US Reps. Seth Moulton, Jake Auchincloss refer to Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan as a ‘disaster’ and ‘failure’ through decades of mismanagement

U.S. Reps. Seth Moulton and Jake Auchincloss both military veterans spoke strongly Sunday about the leadership failures in Afghanistan both at the American and Afghan levels as Taliban forces moved into Kabul, the nation’s capital.

Moulton referred to the events in Afghanistan on Sunday as a “disaster” and said it was all “avoidable” in a statement he posted on Twitter.

In a lengthy statement, Moulton, representing Massachusetts’ sixth congressional district, said the time for debating whether the United States should stay in Afghanistan has passed but what must take center stage is how the U.S. retreats.

“My worse fear has become realized: That ultimately this effort would distract from what is truly needed, an immediate evacuation,” Moulton said. “The fact that, at his hour, we have not even secured the civilian half of Kabul Airport is a testament to our moral and operational failure. We need to rectify this immediately.”

Auchincloss, representing Massachusetts’ fourth congressional district, echoed Moulton’s sentiment. Appearing on a number of news television shows, Auchincloss, also a former marine, said the situation in Afghanistan was a failure of Afghan leadership as well as failed leadership at the level of American national security.

“The war in Afghanistan has been a failure of American national security leadership over the last 20 years,” Auchincloss said. “We knew that counterinsurgency could not succeed, yet President Biden is the first Commander-in-chief willing to admit the truth to the American people.”

Taliban forces moved early Sunday into Kabul. Shortly before dawn Monday Kabul time, State Department spokesman Ned Price announced the U.S. had completed the evacuation of its embassy in Afghanistan, lowering the American flag.

At the same time, the Biden Administration announced it was taking over air-traffic control at Kabul’s international airport, to manage the airlifts. Sporadic gunfire there Sunday frightened Afghan families fearful of Taliban rule and desperate for flights out, according to the Associated Press. The airport is one of the last avenues for escape in an evacuation made far more urgent by the Taliban’s weeklong sweep across the country.

NATO allies that had pulled out their forces ahead of the Biden administration’s intended Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline were sending troops back in as well this weekend to protect evacuations of their own.

Moulton expressed concern for those on the ground who are not diplomats or government officials.

“America and our allies must drop the onerous visa requirements where a typo can condemn an ally to torture and death, and the military must continue the evacuations for as long as it takes,” Moulton said.

Referring to the events as a tragedy several times in his statement, Moulton said the Trump Administration set the downfall in motion last year through secret negotiations with the Taliban.

Moulton though extended the blame to both parties in Congress who failed to hold the votes for re-authorizing the conflict the last two decades since the U.S. invaded Afghanistan to find Osama Bin Laden.

“For that, all of us in Congress should be ashamed,” Moulton said.

Moulton struggled to find purpose for the invasion, but cited the millions of Afghans, especially women and girls, who tasted freedom, hope, liberty and opportunity through the efforts of the U.S.

“I remain proud to be from a nation whose brave young men and women stand on the ramparts of freedom around the globe, as they do at the Kabul Airport tonight,” Moulton concluded.

Related Content:

•Taliban takes over Kabul as Westerners rush to escape Afghanistan’s capital city, rescue citizens

•Taliban seize province near Afghanistan capital raising fears of militant takeover

•Afghan President Ashraf Ghani flees the country as Taliban move on Kabul

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