Boise City Wire

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a statement ahead of the third anniversary of the fall of Kabul on August 15.

"Three years ago, the Biden-Harris Administration abandoned our allies and partners and haphazardly withdrew from Afghanistan. This shameful and embarrassing exit killed American troops and signaled to our enemies that we are weak. Unfortunately, the Biden-Harris administration has done nothing to repair the damage done to America’s reputation, and the world still questions American strength."

"The Taliban continues to hold Americans Ryan Corbett and George Glezmann hostage, Afghan women and girls have lost nearly all of their rights, and Afghanistan has once again become a dangerous terrorist haven. ISIS-K continues to grow unchecked, raising new threats against our homeland at the U.S. southern border, and there are reports of new al Qaeda training camps. Coupled with its efforts to close Guantánamo Bay at any cost, the Biden-Harris Administration clearly has its head in the sand as it relates to terrorism."

"The administration must acknowledge its failures and adapt to prevent a catastrophic event like this from happening again. This includes ensuring US taxpayer-funded assistance does not end up in the hands of the Taliban or other extremists. I intend to introduce legislation that will do just that when Congress returns in September."

In February 2022, Risch published a report entitled "Left Behind: A Brief Assessment of the Biden Administration’s Strategic Failures during the Afghanistan Evacuation," providing an overview of what went wrong during the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In May 2023, Risch and Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) reintroduced a bill requiring the U.S. State Department to release a public, unclassified version of an internal dissent channel cable dated July 13, 2021. The cable reportedly warned about deteriorating security in Afghanistan and predicted Kabul's fall.

Also in May 2023, Risch led 18 colleagues in introducing the Taliban Sanctions Act, aimed at holding the Taliban accountable with sanctions for terrorism, human rights abuses, drug trafficking, among other issues.