George W. Bush Says The Consequences Of US Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan Will Be “Incredibly Bad”

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“You know, I think so,” Bush told German newspaper Deutsche Welle when asked if the withdrawal was a mistake. “I think the consequences are going to be incredibly bad.”

The 43rd President started the war in Afghanistan – America’s longest war – when he sent American troops to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Bush’s comments are particularly noteworthy because he has generally been reluctant to criticize the decision-making of his successors, and they come at a time of Taliban advances in the country and fears of a broader security collapse.

Bush said he was particularly concerned about what might happen to women and girls in Afghanistan when US troops withdraw.

“I fear that Afghan women and girls suffer indescribable harm,” said Bush. “They are afraid,” he added.

Bush also highlighted the dangers faced by Afghan interpreters working alongside US and NATO troops in the country as

“I think of all the performers and the people who have helped not only the American troops but also the NATO troops and they’re right, it looks like they’re just going to be left behind to be slaughtered by these very people. brutal, and it breaks my heart, ”said Bush.

President Joe Biden said last week that the full withdrawal of forces would be completed by the end of August and defended the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan amid fears of a total Taliban takeover.

“I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan without any reasonable expectation of a different outcome,” Biden said.

Several Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have also criticized the troop withdrawal. In a Senate speech on Tuesday, the Kentucky senator called the withdrawal a “reckless rush to get out” and a “global embarrassment.”

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“The dangers facing the Afghan people, especially women and girls, are heartbreaking. The humanitarian crisis may be historic. But it is also a terrible mess from the point of view of our own national security, ”said McConnell. “Ending our presence in Afghanistan will not end the terrorists’ war against us. Unfortunately, the opposite is likely to be true. This self-inflicted injury could very well make this fight even more difficult and even more dangerous. “

Across Afghanistan, tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced amid an upsurge in fighting following Biden’s announcement that all U.S. troops will be withdrawn from the country by September 11.

Since then, the Taliban say they have taken control of nearly 200 districts across Afghanistan, mostly in the north and northwest. In many areas, they encountered little resistance.

This story has been updated.

CNN’s Chandelis Duster, Ted Barrett, Anna Coren, Sandi Sidhu, and Tim Lister contributed to this report.

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