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The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 will be remembered as a disastrous event and one of the most significant foreign policy blunders in American history. President Biden’s decision to ignore his top military advisers and withdraw without a comprehensive strategy in place allowed the Taliban to seize control of Afghanistan, undoing decades of efforts to prevent it from once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists.
The decision to withdraw by a specific date, regardless of the conditions on the ground, demonstrated a disregard for the potential consequences and a failure to assess the risks involved. In all, the disastrous withdrawal cost the lives of thirteen service members and hundreds of Afghans, and President Biden made a conscious decision to leave behind thousands of allies and over $80 billion in U.S. military equipment and abandon Bagram Air Base losing counterterrorism capabilities.
We all remember the chaotic scenes at Kabul’s international airport and the desperate attempts of Afghans to escape the Taliban’s rule. This culminated in a suicide bombing outside Abbey Gate that took the lives of thirteen American service members and hundreds of Afghan allies. This week, we heard from the gold star families of the service members who lost their lives. Their heartbreaking testimonies called for justice and accountability for the events that unfolded, highlighting the fact that not a single member of the Biden Administration has been fired or taken blame for the disaster. Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, said that the Biden administration labeling the withdrawal a ‘success’ was like a ‘knife to the heart’, and ‘an ultimate disrespect for the very people who deserve every ounce of respect we can give them’.
To this day, President Biden has shrugged off criticism and stood by his decision to withdraw haphazardly from Afghanistan. We owe it to these gold star families to continue the fight for justice and hold those responsible accountable. We also have a responsibility as a nation to remember our allies left behind and care for those who were able to escape.
Last month, I introduced the Afghan Adjustment Act, bipartisan legislation to allow Afghans – especially those who supported U.S. military efforts – who sought refuge in the United States to apply for permanent legal residency after additional vetting. As a Veteran I feel it is our responsible to honor our commitments and to never forget our Afghan allies who put their lives on the line for American military, several of whom I know personally. This legislation will protect our allies and alleviate the logistical obstacles they face when working toward safety from the Taliban and lawful permanent resident status in the U.S. This is a step in the right direction as we continue to seek justice for all those involved in the contentious withdrawal.
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