On Monday, as the last of U.S. troops were pulled from Afghanistan in keeping with President Biden’s deadline, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) accused the president of recklessly leaving American citizens behind, allowing for what could be become an international hostage crisis.
In a statement emailed to Breitbart News, Hagerty, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, said that Biden’s withdrawal opened a “dangerous new chapter” in America’s war on terror.
President Joe Biden will forever be remembered for leaving American citizens and U.S. legal permanent residents behind and in harm’s way in Afghanistan.
Instead of listening to voices on the ground and planning ahead to ensure the safety of all Americans, President Biden stuck with his self-imposed arbitrary deadline to retreat, and may create the greatest international hostage crisis in history. I pray this does not manifest itself.
Afghanistan has become a cauldron of terror because of this Administration’s failed leadership and lack of adequate planning. The President has not closed the book on the conflict in Afghanistan, but rather opened a dangerous new chapter in which terrorists will pose new threats to stranded Americans, our allies, and the U.S. homeland.
Sen. Hagerty also released a statement last week following the terrorist attack in Kabul that left 13 U.S. servicemembers killed, one of which – Ryan Knauss – was a Tennessee native.
On Mondy, Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. Kenneth McKenzie confirmed that Americans were left behind in Afghanistan.
“There’s a lot of heartbreak associated with this departure,” said McKenzie. “We did not get everybody out that we wanted to get out.”