Press Releases
Currently showing results related to War on Terror
McConnell Statement On U.S. Military Strikes In Yemen
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding military operations in Yemen: “I welcome the U.S. and coalition operations against the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists responsible for violently disrupting international commerce in the Red Sea and attacking American vessels. President Biden’s decision to use military force against these Iranian proxies is overdue. “I am hopeful these operations mark an enduring shift in the Bid… Continue Reading
09.02.21
ICYMI: Leader McConnell on The Guy Benson Show
LOUISVILLE, KY - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined The Guy Benson Show last night. Read below for the highlights or click here to listen to the full interview. On the Biden Administration's Disastrous Exit from Afghanistan: "[I] would start with saying the war hasn't ended, it's just become more difficult for us to prosecute. The terrorist threat in Afghanistan is already greater than it was before this rash decision to withdraw. It will continue to grow, and our cap… Continue Reading
08.31.21
Fight Against Terrorism Will Not end Just Because Politicians Want to Wish It Away
ASHLAND, KY - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks regarding Afghanistan today at an event sponsored by the Ashland Alliance - the Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Agency for Boyd and Greenup Counties: "This was a disgraceful and disastrous departure that will allow the Taliban and Al Qaeda to celebrate the 20th anniversary of 9/11 by having complete control of Afghanistan. "Two weeks ago, President Biden specifically promised h… Continue Reading
08.26.21
McConnell Statement on American Servicemembers Killed in Kabul
LOUISVILLE, KY - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement on the bombings in Kabul: "It is sickening and enraging to hear that at least 12 United States servicemembers have been killed and more have been injured at the hands of terrorists in Kabul. "Americans' hearts are breaking for our servicemembers and diplomats. They are doing heroic work to rescue American citizens and Afghan partners in the predictably chaotic wake of the President's decision t… Continue Reading
08.24.21
Americans and Vulnerable Afghans Need Support, Not President Biden’s Artificial Timelines
LOUISVILLE, KY - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement on Afghanistan and the Biden Administration's response. "The latest reporting suggests Americans and vulnerable Afghans are still having trouble reaching the Kabul airport because of the Taliban. President Biden's responsibility is simple: He should clearly and firmly state that the United States will stay for however long it takes and use whatever force is necessary to ensure we do not abandon … Continue Reading
08.24.21
ICYMI: Leader McConnell on ‘America’s Newsroom’
LOUISVILLE, KY - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino on Fox News this morning. See below for highlights or click here to watch to the full interview: On President Biden's Reckless Decision to Leave Afghanistan: "First let me say this is one of the greatest foreign policy disasters in American history. I think it's important to remember where we were a few months ago before the president's reckless decision to leave. We only had 2500 troops … Continue Reading
08.20.21
McConnell: “This Catastrophic Decision Rests with the Commander-in-Chief Who Made It.”
LOUISVILLE, KY - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding Afghanistan and the Biden Administration's response: "U.S. servicemembers and diplomats are now engaged in a round-the-clock mission to get American citizens, loyal partners, and vulnerable Afghans out of Kabul. The task is difficult and dangerous. Their efforts under pressure reflect America at its finest. Our personnel in harm's way deserve our utmost respect and support. "But… Continue Reading
08.19.21
ICYMI: McConnell on CBS Evening News
LOUISVILLE, KY - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined CBS Evening News last night. See below for highlights or click here to watch to the full interview: On the Biden Administration's Disastrous Withdrawal from Afghanistan: "We shouldn't have made this decision in the first place. We only had 2,500 troops there - light touch, no chaos, not a single American soldier killed in a year in combat. We've now left 10,000 to 15,000 American citizens behind enemy lines with no p… Continue Reading
08.18.21
ICYMI: McConnell on The Hugh Hewitt Show
LOUISVILLE, KY - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined The Hugh Hewitt Show this morning. See below for highlights or click here to listen to the full interview: On the Benefits of Keeping a Small-Force Footprint in Afghanistan: "This is a colossal mistake. You know, Hugh, I'm somebody who believes that the light-touch deployment we had in Afghanistan was actually working. We didn't have a single one of our military personnel killed in combat in the last year. The lid wa… Continue Reading
08.17.21
ICYMI: McConnell on Fox News Channel’s ‘Special Report with Bret Baier’
LOUISVILLE, KY - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined Bret Baier on Fox News Channel's 'Special Report with Bret Baier' tonight. See below for highlights or click here to watch the full interview: On the Biden's Administration's Precipitous and Incompetent Withdrawal from Afghanistan: "Well, first, let's talk about the decision to withdraw, itself. We were spending about one percent of the Pentagon budget every year to keep the lid on in Afghanistan. We hadn't lost a … Continue Reading
