Less than a week after the United States completed the full withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, Senator Lindsey Graham said the United States will have to “re-enter” the war-torn country in an interview with the BBC which aired Monday worldwide.
“Whether you like Trump or not, whether you think it’s Trump’s fault or Biden’s fault, this is where we are in the world: the Taliban are not reforming, they are not new,” Graham (R-SC) said. “They have a worldview out of sync with modern times. They will impose a lifestyle on the Afghan people that I think will make us all feel bad.
“But the most important thing is that they will give safe haven to al-Qaeda, which has the ambition to take us out of the Middle East script and attack us for our lifestyle. We will return to Afghanistan, as we returned to Iraq and Syria. “
The BBC host Stephen Sackur pushed Graham to clarify, asking him if he thought “seriously” that the United States would re-enter the country after such a chaotic retreat.
“We’ll have to,” Graham said. “It simply came to our notice then. Because the threat will be so great. It will be a boiler for radical Islamic behavior. ”
Graham’s comments come less than a week after the U.S. completed the withdrawal of troops and the first evacuation efforts of U.S. citizens and Afghan allies in the country.
The Biden administration has faced a bipartisan backlash over evacuation efforts, especially for failing to evacuate all Americans from the war-torn country.
Immediately after the withdrawal, the Pentagon said several hundred Americans remained. Meanwhile, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Wednesday that the number of U.S. passport holders trapped in Taliban-controlled territory is “probably closer to 100, perhaps considerably closer to 100.” .
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated the issue on Thursday, saying the State Department “works closely with them to determine how they can leave the country.” [or] if they have left the country “.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Friday that the United States is in constant contact with those Americans who “may still want to leave” and that case management teams have been assigned to every northern citizen. -remaining American.
Since then, an organizer of charter flights to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies from Mazar-i-Sharif airport has accused the U.S. State Department of maintaining the planes, saying “there will be blood in the hands of the White House “if there are any wounded or killed by the Taliban. Nineteen Americans are expected to board the flights, which have not been granted approval to land in Qatar due to concerns about passenger lists.
On Sunday, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) claimed that the Taliban had six “hostage” planes at an airport.
Following the reports, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) crashed into the Biden administration on Twitter by the delay in the evacuation of the Americans.
“My staff and I have worked night and day to ensure the safe passage of two planes waiting at Mazar-e Sharif to bring to safety American citizens, at-risk Afghan allies and their families,” he wrote, adding in another tweet that “I have not yet spoken publicly about these efforts because we are concerned that greater attention will only intensify tensions and put these people at an even greater risk of being targeted.”
“I have been deeply frustrated, even furious, by the backwardness and inaction of our government. There will be plenty of time to seek accountability for the inexcusable bureaucratic bureaucracy that has trapped so many of our Afghan allies.”
“I hope that the White House and the State Department will do everything they can, absolutely everything, to make this happen. These are American and Afghan citizens who risked everything for our country. We cannot leave them behind.” added.
As the Biden administration faced continued evacuation efforts and growing criticism, Blinken arrived in Qatar on Monday to express his gratitude for his help in the withdrawal.
The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.