Former President George W. Bush warned on Tuesday that President Biden’s decision to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11 could have damaging consequences for women and girls if the ‘cruel’ Taliban regain power.
Bush made the remarks in a rare post-presidential interview on NBC’s “Today,” which weighs in on the war that has now lasted nearly 20 years and began when he was president.
“My first reaction was, wow, these girls are really going to have problems with the Taliban,” Bush said. “A lot of profits have been made, and that’s why I’m deeply concerned about the plight of women and girls in that country.”
He added: “I think the government hopes that the girls will be in order through diplomacy. We will find out. All I know is the Taliban, when they ran the place, they were cruel.”
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Biden’s move to take out all U.S. troops has technically extended an earlier May 1 deadline set by former President Trump. But it also came down to a commitment by the new president to end the protracted war if there was any doubt he would do so.
The decision was praised by Democrats, who said it was no longer necessary.
“[A]After two decades of sinking blood and treasures in wars in the Middle East, it’s time to bring our troops home, “Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y.
Mitch McConnell, minority leader of the Senate, R-Ky., Meanwhile, said the move would endanger the faltering Afghan government and help the Taliban.
“Obviously we need to help our opponents reward the commemoration of the 9/11 attacks by wrapping the country as a gift and giving it back,” McConnell said.
On this Thursday, October 19, 2017, file photo, former US President George W. Bush speaks at a forum sponsored by the George W. Bush Institute in New York. Bush gave a rare public interview on NBC’s “Today” on Tuesday.
(AP)
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“The Taliban are likely to make a profit on the battlefield and the Afghan government will struggle to keep the Taliban at a distance,” McConnell added, referring to a review by the Biden administration’s intelligence community.
Bush on Tuesday reflected that the war his government once oversaw could possibly end.
“Time flies,” he said.
Bush also spoke in his “Today interview” about the January 6 attack on the Capitol, saying it made him “sick” and asked people to believe that a fair trial would be held in the Derek Chauvin case.
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He also oversaw a naturalization ceremony for new Americans, while promoting his new book consisting of paintings of immigrants and the stories of how they contributed to the United States.
Bush said he wanted U.S. immigration policy to make it easier for people to enter lawfully through “compassionate border enforcement.”
“You can not have a country that has open borders,” he added.