(Newser link): https://www.newser.com/story/310303/congressmen-defend-trip-to-afghanistan.html
(NEWSER) – Two lawmakers who made an unannounced and unauthorized trip to Afghanistan to see the US evacuation effort for themselves have been strongly criticized—but they say the insights they gained were worth it. In an interview with the New York Times, Republican Rep. Pete Meijer and Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton say they took a commercial flight to the United Arab Emirates followed by a military flight to Kabul because they believed the Biden administration was not giving lawmakers the full story. Both men are Iraq veterans who have strongly criticized the administration's withdrawal plan. They say they tried to keep disruption to a minimum. From the interview:
Why they went. Meijer says they realized much of what they were hearing from the administration was "outdated, inaccurate, or otherwise irrelevant." He says he spoke to Moulton and they decided to "try to get there to understand and help communicate, especially to many of our colleagues who are struggling to get American citizens or special visa applicants out."
Their minds were changed. Moulton says he had supported calls to extend the withdrawal date past Aug. 31, but he changed his mind after witnessing conditions on the ground. "There’s no way we can get everyone out, even by Sept. 11," he says. "So we need to have a working relationship with the Taliban after our departure. And the only way to achieve that is to leave by Aug. 31." Meijer adds that it is "utterly bizarre and baffling that we’re in this position."
What they saw. Meijer says he witnessed "incredibly heartbreaking" scenes of desperation at the airport gate. "Something I think people need to know is that there is no scenario that trains a soldier or Marine to take somebody in a wheelchair, and have to push them back out because they don’t meet the paperwork criteria," he says.
Praise for the troops. Meijer and Moulton praised the troops in Kabul for turning the situation from "utter chaos" to an evacuation as orderly as could be hoped for in the circumstances. "It’s the most extraordinary thing I’ve ever seen in my life," Moulton says. "I've never been more proud to be an American than after witnessing the soldiers and Marines."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned other lawmakers against traveling to the region Wednesday, citing safety concerns and the need to concentrate resources on the airlift effort, the Detroit Free Press reports. "We don’t want anybody to think this is a good idea and try to follow suit," she said. "It was not, in my view, a good idea." Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the visit "certainly took time away from what we had been planning to do that day" and the military is "obviously not" encouraging visits to a "very tense, dangerous, and dynamic situation."
Short article, nothing more at the link.
Newser post a link to the original NYT story published 8/25/21:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/25/us/politics/seth-moulton-peter-meijer-kabul-afghanistan.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
