Political Quotes

“I rise today to note that, during this coming recess, we will mark the somber occasion of the 1-year anniversary of the fall of Kabul and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. I want to draw the attention of the Senate and the American people to one of our most urgent priorities in Afghanistan: providing immediate assistance for Afghan citizens that risked their lives to further U.S. interests and whose lives now stand in jeopardy should we not act soon. Nine days--in the short span of 9 days after seizing control of the first province to fall on August 6, 2021--Nimruz--a whirlwind of chaos ensued. The world watched as, one by one, all of the country's provinces fell to Taliban forces until finally reaching the capital Kabul on August 15. With little resistance from the Afghan forces we had trained and equipped over two decades, the Taliban simply entered and took control. In terrified desperation, many Afghans gathered what they could carry with them and fled. People left their whole lives behind--their houses, their jobs, their friends and family--risking their lives to flee the country in the wake of the Taliban takeover. Shocking images of Afghans clinging to U.S. evacuation flights as they took off could not have shown a clearer picture of the despair of so many Afghans. Amid this panic, the Biden administration acted swiftly to evacuate American personnel and most American citizens.…”