Graham: ‘A full withdrawal from Afghanistan is dumber than dirt and devilishly dangerous’
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) slammed President Biden’s plans to fully withdraw all troops from Afghanistan, calling the decision “dumber than dirt and devilishy dangerous.”
Graham issued a statement hours after officials confirmed to The Hill and other news outlets that Biden is expected to announce Wednesday that all troops be withdrawn from Afghanistan on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that prompted the war.
The new deadline, which pushes back the previous deadline of May 1, was first reported by The Washington Post.
Graham slammed Biden’s move, saying he “cancelled an insurance policy against another 9/11.”
“A full withdrawal from Afghanistan is dumber than dirt and devilishly dangerous. President Biden will have, in essence, cancelled an insurance policy against another 9/11,” Graham said in a statement,” Graham said.
“A residual counterterrorism force would be an insurance policy against the rise of radical Islam in Afghanistan that could pave the way for another attack against our homeland or our allies,” he continued.
The United States has about 2,500 troops left in Afghanistan from when former President Trump began withdrawing despite being advised against doing so. The Taliban is supposed to uphold certain commitments before the U.S. withdraws, but the military community has repeatedly said it has not.
Experts and lawmakers have warned that leaving Afghanistan without a peace deal between the nation and the Taliban could lead to a civil war.
Graham said the troops still in Afghanistan are “an insurance policy against another 9/11,” adding that “wars end when the threat is eliminated.”
“I find it ironic that, given the sacrifices we’ve made to move Afghanistan forward, prevent another 9/11, and ensure the enduring defeat of al Qaeda and ISIS, that on the 20th anniversary of the attack we’re paving the way for another attack,” he said.