By U.S. Senator James Lankford
Last week, President Biden addressed the United Nations and bragged that this was the first time in 20 years the US was not at war. He declared that we had turned the page and we couldn’t afford to waste any more time.
Oklahomans remember why we were in Afghanistan. The attacks on September 11, 2001, changed the world forever. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed that day including seven of our fathers, mothers, daughters, and sons from Muskogee, Lawton, Norman, and Sperry. Fifty-one Oklahomans made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation and our way of life in the decades-long war in Afghanistan. It was not a waste of time.
The number one question I’ve been asked as I have traveled around Oklahoma after Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan has been, “Did the last 20 years matter?”
My answer is simple—yes, they did.
Our stand in Afghanistan prevented any major attack in the US since 9/11, and it was vital to our national security. Our heroes fought against terrorism and for freedom in Afghanistan. Afghans now know that their families can have a better future. Afghan women were permitted freedoms they once only dreamed of like education and economic opportunity. A nation corrupted by terrorism was offered an opportunity to elevate to living under the rule of law, not terrorist thugs. For once in a millennium, Afghanistan felt a moment of hope.
The hardest part of our disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan is that it didn’t have to be that way. Biden still has not explained why he walked away from the Bagram Air Field or the US Embassy in Kabul. Both facilities were essential to maintain security, evacuate Americans, and process visa applications. Biden threw Afghanistan into chaos, endangered Americans’ lives as they had to flee the Taliban coming in as we left, and abandoned billions in military equipment. Yet, he continues to celebrate the end.
President Trump was clear that he wanted to end the War on Terror but would only commit to a conditions-based withdrawal. When the Taliban failed to uphold their commitments, the Trump Administration held them accountable and maintained a military presence until they reversed course. Biden did the exact opposite. He leaned away when the Taliban pressed in on our withdrawal. He just left, no matter the cost.
He committed himself to an arbitrary deadline with zero conditions for a withdrawal. He ignored the cries of Americans and our mission-critical allies who were trying desperately to get out of the country. The heartbreaking images of Afghans clinging to and falling from our aircraft in desperate attempts to escape the Taliban were disgraceful. Is that what Biden is celebrating?
We still have Americans in Afghanistan that I’ve been trying to help evacuate for weeks. Taking care of our people should be what matters most to us, not irresponsible timetables.
Biden’s withdrawal was a disaster because he chose politics and arbitrary deadlines over the advice of his own intelligence community and the safety of Americans. It did not have to end this way.
There are still terrorists out there that want to destroy our freedoms and kill our neighbors. That is something we should not forget.
