Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. released the following statement on the situation in Afghanistan and our country’s obligations to the Afghan people:
Congresswoman Alma S. Adams
“As the situation in Afghanistan has evolved, pundits and politicians have spent too much time trying to spin this humanitarian crisis to their advantage, and too little time talking about what truly matters. When we went to war in Afghanistan 20 years ago, we did it with a clear mission: destroy Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, and depose a Taliban regime that enabled and supported their terrorist network. By occupying the country, we also incurred a debt: an obligation to the people who supported our mission.
“Bin Laden was brought to justice a decade ago. President Joe Biden made the difficult but correct choice to leave Afghanistan because our original mission is long over. Our mission now must be equally clear: we must keep our promises, and we must stay true to our values. I implore the Biden Administration and Congress to do everything in our power to help the Afghans who supported our mission to leave the country safely. We have a moral responsibility to women, girls, religious minorities and others who have no future in a Taliban-led Afghanistan. We must continue to seek diplomatic, policy and legislative solutions for those who have the most to fear from the new regime, especially women and girls.
“During the Cold War, the United States welcomed millions of refugees who made our local communities and our nation stronger. Afghans fleeing the Taliban due to fear of persecution should have a home here if they so choose. I, for one, will lift my lamp beside the golden door.”