Congressman Cliff Bentz released the following statement regarding the Biden Administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan:
“The scenes we are seeing in Afghanistan are truly devastating. My heart goes out to our servicemembers, veterans, military families, and our partners in the region who gave so much to the fight for freedom, democracy, and a civilized government in Afghanistan. Sadly, our allies and adversaries around the world are watching one of the most significant foreign policy and national security failures in a generation.
“The Biden Administration is responsible for the abrupt Taliban takeover in Afghanistan because it failed to follow the condition-based withdrawal established by the Trump Administration for our military. Instead, President Biden chose symbolism over safety by recklessly withdrawing our Armed Forces to coincide with the upcoming 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. As a result, we are now seeing President Biden’s Saigon – a catastrophe of his own making. This is a very sad day for us all, and the Biden Administration must work to secure the safety of our troops, diplomats, and our partners attempting to flee the country.”