Members of Maine’s congressional delegation issued statements Monday as the Taliban establishes control in Afghanistan following the departure of U.S. military forces.
Republican Senator Susan Collins on Monday blasted the administration of President Joe Biden, calling the chaos unfolding in the country “as awful as it was avoidable.”
“As the Taliban consolidates its sweeping control over Afghanistan, the opportunity exists for the country to once again become a safe haven for Islamist terrorist groups targeting our country.”
She says Biden’s administration should have done more to secure the safe evacuation of Americans from the country, as well as those who worked with the U.S. like interpreters and Afghan leaders.
She also criticized the administration’s decision to pull out of Bagram Air Base, which she says “now greatly hampers our rescue efforts since we now are dependent on one airport in Kabul.”
Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree, however, praised the president’s decision to end it’s 20-year-long presence in the country, saying “President Biden was right to finally end this forever war.”
“Our service members and their families have made enormous sacrifices over the course of the last two decades; we must honor their dedication by ensuring another generation does not have to fight the same battle. Now we must do everything possible to get those who were loyal to our troops and aided us in Afghanistan to safety.”
