Republican Congressman Pat Harrigan has expressed strong confidence that the United States will return to Afghanistan in the future. He criticized the way the U.S. military withdrawal was handled and warned that the decision has put future generations of Americans at risk.
Speaking to a Daily Signal reporter on February 9, Pat Harrigan on Afghanistan described the chaotic exit as a serious failure. A former senior commander in the U.S. Special Forces, he believes the Taliban’s rapid takeover in 2021 was a key reason for his entry into politics. He argued that the U.S. withdrawal exposed deep structural weaknesses in both political and military leadership.
Pat Harrigan on Afghanistan cautioned that abandoning the region has emboldened adversaries. “Our leaders have let us down. If we were weak enough to lose Afghanistan in such a disastrous way, we are only inviting our enemies to challenge us,” he said. He vowed to use his position in Washington to help prevent another war. “I will do everything in my power to deter the next conflict, which I believe is very likely,” he added.
The Republican lawmaker also suggested that if Donald Trump had been in office, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Hamas’s attack on Israel might not have happened. His remarks reflect ongoing criticism from Republicans and U.S. veterans, who have condemned the Biden administration’s handling of the exit.
Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for what he calls a failed retreat. Meanwhile, Biden has defended his decision, stating that ending the 20-year war was necessary for America’s long-term interests.
