Tune in now as I deliver opening remarks at a hearing on @POTUS's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan & the Administration's future plans for counterterrorism. @SASCGOP is here today to understand what happened, why military advice was ignored & who should be held accountable.
https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense/status/1442844197254541315
I want to be perfectly clear: the frustration on this committee about the chaotic & deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan is not—and should never be—directed towards our troops. Our men & women in uniform bravely volunteer to go into harm’s way to keep their fellow Americans safe.
.@POTUS and his advisers who put our troops in a dangerous and difficult situation.
Even worse: this was avoidable. Everything that happened was foreseeable. My colleagues on this committee and the commanders in charge—we saw it coming.
Even worse: this was avoidable. Everything that happened was foreseeable. My colleagues on this committee and the commanders in charge—we saw it coming.
Gen. McKenzie said in February—before the President decided to fully withdraw from Afghanistan—“you have to take a conditions-based approach.” He expressed concern “about the actions that the Taliban have taken up until this point."
Throughout the spring, we saw many districts quickly fall to the Taliban—many without a shot fired. This is why I urged @POTUS in June to rethink his approach and maintain a small force in Afghanistan in order to prevent the collapse we ultimately saw.
Members of #SASC on both sides of the aisle spent months urging the admin to evacuate Americans & Afghan partners sooner.
But @POTUS & his advisers didn’t listen to his combat commander. He didn’t listen to Congress. He failed to anticipate what all of us knew would happen.
But @POTUS & his advisers didn’t listen to his combat commander. He didn’t listen to Congress. He failed to anticipate what all of us knew would happen.
In August we witnessed a horror of @POTUS's own making:
- Afghans died as they desperately gripped onto departing flights.
- The Taliban is in a stronger position than it’s been since 9/11.
- Terrorist Haqqani members are in senior government positions.
- Afghans died as they desperately gripped onto departing flights.
- The Taliban is in a stronger position than it’s been since 9/11.
- Terrorist Haqqani members are in senior government positions.
- We went from “we will never negotiate with terrorists” to “we must negotiate with terrorists.”
- Worst of all: 13 brave Americans were killed in the evacuation effort. 3 days later, the admin said that it struck an ISIS operative – but, in fact, it killed 10 Afghan civilians.
- Worst of all: 13 brave Americans were killed in the evacuation effort. 3 days later, the admin said that it struck an ISIS operative – but, in fact, it killed 10 Afghan civilians.
And then, @POTUS concluded the drawdown by doing the unthinkable: he left Americans behind.
The administration is telling the American people that the plan to deal with these threats is something called “over the horizon” counterterrorism, and that we do these types of operations elsewhere in the world. That’s misleading at best and dishonest, at worst.
.@POTUS has no plan. We have no reliable partners on the ground. We have no bases nearby.
The administration needs to be honest: Because of @POTUS’s disastrous decision, the terrorist threat to American families is rising significantly, while our ability to deal with these threats has been decimated.
I hope we hold as many hearings as it takes to get all the answers we need. Today is just the start. 
Read my full opening statement from today's hearing on Afghanistan with @SecDef, General Milley of @thejointstaff and @CENTCOM General McKenzie here ↓ inhofe.senate.gov/newsroom/press…
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