House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, praised President Joe Biden’s action in Afghanistan but noted the withdrawal left the situation “in disarray.”
After commending Biden for his “strong,” “decisive” action on Tuesday, Pelosi remarked on how the Afghanistan withdrawal should have already happened “a while back.”
“We should have been out of Afghanistan a while back, but now, we are — unfortunately, one of the possibilities was that it would be in disarray, as it is. But that has to be corrected,” she told KPIX when asked if the Biden administration should have had a stronger military presence in the withdrawal given all the “confusion” and “chaos” surrounding it.
Pelosi added: “And it was my understanding from the assurances we have received that the military will be there negotiating with the Taliban for the safe exit of American citizens and friends — people who have helped us, our allies there.”
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the KPIX 5 News studio early Tuesday evening, giving an exclusive interview that touched on COVID, the crisis in Afghanistan and the state’s gubernatorial recall election. https://t.co/lPkKzs7WPs
— KPIX 5 (@KPIXtv) August 18, 2021
Regarding the American military equipment in the hands of the Taliban, Pelosi said she “thought it would be used” by the Afghan military for defense.
Exclusive: Speaker Pelosi Weighs in on Afghanistan Crisis, Pandemic And Recall Effort in California @KPIXtv #Afghanistan #COVID19 https://t.co/04MRNcHpKa pic.twitter.com/cCkScvBsil
— Betty Yu (@BettyKPIX) August 18, 2021
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“Some equipment is left there. It was thought that it would be used — it was hoped that it would be used — by the Afghan military to defend its own country,” she said. “The fact that it did not and could not was all the more the reason for us to leave.”
