Golden Statement on Attack at Kabul Airport
WASHINGTON — Following attacks by terrorist organizations in Afghanistan that have killed American servicemembers, Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) released the following statement.
"I am deeply saddened to learn that U.S. servicemembers have been killed and others wounded by terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. The security mission that they are carrying out at the airport in Kabul is critical to evacuating American citizens that are still in Afghanistan, and we should honor their sacrifice by ensuring that the mission is completed and that no American is left behind.
"As I have said before, we must come together as a country in support of the troops on the ground at the Kabul International Airport. Our top priority must be getting our citizens out safely and then bringing our servicemembers home.
"The United States cannot let this attack on our troops go unanswered. We must respond with strength to any attack on American citizens or servicemembers. The president must use his authority to swiftly conduct offensive operations against ISIS-K and other threats in order to disable their ability to put our servicemembers and the evacuation mission at risk." - Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)
Golden, a Marine veteran who served in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, has been a strong supporter of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan under both Presidents Trump and Biden. Among other actions, he:
- Joined his colleagues on the For Country Caucus to urge President Biden to commit to keeping American troops on the ground in Kabul until all Americans who want to leave the country are evacuated, regardless of other deadlines;
- Voted to expand the Special Immigrant Visa program and provide more resources to expedite application processing;
- Has been raising the alarm with the administration since April, urging them to plan for and prioritize the processing of SIV and other visas available to Afghan partners;
- Has been a strong voice for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, laying out his argument in an op-ed for Newsweek earlier this year;
- Expressed his support for the Biden Administration's plans to follow through on troop withdrawal; and
- Supported President Trump's stated plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan.