George W. Bush Warns of ‘Unbelievably Bad’ Consequences For Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal: Women, Children Will ‘Suffer Unspeakable Harm’

Former President George W. Bush said it was a mistake for the United States and NATO to pull troops from Afghanistan and leave the country’s people at the mercy of the Taliban.

Bush made the comment in an interview with Ines Pohl of the German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle. Much of the conversation focused on his relationship with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is expected to retire from politics later this year.

In one portion of the interview, Bush complimented Merkel for supporting the presence of troops in Afghanistan ever since he led the U.S. in declaring war on the Taliban and al-Qaeda in the aftermath of 9/11. Bush lauded the “unbelievable” changes in Afghan society since the Taliban was forced out of power but expressed his fear about how women, children and others in the country will be treated once American and NATO troops are fully withdrawn.

“I think the consequences are going to be unbelievably bad,” Bush said. “Afghan women and girls are going to suffer unspeakable harm. They’re just going to be left behind to be slaughtered by these very brutal people, and it breaks my heart.”

Asked if he thinks the withdrawal is a “mistake,” Bush answered “I think it is, yeah.” He also guessed that Merkel “feels the same way.”

President Joe Biden has spoken recently in defense of expediting the movement of U.S. forces out of Afghanistan. Biden’s speech came as the Taliban has been seizing control of more and more territory in Afghanistan, and he had a contentious spat with reporters while he argued in favor of the Afghan military’s capacity to deal with the threat.

Watch above (start at 20:00), via DW.