Arizona legislators are reacting to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. After nearly two decades of presence in Afghanistan, the images of the withdrawal shocked the world. Although President Joe Biden isn’t the president that started this war, he announced in April that he would be the one to end it, deciding he would stick with the deal that former President Donald Trump had made in February 2020. It was Trump who negotiated the deal with the Taliban for U.S. troop withdrawal by May 1, 2021, saying at the time, “It’s time after all these years to bring our people back home.”
Biden said he had to choose between sticking the previously negotiated agreement to withdraw U.S. troops or sending thousands more service members back into Afghanistan to fight a “third decade” of war. “I stand squarely behind my decision,” Biden stated. “After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces.”
Congressman Ruben Gallego issued a statement, saying, “As a combat veteran of the Iraq war, I am heartbroken by the events unfolding in Kabul. The resurgence of the Taliban is a tragedy for the Afghan people and is incredibly difficult to watch for the many American servicemembers who served and who lost friends during the mission in Afghanistan. It also sadly underlines the reality that after twenty years, four U.S. presidents and the expenditure of significant resources, the conditions for a peaceful and stable Afghan state could not be created.”
“Not only do we have a moral imperative to help those who helped us in Afghanistan, but America must show the world and future allies and partners that we stick by our friends and keep our promises no matter how dire the circumstances. I will continue to do everything within my power to ensure that no bureaucracy stands in the way of saving lives as U.S. forces complete their drawdown in Afghanistan.”
Rep. Debbie Lesko said in a press release, “As the situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, it is becoming clear that this disaster is a direct result of a botched drawdown effort orchestrated by the Biden Administration. Yesterday, I attended a Congressional briefing with administration officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who assured us that there would be a safe and orderly drawdown—footage from the ground shows that is clearly not the case. Desperate Afghans are scaling fences, hanging onto planes, and falling to their deaths all in attempts to escape this chaos. After decades of sacrifice by American men and women in Afghanistan, it is devastating to see what has become of this country. My prayers are with the troops on the ground to assist with evacuation efforts, the Americans awaiting evacuation, and the Afghan citizens facing an uncertain future—especially the women and girls.”
Rep. Andy Biggs stated on Twitter, “Let’s set the record straight before Biden and co. starts blaming Trump for the Afghanistan disaster. Biden abandoned Trump’s peace plan & exit strategy & haphazardly created his own. Biden is FULLY responsible for this absolute wreck.”
Rep. David Schweikert stated on Twitter, “I have long believed that it was time to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan. However, that belief was premised on the idea that any withdrawal would be logically conducted in a safe and organized fashion. One need only to look at the humanitarian crisis unfolding to come to the conclusion that the Biden Administration has not prioritized organization or safety in the withdrawal currently transpiring.”
Senator Mark Kelly released a statement, saying, “The rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan reveals a failure to prepare for a scenario where the Afghan government and military would refuse to fight the Taliban’s advances when put to the test.
“I am grateful for the American servicemembers who, on hours’ notice, rapidly deployed to Kabul over the past few days to secure the airport and facilitate evacuations, just as I am grateful for the hundreds of thousands of service members and civilians, and their families, who over the past twenty years have sacrificed so much in this war.
“Our priority now must be to keep the Kabul airport secure and get our people and our allies out safely. My office is all-hands-on-deck to assist Americans and Afghan partners who are trying to get out, and I encourage anyone who is in need of assistance, or in touch with someone in need, to contact my office.”
Senator Kyrsten Sinema posted on Twitter, “America’s troops – including many Arizonans – fought bravely for 20 years to eliminate the terrorists who attacked our nation, including finding and killing Osama Bin Laden. Our servicemembers and their loved ones sacrificed so much in this war and have earned our deepest respect and gratitude. Now it is the duty of the administration to evacuate those Afghans who risked their own safety to support America’s mission, and to ensure America and our national security interests are kept safe and secure from any threats that emerge from this evolving situation.”
The U.S. will continue to process visas for Afghans and their families who aided U.S. troops. Roughly 100 U.S. embassy staffers remain at the airport, reported CBS News.
