Two members of Congress who flew into Kabul for unannounced visit rebuked by Pelosi

Officials only found out about uncoordinated trip when plane was on way to Afghanistan

Two members of Congress who flew into Kabul for an unannounced visit during the evacuation of American citizens and Afghans have been rebuked by Nancy Pelosi.

US officials were stunned when Representative Seth Moulton and Representative Peter Meijer flew into the country on a chartered flight and stayed on the ground for several hours before leaving on another flight.

The White House and State Department was furious as the two lawmakers did not coordinate the trip with diplomats or military commanders in charge of the often chaotic situation at the international airport, according to the Associated Press.

Mr Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts and Mr Meijer, a Republican from Michigan, are both veterans and have been critical of the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“Given the urgency of this situation, the desire of some Members to travel to Afghanistan and the surrounding areas is understandable and reflective of the high priority that we place on the lives of those on the ground,” Ms Pelosi, the House Speaker, wrote in a letter, according to Politico.

“Member travel to Afghanistan and the surrounding countries would unnecessarily divert needed resources from the priority mission of safely and expeditiously evacuating America and Afghans at risk from Afghanistan.”

She added that lawmakers had already been told by officials not to travel to Kabul as the US tries to finish its evacuation by 31 August.

Mr Moulton took to Twitter to describe his visit to Kabul.

“Witnessing our young Marines and soldiers at the gates, navigating a confluence of humanity as raw and visceral as the world has ever seen, was indescribable,” he tweeted.

“It’s a reminder of why America’s values—when we live up to them—matter to people all over the world. I’ve never talked to more public servants, from salty Marines to the most seasoned State Department officials, who came to tears describing their work.”

Mr Biden said earlier on Tuesday that he wanted to wrap up the evacuation as quickly as possible because of the risk posed to US troops on the ground.

War zone trips for members of Congress normally take a long time to plan and are coordinated with officials on the ground to ensure safety.

Officials say they only found out about the trip when the plane the lawmakers were on was inbound to Kabul.

The White House says that the US military evacuated a daily record of 12,700 people from Kabul on Tuesday, taking the total to 63,900 people since the end of July.