Several Republicans expressed outrage at President Joe Biden after he withdrew all U.S. military troops from Afghanistan a day before the Aug. 31 deadline.
According to The Independent, the last military aircraft left the country early Tuesday, leaving hundreds of Americans stranded on the ground.
In response, Republican leaders criticized Biden for failing to uphold his prior commitment of pulling out all Americans from Afghanistan.
"Today, @POTUS abandoned hundreds of Americans behind enemy lines," the official Twitter page of House Republicans wrote. "Let that sink in."
Today, @POTUS abandoned hundreds of Americans behind enemy lines.
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) August 31, 2021
Let that sink in.
"It is morally indefensible that President Biden abandoned Americans stranded in Afghanistan," Rep Darin LaHood tweeted (R-IL). "President Biden made the decision that adhering to his arbitrary deadline and keeping his promise to the Taliban was more important than keeping his promise to stranded Americans."
It is morally indefensible that President Biden abandoned Americans stranded in Afghanistan. President Biden made the decision that adhering to his arbitrary deadline and keeping his promise to the Taliban was more important than keeping his promise to stranded Americans.
— Darin LaHood (@RepLaHood) August 31, 2021
A group of lawmakers, including Representatives Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), Pete Sessions (R-TX) and Yvette Herrell (R-NM), wrote a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling for Biden's impeachment.
"The American people must have full confidence in their Commander in Chief's judgment and ability to protect our country and respond decisively to national security threats," they wrote, contending that they have "no confidence" in Biden's ability "to carry out his duties as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces."
The lawmakers also criticized the president for not taking responsibility for his actions and for misleading Americans "in response to questions posed by the media."
General Frank Mckenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, acknowledged that the U.S. would not be able to get everybody out, even if they remained in Afghanistan for 10 more days.
"There's a lot of heartbreak associated with this departure. We did not get everybody out that we wanted to get out," McKenzie said. "But I think if we'd stayed another 10 days, we wouldn't have gotten everybody out."
American people and fleeing refugees aren't the only ones who were left behind in Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, Dr. Robin R. Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane, published a statement lamenting that U.S. military contract working dogs were also forsaken in the withdrawal.
"I am devastated by reports that the American government is pulling out of Kabul and leaving behind brave U.S. military contract working dogs to be tortured and killed at the hand of our enemies," she wrote. "These brave dogs do the same dangerous, lifesaving work as our military working dogs, and deserved a far better fate than the one to which they have been condemned."
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Samuel Corum/Stringer
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
