Rep. Mike Levin Statement on Afghanistan
Oceanside, CA – U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) issued the following statement on the situation in Afghanistan:
“Nearly 20 years ago, we began our mission in Afghanistan with the goal of defeating the terrorists who were responsible for the attacks of September 11 and reducing the potential for additional terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. We completed that mission, and we owe the servicemembers who sacrificed in Afghanistan – including many deployed from Camp Pendleton – and their families a debt of gratitude that we can never fully repay.
"Multiple presidential administrations, both Democratic and Republican, hold responsibility for the situation in Afghanistan today, and a full review of the key strategic decisions from the Bush-Cheney Administration onward needs to be conducted. Clearly, the effort to support the Government of Afghanistan and the development of the Afghan Security Forces has not succeeded and there needs to be an accounting of why it went wrong.
“We must focus now on completing a safe withdrawal of American personnel and Afghans who supported our mission and risked their lives for a freer and more democratic Afghanistan, particularly women and children who are most at risk from violence by the Taliban. The time for bureaucratic visa processes has passed – we must get our most vulnerable allies out of the country immediately. President Biden must commit all necessary resources to fulfill that responsibility safely and quickly.”
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