Lawmakers call for probe into Ex-Biden official’s Middle East policies

Shafaq News/ US Congressman Joe Wilson has called for an official investigation into Brett McGurk, the Middle East director at the National Security Council in the Biden administration, accusing him of "failed" Middle East policies that have endangered US national security.

In a letter to the newly appointed chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Brian Mast, the Republican congressman requested that McGurk be summoned to testify before Congress.

Wilson stated in the letter, "The fact that someone consistently fails in ways that have jeopardized American national security and continues to shape policy across administrations highlights a significant issue within the foreign policy establishment."

McGurk has been involved in US Middle East policy for decades, starting with the George W. Bush administration's decision to intervene in Iraq. Under President Barack Obama (2009-2017), McGurk led US efforts to support the global coalition against ISIS. However, he resigned during President Donald Trump's first term (2017-2021) over the withdrawal of US troops from the mission in northwestern Syria.

More recently, under President Joe Biden, McGurk has advocated for a regional policy that returns to the "basics" and moves away from the "hawkish" stance established by the Bush and Obama administrations during the Iraq War and Arab uprisings.

In his letter to Mast, Wilson accused McGurk of leading US efforts to "normalize" relations with the Assad regime, despite the lack of official recognition. Wilson also pointed to the growing acceptance of Syria back into the Arab fold by Washington's Arab partners.