WASHINGTON – On Monday, the final U.S. military flight left Kabul’s Hamid Karzai Airport, officially ending the United States’ 20-year war in Afghanistan.
On Monday afternoon, members of New Hampshire’s Congressional Delegation shared their reactions.
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
“First and foremost, my thoughts are with the families, community members and fellow service members of the brave men and women who fought and died to complete the two-decade long mission in Afghanistan. My heart weighs heavy for those mourning loved ones who helped make our country and world a safer place. Some of them signed up to serve after watching the Twin Towers fall and some were sent to fight in a war that began before they were born. Every one of them is a hero. Every one of them is remembered and missed. I am thankful for their service and sacrifice. “These last few weeks, we witnessed U.S. troops and diplomats encounter unimaginable challenges in Kabul to get Americans and Afghan allies to safety, risking their lives to save thousands of others: more than 122,000 lives, to be precise. Their valor and courage cannot be overstated, and that is particularly true for the 13 service members who died as they worked to evacuate innocent Afghan civilians, scores of whom also perished at the hands of barbaric terrorists. We remember each and every life taken and the families they leave behind. We also recognize the service and sacrifice of heroic Afghan civilians, many of whom served shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. troops on the battlefield. As we look toward the next chapter of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, we must ensure U.S. sacrifices were not made in vain, especially for the rights of Afghan women and girls. My chief concern with what I believe was a premature U.S. withdrawal – first announced in March of 2020 – was that the progress we built over twenty years would unravel without verifiable assurances of a stable, secure government in Afghanistan. It is paramount that the United States remain engaged with our international partners to evacuate remaining U.S. citizens and Afghan allies, prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists, push the Taliban for accountability and ensure that the ISIS-K terrorists culpable for the murders of American service members pay for their crimes. Our mission in Afghanistan has ended but our commitment to protect the American people, safeguard U.S. national security and maintain our global stability endures.”
U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
“I join Americans across the country in expressing my deep gratitude for the U.S. service members who put their lives on the line in Afghanistan during the last two decades to keep our country safe, secure, and free. My prayers go out especially to the families of service members who will never return home. We also know that our work continues — the administration must continue to do everything possible to evacuate American citizens and our Afghan partners who stood side-by-side with our troops to combat terrorism. In addition, we must continue our counter-terrorism efforts, working with our allies to eliminate terrorist threats. America is forever indebted to all who served in Afghanistan, and today we redouble our commitment to support them and ensure that our country is ever worthy of their service.”
U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH-01)
“My thoughts remain with our service members and their families today, including those who served and died in Afghanistan since the weeks after September 11th, including the 13 Americans we lost in the terror attack at Kabul Airport last week. We all owe a debt of gratitude for their service to our country, and it falls to us to do all we can to pay down that debt and fight for those veterans who have fought for us for nearly two decades. I will continue to work to ensure that all of our veterans and their families receive the support they need and the benefits they have earned. While all American troops have left Afghanistan today, bringing an end to the longest war in American history, the commitment we’ve made to our service members, our veterans, Americans in Afghanistan, and our Afghan and international allies must continue unabated. President Biden must keep his promise to Americans and our allies and continue working with our partners abroad on critical humanitarian and national security priorities.”