DES MOINES, Iowa – Following the Taliban’s growing insurgency and capture of several provincial capitals in southern Afghanistan, President Joe Biden is sending back several thousand troops to Afghanistan after rapidly drawing them down with his August 31 deadline for withdrawal quickly approaching.
Several of Iowa’s members of Congress responded to the news.
“This was entirely avoidable. The hasty and poorly planned exit now requires a rescue effort. I’m praying for the safety and success of all involved,” U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, tweeted.
This was entirely avoidable. The hasty and poorly planned exit now requires a rescue effort. I’m praying for the safety and success of all involved. https://t.co/zEcNVdGV7p
— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) August 12, 2021
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson told The Iowa Torch that Biden’s decision was a failure during a press call.
“I’m very concerned about this situation in Afghanistan. The Biden administration’s rushed exit here, it failed. And now we have American lives at risk. We have Afghan lives at risk. I’m grateful to the service members who are now being sent back there on this rescue mission as a result, but the administration clearly needs a plan. And a strategy, we have to be cognizant of the risk here. We have to protect American lives and Afghan civilian lives, and our national security. So again, I’m disappointed in the Biden administration’s rushed exit here. And I’m thankful again to the troops who are now going to help to make sure that we can still protect lives there,” she said.
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, also called the situation “avoidable,” predicting a collapse of the Afghani government.
“The Afghan government will likely collapse in the coming weeks, if not days. This situation was avoidable and did not need to be rushed to fit an arbitrary timeline. Now, Afghan soldiers and civilians who risked their lives to help us are in danger,” she tweeted.
The Afghan government will likely collapse in the coming weeks, if not days. This situation was avoidable and did not need to be rushed to fit an arbitrary timeline. Now, Afghan soldiers and civilians who risked their lives to help us are in danger.https://t.co/Iizwfy7NU3
— Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (@RepMMM) August 13, 2021
U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, told The Iowa Torch that history would not look favorably on Biden’s decision.
“This will go down in history as a major foreign policy mistake by President Biden. Better planning would have made this dire situation entirely avoidable, but the president moved forward with a sudden and rapid exit to meet an arbitrary deadline — and now Americans and our allies have been put in harm’s way. I will continue praying for their safety and security,” he said.
The Iowa Torch also reached out to U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley’s and U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne’s office for comment and will update when they provide one.
