06.24.21

Leader McConnell Meets With President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan

Leader McConnell Meets President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan

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WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement after meeting with President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan:

“I was honored to help welcome President Ghani to the Capitol at a critical moment in our two countries’ relationship.

“For decades, the people of Afghanistan and their democratic government have been essential partners in our shared fight against terrorism. During much of that time, brave Afghans have taken the lead in this fight and borne much of the human cost.

“President Biden’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces leaves our Afghan partners alone to confront threats that his own top advisors acknowledge are grave and growing worse.

“The Taliban, emboldened by our retreat, is rolling back years of progress, especially for the rights of Afghan women, on its way to taking Kabul.

“Increasing indications that this collapse could come soon after U.S. withdrawal is complete are as tragic as they are avoidable.

“In the Taliban’s wake, al-Qaeda is already preparing for an ambitious resurgence of its own, which the President’s own Defense Secretary warns could lead to direct threats to the U.S. homeland in as little as two years. Without a reversal of U.S. policy, I suspect this threat will come much more quickly. 

“President Ghani and the people of Afghanistan are entitled to wonder why the Biden Administration has chosen to abandon the fight and invite even greater terrorist threats. They are right to expect answers about how the United States will honor its commitments to brave Afghans who have helped U.S. forces, and how we will assist in mitigating the security and humanitarian fallout of a Taliban takeover.

“I hope the Biden Administration will delay the withdrawal, address these concerns, and reconsider its misguided retreat. As President Ghani and the Afghan people know, the threats we face from terrorism and tyranny have not been defeated.”

Related Issues: Afghanistan, War on Terror