Cheyenne, OK – Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement in response to President Biden’s address to the nation and the ongoing and deteriorating situation in Afghanistan:

“The Biden Administration’s exit, and subsequent collapse of the Afghan government, is a failure of American leadership.

“While the campaign in Afghanistan had many authors across multiple Administrations and Congresses, the accelerating conquest of the Afghan government and its people by the Taliban is a direct result of the Biden Administration’s hastily executed withdrawal. For months, U.S. military leaders and the intelligence community warned of the disastrous consequences a quickened withdrawal would have: the persecution of Afghan allies, the challenges of safely evacuating U.S. personnel, and the foreseeable rise of threats from the likes of the Taliban, ISIS, and al Qaeda. Now, merely hours after the fall of Kabul, we face the moral and strategic consequences of this administration’s failed leadership and President Biden faces his own Saigon moment.

“With the U.S. Embassy in Kabul all but closed and many Afghans stranded, President Biden’s reckless strategy left the Afghan men and women who risked their lives to assist U.S. forces abandoned and with little hope. The brave Afghan men and women who assisted U.S. and Allied forces are now at the mercy of the Taliban, where their fate remains in peril because of the broken promise that they would be saved.

“The fall of Afghanistan rests squarely on the shoulders of our current Commander-in-Chief. The strategic missteps of President Biden further threaten U.S. national security, undoubtedly blight the credibility of our nation for generations to come, and all but ensure the influence of Russia and China in the region.

“While it’s clear our mission has evolved in the region, the U.S. cannot simply abandon our allies. President Biden must continue to provide the support needed to ensure terrorists organizations do not once again gain a foothold in the region. The service of America’s brave men and women in uniform and the allies who stood beside us for the past 20 years must not be taken in vain.”

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