sherman, the nominee for undersecretary of State for political affairs.

EXPLORE:AFGHANISTAN, OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, STATE DEPARTMENT, U.S. CONGRESS, U.S. FOREIGN POLICY

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AXELBROOK

10:53 AM ET

August 19, 2011

He has absolutely no foreign

He has absolutely no foreign policy experience so what does experience matter to him? The thing that gets me is he claimed she was wrong in just about every aspect of foreign policy that she did deal with ie. NAFTA and the Iraq war and he made this huge deal about her "poor judgement" in terms of foreign policy. So...he makes her Sec. of State. RIO Makes no sense..

MICHEAL HILDNER

4:50 AM ET

August 20, 2011

Afghanistan Factor

Last week, experts gathered in Moscow to discuss the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan. The conference was organized by the Center for Support and Development of Public Initiative “Creative Diplomacy,” an independent public organization, and the Foundation of Historical Outlook, the Russian conservative think tank focused on the studies of international relations. Some speakers noted a few specific features of the current stage of the conflict. First, NATO’s mission can be described as a complete failure now. Second, a rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces could precipitate an international catastrophe. And third, Pakistan is now the key factor in resolving the Afghan problem. Prominent Russian Oriental expert Georgy tori black Mirsky said the war in Afghanistan would not be successful unless there was a victory in Pakistan. The U.S. political analyst I mentioned earlier said Obama’s entourage shares this view. His representatives have tried to convince their Republican opponents at a private meeting (officially devoted to raising the federal debt ceiling but in fact focusing on other issues, including Afghanistan) that they should concentrate on Pakistan and that the solution does not depend on U.S. military presence (full-scale or otherwise) in Afghanistan.