Sen. Cramer Statement on Afghanistan: President Biden is Responsible

Statement

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) member, issued the following statement today on the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan:

"President Biden is responsible for the tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan. When he announced his withdrawal plans months ago, he confidently reassured the world Afghanistan's army is prepared for it. Clearly, the opposite is true.

"The Taliban is taking over the country with devastating precision and virtually no opposition before we even reached the President's planned final withdrawal date of August 31. These terrorist sympathizers and their forces reportedly took billions in U.S. military assets, executed Afghan soldiers who had already surrendered, and are committing appalling crimes against young women and children.

"The Administration's reaction to these atrocities would be comical if the consequences weren't so drastic. In the same breath, officials claim they knew this could happen, and it is the right thing to do, but they also say they had no choice because of actions by the previous Administration. They present no good answer for why they didn't have a better response plan if they knew this could happen, or why their hands are now tied by the previous President but they are free to undo a litany of his other actions.

"So far, President Biden's response is one of arrogance, and his stubborn commitment to plans - despite their real-world impact - is becoming a hallmark of his Administration. He's allowing Russia to build the Nord Stream 2 pipeline despite weakening American energy. He triggered runaway inflation and economic ruin for the U.S. oil and gas industry, then pleaded with OPEC and Russia to increase production to bail him out. He refuses to acknowledge the crisis at the southern border despite its strain on our border agents and the threat it poses to American citizens. He's softening our stance on Iran without receiving concessions for the safety of the United States or allies like Israel. He's failed to stand up to the Chinese Communist Party - which signaled it will recognize the Taliban as the governing body of Afghanistan - despite its open desire to be our economic adversary and its unwillingness to take responsibility for unleashing a deadly virus on the world that led to a global health pandemic. So much for the Biden Administration's argument that the "adults are back in charge.'

"We were warned President Biden has been wrong about every major foreign policy decision for decades, and now the people of Afghanistan are becoming the latest victims of his poor judgment. His decision to withdraw American forces by the end of August has been a failure. There are ways to conduct a proper withdrawal, but that is not what this Administration has done. Those were President Biden's decisions to make, and now the fallout is his responsibility to fix. It's time to stop the pathetic posturing and partisan bickering. The world is watching, and right now, only our adversaries like what they see."

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