Image above: Courtesy of FOX News
As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Trent Kelly has joined his colleagues, in a letter to President Biden, calling for a plan of action to safely withdraw Americans and U.S. allies from Afghanistan.
“This is a public policy disaster,” said Kelly. “The failures in withdrawal from Afghanistan and at the southern border have highlighted the vacuum in leadership in the White House. Silence during crisis is the opposite of leadership. It’s time to address the American public on both of these epic problems. Leadership requires action, not silence.”
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Mr. President:
For months, we have been asking you for a plan on your withdrawal from Afghanistan. You failed to provide us with one and based on the horrific events currently unfolding in Afghanistan, we are confident that we never received your plan because you never had one. The security and humanitarian crisis now unfolding in Afghanistan could have been avoided if you had done any planning. Pretending this isn’t your problem will only make things worse.
We remain gravely concerned the void left in Afghanistan will be rapidly filled by terror groups. The Taliban now control the country. Al Qaeda used Afghanistan to plot and execute the 9/11 attacks and other acts of terrorism. You cannot let this happen again. As such, we request that you immediately provide Congress with your plan to prevent terror groups from using Afghanistan as a safe haven to recruit and train the next generation of terrorists. We demand to know how and from where our ISR, counterterrorism, and conventional forces will be used to disrupt the formation for terrorist operations.
Mr. President, this crisis is happening on your watch. We are simply asking: what is your plan for Afghanistan?
