Nearly everyone in America, including me, wanted to see us out of Afghanistan; but nobody wanted to see it happen like this. 

The Biden administration’s disastrous exit from Afghanistan has put thousands of Americans and U.S. allies in mortal danger. Today’s deadly bombings outside the Kabul airport underscore the horrors facing those who remain stranded there. I pray for those who have lost their lives and those who were injured. 

I am relieved to know that there are no known Idaho civilians left in Afghanistan. Over the last 11 days, my staff and I worked with the State Department to get EVERY single Idahoan safely out of Afghanistan. 

But with scenes of mounting chaos and terror, the Administration owes the American people an explanation of what went wrong, along with a strategy to protect the U.S. civilians and personnel who remain on the ground. 

The tragedy that is unfolding did not have to happen this way. This is a result of naivety and a lack of planning. I asked the Administration for their plans for months and they offered nothing.     

The American people and our allies deserve better.

U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee