Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley says the Taliban’s return to power in an "unmitigated disaster" and "devastating to the Afghan people."
She made her comments in a column posted on Fox News' website Friday.
"The Taliban is among the most barbaric forces in the world," she said. "Its perverted version of radical Islam is once again being forced upon innocent people, with summary execution for those who oppose it. Millions of lives will now be savaged or lost.
"It is heartbreaking for the thousands of American servicemen and women, my husband Michael among them, who risked their lives in Afghanistan to keep the Taliban from power. I thank God Michael came home safely. Many did not. Their sacrifices mattered, but they appear to matter less now.
"These epic moral dimensions of President (Joe) Biden’s failure must never be minimized. But there are also massive strategic dimensions for America’s national security that should draw our attention going forward. The cost of national humiliation is not cheap."
She maintained "this fiasco" sends a message to future allies that the U.S. will not "have their backs."
"When you treat friends like that, you end up with no friends," she said.
Haley pointed out that it was the Taliban-led Afghanistan that served as the "most reliable safe haven" for al-Qaida to plan the 9/11 attacks.
"Because of President Biden’s ineptitude, on the twentieth anniversary of the worst ever attack on our homeland, the Taliban flag will once again fly over the Afghan seat of government," she said.
Haley maintained the U.S. must not give the Taliban the "legitimacy of American recognition or aid."
"Finally, America’s credibility requires some serious clean-up," she said. "Biden’s professed interest in human rights is in shambles. His oft-proclaimed desire to work more closely with our allies is now laughable.
"His posture toward our enemies is dangerously weak. We must not allow the surrender in Afghanistan to cripple our national will. When we are a unified and strong nation, there is no more powerful force on earth."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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