Kinzinger: Afghanistan’s exit “a crushing defeat”

representative Adam kinzingerAdam Daniel KinzingerSunday shows preview: Biden defends troop withdrawal in Afghanistan; COVID-19 Impacts Unvaccinated Pouches Paper industry and drugmakers fight over over requirement to print prescription information Kinzinger says he suspects some lawmakers knew what was coming on the 6th January. (R-Ill.), An Air Force veteran who has flown missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, said on Sunday that the impending withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan is a “crushing defeat.”

During her appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press”, Kinzinger was invited by the host Chuck toddCharles (Chuck) David ToddOvernight Health Care: White House Reports New COVID-19 Strategy As Delta Variant Spreads | McConnell calls for vaccination | Maryland Says All COVID-19 Deaths Last Month Were Among Unvaccinated Maryland Says 100 Percent Of COVID-19 Deaths Last Month Were Unvaccinated Fauci: More Than 99% Of People Who Died From COVID-19 in June were not vaccinated MORE if he agreed with a headline from The Economist that called the withdrawal a crushing defeat.

“No, I agree. It’s a crushing defeat. You know, the Taliban always had a saying. They said, ‘The United States – America has the watches, but we have the time. ‘ You know I’m proud that the American people stuck to this mission for 20 years. In fact, we had to do it longer and we still have troops in Kosovo, but unfortunately it worked, “Kinzinger said. .

“The Taliban survived the will of the United States. It wasn’t a hot war, really. It was essentially a peacekeeping operation and we may have to go back now. It’s a defeat. overwhelming and I’m really sad about it, honestly, “he added.

The United States left Bagram Airfield earlier this month, marking the symbolic end of the American presence in Afghanistan. Todd asked Kinzinger if he thought it was likely that the United States would have to occupy the airbase again in the future.

“I think it’s highly likely that we either have to – when we go back to Afghanistan because of, you know, the existential threat to us or our allies – reoccupy Bagram or we may have to bomb it if there is. it’s sort of an air mission, ”Kinzinger said.

Kinzinger added, “We only had 2,500 troops there, 5,000 NATO troops, and the Afghan government was waging 98% of the fighting against the Taliban. But it was truly a small price to pay for frankly resisting the inevitable evil that we are sadly about to see. “