Two Congress Members Traveled to Kabul Amid Evacuations: ‘No Matter What We Do, We Won’t Get Everyone Out on Time’
Two members of Congress secretly traveled to Kabul amid the ongoing evacuations of Americans and U.S. allies.
Congressman Seth Moulton (D- MA) and Congressman Peter Meijer (R- MI) — who served in Iraq — went to Kabul early Tuesday to see the chaos and evacuation efforts on the ground. Thousands of people have been evacuated, but there is growing concern the U.S. will not be able to evacuate everyone before the August 31st deadline set by President Joe Biden.
In a joint statement Tuesday night, after they left Afghanistan, Moulton and Meijer say, “We conducted this visit in secret, speaking about it only after our departure, to minimize the risk and disruption to the people on the ground, and because we were there to gather information, not to grandstand.”
After talking with commanders on the ground and seeing the situation here, it is obvious that because we started the evacuation so late, that no matter what we do, we won’t get everyone out on time, even by September 11. Sadly and frustratingly, getting our people out depends on maintaining the current, bizarre relationship with the Taliban.
Reps. Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Peter Meijer (R-MI) after a secret visit to Kabul that has infuriated some officials at the Pentagon and the State Department: "Washington should be ashamed of the position we put our service members in, but they represent the best in America.” pic.twitter.com/AloMowUMJ5
— Matt Viser (@mviser) August 25, 2021
“Washington should be ashamed of the position we put our service members in,” they say.
The Washington Post reported that their unauthorized trip angered officials at Pentagon and at the State Department:
“It’s as moronic as it is selfish,” said a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide a frank assessment of their trip. “They’re taking seats away from Americans and at-risk Afghans — while putting our diplomats and service members at greater risk — so they can have a moment in front of the cameras.”
In their statement, Moulton and Meijer say, “We left on a plane with empty seats, seated in crew-only seats to ensure that nobody who needed a seat would lose one because of our presence.”
Earlier Tuesday night, Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent out a letter to House members saying that “the Departments of Defense and State have requested that Members not travel to Afghanistan and the region during this time of danger.”
New: Pelosi sends Dear Colleague reiterating to members that they should *not* try to travel to Afghanistan/nearby regions
She adds that she has asked WH for more briefings to "keep members informed of developments." pic.twitter.com/5mH2WjbKbP
— Sarah Ferris (@sarahnferris) August 24, 2021
