Declassification review and publication of materials relating to Afghanistan withdrawal

(a)

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that the American people deserve to understand the events and decision-making which resulted in the chaotic withdrawal of United States personnel from Afghanistan in 2021.(b)

Dissent channel cable relating to Afghanistan withdrawal

(1)

Submission to Congress

(A)

Submission

Not later than 5 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a complete (and, except as provided in subparagraph (B), unredacted) copy of—(i)the dissent channel cable of the Department of State written on or about July 13, 2021, describing the likely consequences of United States withdrawal from Afghanistan; and(ii)the official response of the Department of State with respect to such dissent channel cable.(B)

Authorized redactions

The Secretary may redact the name of any signatory to the dissent channel cable specified in subparagraph (A).(2)

Declassification review; publication

(A)

In general

Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall—(i)complete a declassification review to determine what, if any, information contained within the dissent channel cable or the official response specified in paragraph (1)(A) may be declassified in accordance with the standards under subsection (d);(ii)declassify any information so determined; and(iii)publish on a publicly available internet website of the Department of State such dissent channel cable and official response, in unclassified form and containing, in addition to any information previously unclassified, any other information declassified as a result of such declassification review.(B)

Required redactions

In publishing the dissent channel cable pursuant to subparagraph (A)(iii), the Secretary shall redact the name, and any other personally identifiable information, of each signatory to such dissent channel cable.(c)

Declassification and publication of after-Action review of Department of State

Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall—(1)complete a declassification review to determine what, if any, additional information contained within the after-action review of the Department of State developed with respect to the Afghanistan withdrawal (in this section, referred to as the after-action review) may be declassified in accordance with the standards under subsection (d);(2)declassify any information so determined; and(3)publish on a publicly available internet website of the Department of State a complete version of such after-action review containing, in addition to information previously unclassified, any other information declassified as a result of such declassification review.(d)

Standards for declassification

In conducting each declassification review under this section with respect to given information, the Secretary of State shall declassify such information unless the Secretary determines the declassification would be incompatible with the national security interests of the United States or otherwise inconsistent with the protection of intelligence sources and methods.