Republican Oklahoma Rep. Markwayne Mullin said the Biden administration intentionally revealed his location in Afghanistan when he tried to rescue an American family trapped in the country as it fell to the Taliban.
Mullin who is currently running to replace retiring Sen. Jim Inhofe traveled to Afghanistan at the end of August without the backing of the U.S. government in an effort to save four Americans who could not exit the country. Mullin allegedly threatened American embassy officials in Tajikistan when they kept him from transporting a large amount of hard currency into Afghanistan, he was temporarily considered missing.
Biden administration officials called the mission “extremely dangerous,” although Mullin was ultimately successful. Afterward, he accused the State Department of failing to order the gates of Hamid Karzai International Airport open for the Americans, saying the administration’s claim that it was helpful in the evacuation “a lie.”
Now, Mullin is accusing the Biden administration of deliberately disclosing his movements in a manner that put his life in danger. His travels in the region were first reported in a Sept. 1, 2021, Washington Post article. The article reported that Mullin traveled through Greece, Georgia, and Tajikistan, which shares a more than 800-mile border with Afghanistan.
“Without question, they tried to kill me.” hypothesizing that the White House disclosed information about his location to prevent him from proving that Americans were left behind.
A spokeswoman for Mullin clarified that the congressman referenced the fact that the White House made public Mullin’s travels in the region, as well as specific cities.
“All we were trying to do is just help get Americans out because we had the ability to do it. Why is that a bad thing?” he added.
The Department of Defense and Department of State both denied Mullin’s allegations.
Mullin was one of three members of Congress to travel to Afghanistan after the country fell to the Taliban. Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton and Republican Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer, both Afghanistan War veterans, secretly traveled to Kabul to observe the withdrawal of American citizens and Afghan Special Immigration Visa holders. Their trip was also criticized by the congressional leadership and the Biden administration.
