House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared President Joe Biden’s withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan a “remarkable” success and praised the chaotic mass evacuations of both Americans and Afghans that took place in August.
“This is never easy,” the California Democrat told reporters Thursday. “It’s not always complete right from the start, but it was remarkable, even though it got off to a hazy start.”
More than 100 Americans were left behind after the last U.S. military plane left Afghanistan on Aug. 30.
VIRGINIA SET TO REMOVE ROBERT E LEE STATUE FROM RICHMOND AFTER COURT RULING
Earlier last week, a suicide blast killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 Afghans outside Kabul’s airport.
Pelosi praised the Biden administration for overseeing “the historic evacuation of 120,000 people,” adding, “I commend the administration for that.”
She added that Biden “made the right decision to leave Afghanistan.”
She said the Taliban could have been defeated long ago in the 20-year war if U.S. troops had not been diverted in 2003 to the war in Iraq, which she opposed.
Critics argue Biden badly managed the August withdrawal, leaving troops vulnerable by closing the Bagram Air Base and forcing the military to protect the less-fortified airport in Kabul.
Critics also say the rapid Taliban takeover has left Afghan women subject to draconian rules and severe punishment.
“We will shine a very bright light of transparency on what’s happening there for girls,” Pelosi pledged.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Pelosi called on social media companies to take steps to block the Taliban from using their platforms to exert control over the Afghan citizenry. She praised Facebook, which has taken steps to allow Afghans to protect their accounts from the Taliban.
She called social media “a double-edged sword” and said companies like Facebook “should know better now” after the pro-Trump conspiracy group QAnon used the platform “to find each other and go to 2 million people.”
