U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., released a statement this week as the Taliban took over Afghanistan. Cammack said the following:
“I was on a call hosted by the White House with Secretary of State Blinken, Secretary of Defense Austin, and General Milley. More than six times, all three officials stated, ‘we are engaging in an orderly and safe withdrawal’ and we have ‘planned for all contingencies.’ Finally, they said ‘the Taliban isn’t in Kabul.’ They cut off questions from Members leaving us with few or no answers.
“This morning, we woke to the news of a fallen Afghanistan, now in the hands of an American-armed Taliban with chaos at the Kabul airport, thousands rushing the tarmac to board aircraft out, and Americans frantically attempting to evacuate our embassy.
“I, along with most Americans, believe that our time in Afghanistan should have ended long ago. I have long supported a smart, strategic, and well-thought-out withdrawal, but what we are witnessing is anything but.
“War termination is arguably one of the most important aspects of military planning and strategy. In fact, it’s one of the first things we’re taught at the Naval War College. Despite the administration’s ‘plans and contingencies’ having been in place for months, this hasty withdrawal only demonstrates that this administration is more focused on woke politics than meaningful policy. For that, this administration is fully responsible and will be remembered as such forever.
“To all the men and women who have dutifully served our country in Afghanistan over the last 20 years: thank you. You’ve done everything you could. To the bureaucrats in the White House: you should be ashamed. You got this wrong in so many ways.
“Being commander-in-chief means being the chief decision-maker. No matter how many fingers Biden points or how many agencies he throws under the bus, he and his administration are 100 percent to blame for this failed withdrawal in Afghanistan. While American troops have been scrambling to withdraw to meet an entirely political deadline, the president’s been at Camp David, not saying a word on the situation since last Tuesday. President Biden’s lack of response and poor leadership has only proven what we know: this administration is weak, lacks accountability, puts America last, and leaves people behind. Look no further than the fact that this administration not only armed the Taliban, but was caught flat-footed trying to evacuate Americans and our allies as an afterthought. We are witnessing the consequences and our adversaries are watching.
“To every single American who has served in Afghanistan—as military or as civilians—our nation is in your debt. Your service and sacrifice will never be in vain.”
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