The Biden administration's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan was one of the worst moments in U.S. history, Rep. Richard McCormick, R-Ga., told Newsmax on Wednesday.
"Quite frankly, it was a gut punch for anybody who served over there," McCormick, a Marine veteran, told "American Agenda."
Aug. 26 marked the two-year annivesary of a suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service memmbers and 170 Afghan civilians at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. The U.S. withdrawal ended its military presence in Afghanistan after 20 years, leading to the Taliban regaining power.
"It makes you feel like you've really just sacrificed for nothing," McCormick said. "We watched those young men and women, five of which were the same age as my oldest son when it happened, it's something we're going to have a hard time dealing with. It really leads to depression and suicidal thoughts.
"We saw an uptick right after that with our military veterans. ... What are we doing? What's our mission? Why are we doing this? And when we can't have accountability, What's the whole purpose of leadership? I'm very disappointed."
The State Department did not do enough planning before the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan, according to a Biden administration review of the department's performance during the chaotic evacuation of Americans and Afghan allies.
The review repeatedly blames the administrations of former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden for their efforts before and after the departure of U.S. forces from Kabul. The U.S. evacuated an estimated 124,000 Afghans from the country.
McCormick said there needs to be accountability.
"People want to move on without … saying what we did wrong and owning up to the fact that it was one of the worst withdrawals in American history, probably the worst," he said.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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