August 18, 2021 by Isabella Colello
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WWTI) — With evacuations in Kabul rising due to the recent collapse of the Afghanistan government, New York lawmakers are voicing their concerns.
This includes Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, R-NY. Stefanik claimed that President Biden is showing “failed” leadership.
The crisis in Afghanistan has put President Biden’s weakness and failed leadership on full display for the world,”Stefanik said in a press release. “By failing to put a plan in place, he created the largest humanitarian and security failure in a generation. Now, I am demanding the President stop passing the buck, take responsibility for his actions, and send Congress a plan to ensure we can combat terrorist threats emanating from Afghanistan. The world is watching.”
NYGOP Chairman Nick Langworthy also criticized Biden. The Chairman claimed Biden “broke a promise made to Afghans.”
“Our Commander in Chief has broken a promise made to Afghans that supported US troops and efforts for the last 20 years,” stated Langworthy in a press release. “They face certain death by hanging and beheading by the Taliban if our nation doesn’t help them flee. Afghan women and girls are being forced into marriages and are going to be barbarically raped and tortured. The imagery at the Kabul airport is real. The horror on their faces is a real-life, life-or-death situation. American leaders have turned their back on these people.”
He added, “American soldiers who volunteered to fight the global war on terror and the Taliban that coddled and hid Osama Bin Laden after he killed 3,000 innocent Americans have been eternally disrespected. Those soldiers who didn’t come home and paid the ultimate price have been severely dishonored, as have their grieving families.”
To further address the current situation, 26 members of Congress addressed President Biden in a letter which requested his plan to conduct operations in Afghanistan. In the letter, the members of House Armed Services Committee claimed that the crisis could have been avoided if counterterrorism efforts had been planned.
The letter read:
Dear President Biden,
For months, we have been asking you for a plan on your withdrawal from Afghanistan. You failed to provide us with one and based on the horrific events currently unfolding in Afghanistan, we are confident that we never received your plan because you never had one. The security and humanitarian crisis now unfolding in Afghanistan could have been avoided if you had done any planning. Pretending this isn’t your problem will only make things worse.
We remain gravely concerned the void left in Afghanistan will be rapidly filled by terror groups. The Taliban now control the country. Al Qaeda used Afghanistan to plot and execute the 9/11 attacks and other acts of terrorism. You cannot let this happen again. As such, we request that you immediately provide Congress with your plan to prevent terror groups from using Afghanistan as a safe haven to recruit and train the next generation of terrorists. We demand to know how and from where will our ISR, counterterrorism, and conventional forces will be used to disrupt the formation for terrorist operations?
Mr. President, this crisis is happening on your watch. We are simply asking: what is your plan for Afghanistan?
As of August 17, the Department of Defense announced plans to evacuate 5,000 to 9,000 people per day from Afghanistan. There are about 4,000 United States troops on the ground in Kabul.
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