“This is one of the worst foreign policy decisions in American history, much worse than Saigon,” says Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, slamming President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, which has since fallen into chaos as the Taliban took control of the state.
The complete withdrawal of US troops comes early, days before its self-imposed August 31 deadline.
McConnell likens this political decision to the fall of Saigon, saying the withdrawal of troops would constitute a terror threat on the ground in Afghanistan.
“We leave behind exactly what we went in to solve 20 years ago, and I fear for the future and continuing the war on terror.” He said.
Both Republicans and even some Democrats extend the military mission into September. Many Democrats have pushed Biden to do more to evacuate or help Afghan allies and refugees. The parties want the administration to ensure all Americans are safely out of Afghanistan.
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White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said “After Aug. 31st, we will make sure there is safe passage for any American citizen, any legal permanent resident, (…) we will ensure the safe passage of those Afghans who helped us to continue coming out.”
However, McConnell continues expressing his concerns on the US troops’ early withdrawal, saying “Just because we decided to quit fighting doesn’t mean the terrorists go away. So they’re still out there. They’re invigorated.”
“They’re emboldened and excited about the success they see in bringing America to its knees in Afghanistan,” McConnell says. “We went there to prevent the Taliban from having a regime that would allow terrorists to reconstitute themselves and hit us again here at home. It’s been a total success.”
McConnell suggests that the presence of even a small troop of American forces in Afghanistan was beneficial, citing that there were no mass casualty attacks from the country before Biden announced he was withdrawing troops this year.
According to White House officials, they have made clear the U.S. will end its military mission on Tuesday, and that the timeline has not changed despite the suicide bombing on Thursday outside the airport in Kabul.