This weekend, the government in Afghanistan collapsed following the recent conclusion of the nearly 20-year U.S. presence in the country. Here are responses from New Hampshire’s Congressional Delegation.
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen on Monday
“Over the weekend, the world watched as Kabul fell, with images of Afghan civilians at the airport pleading to be evacuated seared into our minds. Dire conditions on the ground persist today and without swift, decisive action from the administration, Afghan civilians will suffer or die at the hands of the Taliban. To start, our Afghan partners – SIV applicants – who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops on the battlefield must be immediately evacuated to safety – that means waiving parts of the SIV process that can no longer be feasibly conducted in Afghanistan due to the Taliban takeover. The same should be done for Afghans who assisted the U.S. mission through non-governmental organizations and aid agencies, and other vulnerable populations such as journalists, human rights defenders and women leaders. And there must be an immediate expansion of the refugee program for Afghan women seeking asylum, whose lives are in jeopardy as the Taliban resumes control and turns back the clock on 20 years of progress for women’s rights. A failure to act now will seal their fate, and the generation of girls who grew up with freedoms, education and dreams of building their country’s future will die with them. I am continuing to monitor the grave developments in Afghanistan and urge the Biden administration to take every step to protect all U.S. citizens. As we continue the evacuation, we cannot forget our Afghan partners and other vulnerable civilians whose lives are in danger, due in part to the precipitous withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces. We know what will happen if we abandon them – we cannot leave them to die.”
U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan on Sunday
“In the last 48 hours, we have seen chaos descend as the Taliban enters Kabul. The Afghan government is collapsing and I have read with horror the reports of the execution of our Afghan allies and partners and I pray for all the Afghan people – especially the young women and girls – whose lives are in danger. The situation in Afghanistan is the result of failures by multiple administrations. I have long said that any withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan must be based on facts on the ground, not arbitrary deadlines. Instead we have seen a precipitous withdrawal with no real plan in place to ensure the peace and stability of Afghanistan and its people. The Biden administration must ensure that we have a plan in place for protecting Americans in Afghanistan and those who served alongside us for the past 20 years, as well as the safety of Afghan women and girls. We also need to determine what intelligence failures led to underestimating the ease and speed of the Taliban’s advancement and work to ensure that we prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists.”
Congressman Chris Pappas on Sunday
“The scenes from Afghanistan are devastating and deeply concerning. Our first priority must be the immediate evacuation of U.S. citizens, SIV applicants, and our allies who stood beside us and whose lives are now in danger. There will be time to re-examine foreign policy failures over two decades that shaped today’s events. But now we must do all we can to ensure the safe return of Americans and our partners and honor the service of all those who deployed to Afghanistan and their families.”
Congresswoman Annie Kuster on Monday
“The developments in Afghanistan are deeply troubling and the images are heartbreaking. The rapid failure of Afghanistan’s government and the Afghan military was extraordinary and disappointing. As previously stated and reiterated by President Biden today, the safety and security of U.S. personnel and Afghan partners remain the top priority. I am deeply grateful to our men and women in uniform who have served the United States in Afghanistan, including those who are currently operating under extremely difficult circumstances to evacuate U.S. citizens and Afghan partners in Kabul. The President has demonstrated his deep respect and admiration for our troops, and he recognizes that as commander-in-chief, it is his duty to protect them — his decision to deploy additional troops so that expedient evacuations can continue is a necessary step. I will continue to closely monitor the situation in Afghanistan and once efforts to withdraw U.S. citizens and Afghan partners are complete, we must turn our attention to strategic steps we can take to ensure the region does not return to a haven for terrorists, and that all Afghan citizens — especially women and girls — are safe from violence, persecution, and brutal treatment from the Taliban.”