A Message Worth Reading and Pondering on Afghanistan
Dear Steady Community,
I know we have been sending a lot of messages out of late, and I apologize for filling your inbox. But as Afghanistan falls to the Taliban, as we try to make sense of what has happened, I feel it incumbent to share a message from a voice with an important perspective. Seth Moulton is a Democratic Congressman from Massachusetts who served four tours as a combat Marine in Iraq, despite being a critic of the war. He issued a statement today on Afghanistan that I think, no matter your views on what is occurring, is worthy of reading and pondering. In our effort to share multiple voices and points of view on Steady, I present it to you without further comment and ask you to please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Thank you for your readership.
- Dan
Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) issued the following statement on Afghanistan, August 15, 2021
To say that today is anything short of a disaster would be dishonest. Worse, it was avoidable. The time to debate whether we stay in Afghanistan has passed, but there is still time to debate how we manage our retreat. For months, I have been calling on the Administration to evacuate our allies immediately—not to wait for paperwork, for shaky agreements with third countries, or for time to make it look more “orderly.”
While I am proud that a strong, bipartisan majority in Congress voted to expand the Special Immigrant Visa program in support of our Afghan friends, my worst fear has become realized: That ultimately this effort would distract from what is truly needed, an immediate evacuation. The fact that, at this hour, we have not even secured the civilian half of Kabul Airport is testament to our moral and operational failure. We need to rectify this immediately. 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 evacuation for as long as it takes.
We should also not forget that the tragedy that unfolds before us today was set in motion by Secretary Pompeo and President Trump, who negotiated in secret with the Taliban terrorists last year in order to meet a campaign promise.
Today’s tragedy must also serve as a wakeup call to Congress, who holds ultimate, Constitutional responsibility for sending our best and brightest to war on the nation’s behalf. Successive leaders of both parties have failed to hold the votes for re-authorizing this conflict for the last two decades since we invaded to find Osama bin Laden. For that, all of us in Congress should be ashamed.
Finally, to our Afghanistan veterans and their families, I am too honest to stand here today and try to convince you that your sacrifice was worth it. Some will find solace in the millions of Afghans, especially women and girls, to whom we gave two decades of a taste of freedom—more hope, liberty, and opportunity than they would have ever had without the tireless work and irreparable sacrifices of our troops. We accomplished our initial mission: Osama Bin Laden is dead and the threat of terrorist attacks against Americans originating from Afghanistan is diminished. We also provided the security needed to accomplish a peace process that, unfortunately, was never realized.
Others will forever ask that haunting question I heard too often from my own Marines in Iraq: “Why are we here?” The best answer I could ever come up with was simply, “So nobody has to be here in our place,” and while that was never an adequate answer, it is true. And 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 Kabul Airport tonight.
I was born there and came here in 1st grade. I am thankful every single day my parents were able to get us out. I knew as a child that I could be anything I want in America except I couldn’t be President. So I became a doctor. The women left behind did not have my opportunity. I am so terrified for the women and children. They had a taste of freedom for 20 years thanks to our troops. My mom watches all the daytime talk shows and Afghan Idol and news on satellite. I fear for the women in media.
I also fear for the men and women that aided our troops as translators etc etc. They will surely die if they aren’t evacuated.
In my opinion, America should have rebuilt after US/Afghans defeated the Soviets. Over a million Afghans died in that war. Instead their was a power vacuum and this eventually lead to civil war, the Taliban, and safe haven for AQ.
I wish you guys could see the pics of my parents and family in late 1970s, you would think I’m posting a western pic, with my mom in her above the knee skirts. Can you imagine that today?!
My dad had tears when Kabul fell because he knew the Afghanistan he grew up in is officially over. Unless there’s a revolution from within, no one will ever invade. I left when I was 5 or 6 and yet I have vivid memories, and unfortunately will never step foot in that country.
Thank you to all our troops that sacrificed so much to give the Afghans some reprieve from these terrorists.
Thank you for reading.
As a Navy veteran, I got your back. I don't openly state this flippantly. I say this to you - Seth Moulton because your words are truthful, accountable, respectful and lined with integrity. Thank you for your service.
I mourn internally for the young girls and adult women in Afghanistan. The Taliban have historically shown their lack of integrity, mistrust and murderous deeds. Unfortunately the Taliban rule has again raised it's ugly head. The people of Afghanistan must be filled with fear, uncertainty and doubt. I fear the people of Afghanistan will move towards a long and bloody civil war. Let's never forget, whenever you see a Taliban fighter's picture, they're carrying an AK-47 - made in Russia and transported to them via Iran. Can we say "the proxy war of religious zealotry continues?"