Credit: Courtesy photo

Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ03) reacted today to the Taliban seizing power in Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul:

Twenty years of war, billions of dollars spent, and the policies of four different presidential administrations have utterly failed the Afghan people. It is abundantly clear today that a hyperfocus on military might with negligible diplomatic efforts left the Afghan military unable to defend itself and nascent democratic institutions too fragile to survive the Taliban insurgency. While Trump campaigned on ending our longest war, he never did and the status quo of keeping our service members in danger and away from their families with no clear mission has gone on for too long. Military contractors reaped billions in profits, and it’s the Afghan people, particularly women and young girls, who will pay the price.

Those who helped American forces and diplomats must not be left behind. We must undertake every effort to get them out of the country as quickly as possible, fast-track their visas, and open our borders to Afghan refugees. We must keep our promise to them. We must reinvent diplomacy in this region with partners that are in a position to help the Afghan people – it is abundantly clear that a military solution does not exist.

This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2021.

Getting hassled by The Man Mild-mannered reporter

11 replies on “Grijalva on the Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan: “The Policies of Four Different Presidential Administrations Have Utterly Failed the Afghan People””

  1. Freedom is most certainly not free, nor is it a commodity to be bought, sold or bartered away.

    Throughout human history those that have ruled have done so with the permission of the people ruled, whether through the threat of force, contrivances of human laws or theological dogma, people allow themselves to be ruled — whether that is for the benefit of all or a select few is again up to the people.

    Once again, we are witnessing the failure or those who believe that nations can be “built” from the ground up without the spirit and soul of the people who bring about their own countries based on common cultural, historical and ideological bonds that transcend mere brick and mortar.

    Nations are not built, they are created. Simply putting up walls and constructing physical infrastructures cannot substitute for the gradual growth of a civilization.

  2. Point the finger at everybody else, but those that voted for Ole Joe Biden have blood on their hands. Our southern border is wide open and 80% of the hospitalized are illegal entrants and they are decimating our BP. But nothing to protect Americans. It will be his fault when they shut down our economy again.

    He treats us just like the Afghanis. He turns his back and tells us the buck stops with him. He is worse than a used car salesman and has finally proven that our government may not be capable of solving anything.

    Except making themselves rich. They seem to do that well.

    This fool makes Jimmy Carter like like a simple idiot. By the way the VP is MIA again.

  3. Sorry Raul, this blood is on O’Biden’s hands. Stop blaming it on others. Trump was doing fine with the border (illegal entries down), energy (independent of foreign oil, prices down), foreign policy (NATO counties paying their fair share and our stature on the rise again), Military being built back up and so on and so forth.

    Then China unleashed a virus against us and Trump mobilized the country to fight this unique threat. Roadblocks to vaccine research were removed and they were developed and deployed in record time. Industries were mobilized to manufacture ventilators in record time. Trump rushed a field hospital and hospital ship to NYC where they went unused, while a Democrat forced thousands of elderly people into nursing homes to die.

    And what did Democrats do? Well two bogus impeachments, bogus Russian collusion investigations and a fraudulent election. They gave us this incompetent, senile old fool. Thanks lefties, this is on you. It’s a pity that those of us with brains have to suffer too.

  4. So let me get this straight. The five terrorists that Obama traded for traitor Beau Burgdahl are now in power in Afghanistan with the Taliban. And then there is the 400 billion Obama gave Iran.

    So now we are respected all over the world?

    Just how ignorant are democratic voters…does anybody know the depth of their ignorance? They have shamed the USA.

  5. Tom Cotton may have said it best:

    Tom Cotton
    @TomCottonAR
    ·
    17h
    No one in their right mind would have closed Bagram Air Base while leaving behind thousands of civilians.

    10,000-20,000 Americans Raul Grijalva. Why were you asleep at the wheel on this? Did Mark Kelly try to do anything at all?

  6. Mark Kelly should got to Afghanistan and demand that the Taliban surrender their guns. Guns are bad don’t you know?

  7. David T writes: “Just how ignorant are democratic voters…does anybody know the depth of their ignorance? They have shamed the USA. “

    No one knows, especially them. They are worried about white supremacy, CRT, equity, inclusion, pot smoking and a bunch of other nonsense instead of real problems.

    I feel for the thousands of Americans who will be abandoned by O’Biden and won’t be coming home.

  8. You lefties can dislike my comments all you want but you know you dislike them because they’re true.

    It’s hard admitting that you were wrong, but try it, it builds character.

  9. I am calling on Grijalva, Kelly, Gosar and Sinema to vote for impeachment of both Biden and Harris for incompetence and violating the USC. The US is being over run by stupidity.

  10. O’Biden should sign an Executive Order declaring six months of national mourning for the fallen, and the too be fallen, whose deaths he is responsible for. Then he should sign his resignation.

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