Journalist who witnessed fall of Saigon calls Afghanistan a 'human tragedy'
Jim Laurie, a journalist who covered the fall of Saigon in 1975, discusses the 'tragic' Taliban takeover that has left many, including journalists, stranded in Afghanistan.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Rep. Michael McCaul warned that there is an "even bigger" terror threat than before the 9/11 attacks in the aftermath of Afghanistan falling to the Taliban, saying that the U.S. is engaging in "dangerous foreign policy" and sending a message of "weakness."
During an interview with Fox News, McCaul, R-Texas, said the situation in Afghanistan is an "unmitigated disaster" and one that was handled by the Biden administration in "completely the wrong way."
EVACUATION FLIGHTS ONGOING OUT OF KABUL
"My fear is that President Biden is projecting weakness, not strength, and that is very dangerous in the international community," McCaul told Fox News, adding that the United States' "standing in the world has been greatly diminished."
"I worry we are sending the wrong message to our allies and adversaries of weakness, our allies are questioning whether they can trust us, and our enemies no longer fear us," McCaul said. "That is dangerous foreign policy to be engaged in."
He added: "The image of the Taliban flag being raised over our embassy, I can't tell you how damaging that is going to be to our U.S. interests abroad."
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
McCaul added that the "radical Islamist jihad world feels emboldened now."
McCaul went on to tell Fox News that there are "greater numbers" of Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS fighters than pre-9/11.
"It is an even bigger threat," McCaul said, arguing the U.S. is "even darker now" with the embassy closed and "without eyes and ears on the ground."
"The winners here are the terrorists, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, Russia, Iran and China," McCaul said.
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McCaul told Fox News that the intelligence community has given a "grim assessment" of the situation in Afghanistan.
"This is a great victory for the radical Islamist jihad world, and they will gain momentum from this," McCaul said, adding that officials have told him that the main priority for the international community, at this point, is to "protect our homeland from external operations."
"It is like watching history repeat itself," McCaul said.
As for President Biden's address to the nation, McCaul said he is being "isolationist."
During his speech, Biden blamed his predecessor, former President Trump for the 2020 agreement with the Taliban, which would have seen a withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021.
McCaul, though, pointed to his record.
"President Biden has reversed every single Trump policy — the JCPOA, 'Remain in Mexico,' but then he says he was bound by this agreement?" McCaul said. "He wasn't."