08.15.21
McConnell on Biden’s Afghanistan Collapse: “The Embarrassment of a Superpower Laid Low”
LOUISVILLE, KY - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement after receiving a Biden Administration briefing on the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan: "The Biden Administration's botched exit from Afghanistan including the frantic evacuation of Americans and vulnerable Afghans from Kabul is a shameful failure of American leadership. "The rapid advance of the Taliban was expected after the US abandonment of Afghan security forces. The plig… Continue Reading
08.13.21
McConnell Speaks with Afghanistan’s Ambassador Raz
LOUISVILLE, KY - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement after speaking with Afghanistan's Ambassador to the United States, Adela Raz: "I just spoke to Afghanistan's Ambassador to the United States, Adela Raz. We had an urgent conversation about the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the unfolding humanitarian crisis. "This debacle was not only foreseeable, it was foreseen. The President and his team actively decided against a far m… Continue Reading
08.12.21
"Afghanistan is Careening Toward a Massive, Predictable, and Preventable Disaster"
LOUISVILLE, KY - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement regarding Afghanistan: "Afghanistan is careening toward a massive, predictable, and preventable disaster. And the Administration's surreal efforts to defend President Biden's reckless policy are frankly humiliating. "The Biden Administration has reduced U.S. officials to pleading with Islamic extremists to spare our Embassy as they prepare to overrun Kabul. Absurdly, naively, our government is … Continue Reading
06.24.21
Leader McConnell Meets With President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan
Download the photo here. 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 … Continue Reading
10.27.19
McConnell Applauds President Trump’s Announcement on the Death of al-Baghdadi
LOUISVILLE, KY. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement following the announcement of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death: "I applaud President Trump's announcement that U.S. special forces have eliminated ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The world's most wanted man has been brought to justice. The world is a safer place today. "This victory for the U.S. and our many counterterrorism partners is a significant step for the campaign against ISIS, for the fut… Continue Reading
10.14.19
McConnell: We Must Avoid Strategic Calamity in the Middle East
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement regarding the situation in Syria: "I am gravely concerned by recent events in Syria and by our nation's apparent response thus far. "Turkey is our NATO ally and has legitimate security concerns stemming from the conflict in Syria. But Turkey's offensive against our Syrian Kurdish partners is jeopardizing years of hard-won progress in the fight against ISIS. "For years, the United States and ou… Continue Reading
10.07.19
McConnell Statement on Turkey and U.S. Partners in Syria
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding Turkey and U.S. partners in Syria: "In January, a supermajority of the U.S. Senate voted for an amendment that expressed bipartisan concern about the continuing threat posed by ISIS and Al Qaeda in Syria, appreciation of the long-term American security interests in Syria and the region, and support for a continued military presence in northeastern Syria. "The conditions that … Continue Reading
12.20.18
McConnell Statement on Secretary Mattis
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement regarding Secretary of Defense James Mattis: "I believe it's essential that the United States maintain and strengthen the post-World War II alliances that have been carefully built by leaders in both parties. We must also maintain a clear-eyed understanding of our friends and foes, and recognize that nations like Russia are among the latter. "So I was sorry to learn that Secretary Mattis, who … Continue Reading
01.11.18
McConnell Statement on Critical Foreign Surveillance Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement regarding Senate consideration of the House-passed Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA): "Earlier today, the House of Representatives voted to approve a reauthorization of one of our nation's most important national security tools: Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The Senate will now consider it. Section 702 is of particular importance as it give… Continue Reading
08.21.17
McConnell Statement on President Trump’s Address to the Nation on Afghanistan
LOUISVILLE, KY. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement tonight regarding President Trump's address to the nation: "Tonight President Trump reaffirmed to the American people the painful lesson glaringly brought to our shores on September 11, 2001: the United States cannot permit terrorist organizations such as ISIL, al Qaeda or its affiliates to train, recruit and plot from ungoverned sanctuaries--whether within Afghanistan, in the tribal areas of P… Continue Reading
