Murphy Releases Video Response to Afghanistan Crisis
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) released the following video in response to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan.
Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:
Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D.:"Good morning. I want to talk to you this morning about the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. This is not about politics, and it's not about political party. Put simply, right now: our nation is being put to the ultimate test.
Whether we want to admit it or not, this Administration made the wrong choice in executing a withdrawal from Afghanistan while thousands of American citizens and trusted Afghan allies remained on the ground. For reasons that I cannot comprehend, we got our military out before we got our civilians out.
Now, brave American soldiers are scrambling to get Americans and SIV Afghans to safety. Despite political posturing otherwise, the Taliban are obstructing American and Afghan access to points of exit.
I am in touch with military personnel in my district and on the ground, who confirm that we are in dire straits. Hundreds of Marines from my district are deployed in Afghanistan right now, and while I cannot get into the details of their status, I can confirm that they are working day and night to save American lives.
There is no doubt that Taliban terrorists pose the greatest threat to Americans abroad. Again, despite political posturing, Al-Qaeda and ISIS are now emboldened to act in this corner of the world.
Now, I fear that this costly military withdrawal will bolster our other enemies around the world. Nations like China, Russia, and Iran are all looking to us to see how we will facilitate the safe evacuation of American citizens.
It is my great fear that the Taliban will sell the billions of dollars of military equipment we left behind to those enemies. I am deeply concerned about our status on the global stage because of this crisis.
My office is processing dozens of requests for help this morning alone, and at this point, individual member offices are serving as command centers as we look to get as many people out of Afghanistan as possible before Biden's arbitrary withdrawal deadline of August 31st. I pray that we can get as many Americans and allies to safety as quickly as possible.
American soldiers are heroes. We owe our safety and security to them each day, and in our darkest hour, our servicemen and women remain steadfast, resilient, and unwavering in the face of danger.
I cannot thank our U.S. military personnel enough for their sacrifice and sleepless nights as they work tirelessly to assist Americans and Afghan allies and their families. It is all hands-on deck right now as we get Americans and trusted allies to safety.
In time, we will get answers as to why this Administration made a series of utterly catastrophic mistakes resulting in the greatest strategic failure in my lifetime. This includes giving up control of Bagram Airfield – the largest and most strategic U.S. military base in Afghanistan.
For now, our sole focus must be the safe and orderly evacuation of Americans and our allies. Quite literally nothing else matters at this point.
God bless all our servicemembers, past and present, and God bless all of those who are needing an immediate evacuation from Afghanistan. Thank you."
###