Two U.S. lawmakers made a secret trip into Afghanistan to fully understand Joe Biden’s failure of a withdrawal following the 20-year war.
Republican Rep. Peter Meijer and Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton both of whom are military vets who served in Iraq, issued a joint statement regarding their trip.
“As Members of Congress, we have a duty to provide oversight on the executive branch. There is no place in the world right now where oversight matters more. We conducted this visit in secret, speaking about it only after our departure, to minimize the risk and disruption to the people on the ground, and because we were there to gather information, not to grandstand. We left on a plane with empty seats, seated in crew-only seats to ensure that nobody who needed a seat would lose one because of our presence,” the lawmakers said.
The duo said that the situation on the ground is much worse than what is being shown by the media.
“Washington should be ashamed of the position we put our service members in, but they represent the best in America. These men and women have been run ragged and are still running strong. Their empathy and dedication to duty are truly inspiring. The acts of heroism and selflessness we witnessed at HKIA [Hamid Karzai International Airport] make America proud,” the legislators said.
They said that the U.S. will not be able to evacuate everyone either by August 31, the deadline set by the Taliban and accepted by President Joe Biden, or even by the first deadline set by the Taliban of September 11.
“We came into this visit wanting, like most veterans, to push the president to extend the August 31st deadline. After talking with commanders on the ground and seeing the situation here, it is obvious that because we started the evacuation so late, that no matter what we do, we won’t get everyone out on time, even by September 11. Sadly and frustratingly, getting our people out depends on maintaining the current, bizarre relationship with the Taliban.”
They continued, “In the coming days, we will have more to share with our colleagues and the American people about what we learned, but after meeting with Marines, soldiers, and dedicated State Department officials on the ground—we want the world to know first and foremost that we have never been prouder to be Americans.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasted the trip by the pair of lawmakers. “Member travel to Afghanistan and the surrounding countries would unnecessarily divert needed resources from the priority mission of safely and expeditiously evacuating America and Afghans at risk from Afghanistan.”
Unnamed sources in the Biden admin were also displeased with the move for likely selfish reasons as it exposed exactly how poorly Biden and his allies have handled the situation.
“It’s as moronic as it is selfish,” a senior administration official told The Washington Post. “They’re taking seats away from Americans and at-risk Afghans — while putting our diplomats and service members at greater risk — so they can have a moment in front of the cameras.”
An unnamed diplomat also blasted the move as “one of the most irresponsible things I’ve heard a lawmaker do.”
Author: Blake Ryder
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