Lindsey Graham: Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal 'reset the war on terror'
Sen. Lindsey Graham torches the Biden administration for making the world less safe following the botched Afghanistan withdraw
The Biden administration’s decision to withdraw all of our forces from Afghanistan has reset the War on Terror in all the worst ways – it was a dumb and dangerous decision that will haunt our nation for decades.
One year after President Biden’s disastrous withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, terrorists are in the strongest position they have been in since 9/11.
The Biden administration abandoned our allies, let billions of dollars of military equipment fall into the hands of the Taliban, and gave the world reason to view the United States as an uncertain ally. Worst of all, the Biden administration's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan reset the War on Terror by positioning bad actors to again gain power in this unstable region of the world.
President Biden delivers remarks on the end of the war in Afghanistan at the White House on Aug. 31, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
I remain convinced that our chaotic and shameful withdrawal from Afghanistan enticed Putin to invade Ukraine, emboldened China to take more aggressive action against Taiwan, gave new life to rogue regimes like Iran, and put the radical Islamist terrorist regeneration effort on steroids.
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For America’s sake, I hope President Biden will acknowledge some important facts:
*Just because you may be tired of fighting radical Islam does not mean radical Islamists are tired of fighting you.
*American weakness causes bad actors to take increasingly bold action.
*Without forward deployed U.S. troops working with allies on the ground over there, terrorists are likely to come here again. To those who wanted a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan without a residual force: your wish came true. There is no smart way to do a dumb thing – leaving Afghanistan in the hands of terrorists.
Former President Barack Obama speaks during the Goalkeepers Conference hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Sept. 20, 2017, in New York. (The Associated Press)
Obama Withdrawal from Iraq
One would think that President Biden would have learned a few things about the unintended consequences of President Obama’s failed withdrawal from Iraq, but clearly he did not. He proved that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
When American forces left Iraq, ISIS grew and became the world’s foremost terrorist state and established a brutal, ruthless caliphate. ISIS committed acts of unspeakable violence and horror and enslaved ethnic minorities like the Yazidis. Furthermore, they called upon radical jihadists around the globe to carry out vicious terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe and kill anyone who stands in the way of their radical agenda.
President Obama was eventually forced to reverse course and send American troops back to Iraq to prevent the caliphate from growing even more powerful – but the damage was already done on the international stage.
Former President Donald Trump (Reuters)
Trump Destroys the Caliphate and Stands Up to Iran
Under the Trump administration's watch, we delivered a one-two punch to terrorists worldwide. The ISIS caliphate was not just contained but destroyed, and we stood up to Iran to combat their efforts to sow instability in the Middle East.
Qassem Soleimani, leader of the Iranian Quds Force, a terrorist organization with American blood on its hands, was killed. We worked with our partners to influence historic change in the Middle East under the Abraham Accords, which led to multiple Arab nations recognizing the State of Israel.
Destroying the caliphate and standing up to Iran effectively neutralized the Obama debacle caused by our reckless withdrawal from Iraq. President Trump deserves credit for putting the War on Terror on a more favorable course.
President Biden speaks about inflation and supply chain issues in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Biden Repeats Obama’s Withdrawal Mistake
Determined to leave Afghanistan, regardless of the costs, President Biden put our military in an impossible position. While chaotically withdrawing our forces, President Biden simultaneously abandoned our Afghan partners who bravely assisted us in the War on Terror. Recently, Gen. Frank McKenzie, who led the withdrawal mission, said the rushed, two-week operation was doomed from the beginning.
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Not having a counter-terrorism residual force in Afghanistan to prevent another 9/11 is an insane idea given the history of worldwide terrorism.
The tragic death of the 13 American service members remains the starkest reminder of the grave consequence of acting against sound military advice. These service members exhibited immense bravery as they worked to create order out of chaos, maintain American honor, and help those Afghans who helped us. These brave Americans died as heroes.
One year after the Biden withdrawal, the human misery in Afghanistan is heartbreaking. You see young women, who had previously lived with a measure of freedom and independence, taken back to the 11th century. We left behind thousands of Afghan partners who bravely helped America combat terrorism in the Middle East. Their abandonment remains a stain on our honor as a nation.
Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri (Maher Attar/Sygma via Getty Images)
The Biden withdrawal has allowed Afghanistan to once again become a safe haven for international terrorist organizations like al Qaeda and ISIS. The recent killing of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri, while rightly celebrated, is proof positive that al Qaeda and Taliban leadership have realigned themselves. The last time this terror network growth happened, it led to attacks on our homeland on 9/11.
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Al Qaeda training camps are re-emerging and ISIS is growing stronger by the day in the ungoverned territories of Afghanistan. I fear it is just a matter of time before terrorist organizations flourishing in Afghanistan will make their way to America through our broken southern border. President Biden's decision to abandon border security looms large in the face of his Afghan debacle.
On my recent visit to Syria, I witnessed firsthand the impact our botched withdrawal from Afghanistan is having on the stability of the region. Radical Islamic elements are re-energized and those who have sided with us in the fight to destroy the ISIS caliphate and contain ISIS are visibly shaken.
The Biden Afghanistan withdrawal shook the foundation of U.S. alliances and emboldened bad actors throughout the world to move forward with their agenda of destroying anyone in their way. They believe they can succeed because they view America as weak.
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One year later, terrorism is on the march. America is completely exposed to future attacks. World order is crumbling – all because of President Biden’s ill-conceived, politically motivated desire to end the Afghan war by an arbitrary deadline.
President Biden did not end America's longest war – he set in motion the catalysts for more war and future attacks on our homeland.
This is the Biden legacy. America will pay the price for decades to come.