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I hope you saw my latest weekly column.

 

ROGER WICKER: Loyal allies face grim fate after chaotic U.S. exit
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By now the disturbing images from Afghanistan have been permanently seared
into many American minds. Civilians clinging to the side of a military jet
before takeoff. Helicopters leaving the U.S. Embassy for the last time. Taliban
soldiers policing the streets in vehicles left behind by U.S. forces. These
were the scenes of an ally nation thrown into chaos by President Biden’s
unnecessary and clumsy withdrawal of U.S. troops. His ill-advised decision
resulted in the country being overrun by the Taliban in mere days, leaving
thousands of Americans and our friends stranded with few options for escape.

 

Intelligence leaders had warned the President that pulling out all U.S. troops
could lead to this outcome. The President ignored those warnings. Even as
disaster unfolded and criticism mounted from within his own party, the
President doubled down on his decision, blaming everyone but himself.
Evacuation efforts now fall on the shoulders of 7,000 U.S. troops who have been
sent back to the Kabul airport.

 

Worst Foreign Policy Blunder in Modern Memory

 

The President’s abandonment of our Afghan allies is one of the worst foreign
policy disasters in modern memory. The most clearly betrayed are the tens of
thousands of Afghans who helped our country by serving as interpreters,
drivers, and service employees. We asked these people to trust us and told them
we had their backs. Many now face the prospect of being killed.

 

I fear that the ripple effects of this debacle will be felt in our foreign
policy for years to come. U.S. allies may lose trust that America will keep its
word, especially under this President. Leaders of neighboring countries in the
region already seem to be hedging their bets and edging toward an accommodation
with the Taliban. Our sudden retreat could provide an opening for both the
Chinese and Russian dictatorships to gain influence at our expense.

 

It is now more likely that Afghanistan will once again become a breeding
ground for terrorism. The Taliban provided safe harbor for terrorists leading
up to 9/11, and there is clear evidence that al-Qaeda will try to revive their
old base of operations – creating new threats to our national security.

 

Our military pullout will also doom millions of Afghan women and girls to
repression. The Taliban have already begun forcing teenage girls into
“arranged” marriages and sex slavery. They have told women working in local
banks to quit their jobs and have begun turning away young Afghan women from
the university. These changes will be especially traumatic for Afghans under
age 20, who make up half of the population and have no memory of living under a
backward Islamist regime.

 

No American Left Behind

 

As commander-in-chief, President Biden must do absolutely everything in his
power to evacuate all American citizens and U.S. partners from the country. My
office has worked on more than 100 evacuation requests this past week, and we
will continue to process them as they arrive. Any Mississippi resident who has
loved ones stranded in Afghanistan can email my office with all applicable
information at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>. We
cannot guarantee any outcomes, but we will make sure the right information gets
to the federal task force working around the clock to bring Americans home.

 

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Thank you for your support,

Senator Roger Wicker

 

 

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