• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / News / Grassley blasts August 31 Afghan withdrawal deadline

Grassley blasts August 31 Afghan withdrawal deadline

August 24, 2021 By O. Kay Henderson

Sen. Grassley. (RI photo)

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the withdrawal of U-S forces from Afghanistan should not be rushed.

“Whatever Trump or Biden wanted to do on reducing the number of troops or pulling out, they should have never set a date,” Grassley said during an interview with reporters from Radio Iowa and the Associated Press.

President Trump’s Administration negotiated an agreement in early 2020 that called for a withdrawal by May 1 of this year. This spring, President Biden said the withdrawal would happen by September 11, but in July Biden moved up the timeline to the end of August.

“The president is commander in chief and I hope that he does not have an automatic deadline of August 31, so that we leave Americans over there that could be taken hostage,” Grassley said, “and that we would leave SIVs over there that could be executed.”

Afghans being granted Special Immigrant Visas — SIVs — worked with the U-S government or the U-S military over the past two decades. Grassley said he believes the Pentagon should have come with a withdrawal plan that gradually flew Americans and allies out of Afghanistan.

“It seems to me common sense would dictate…you’d do all that without letting the enemy know what you’re doing,” Grassley said. “…Any artificial deadline would lead to sure death for a lot of people that don’t deserve it.”

Grassley called it “a big mistake” for President Obama to release five Taliban prisoners from Cuba in a swap for an American hostage and for President Trump to agree to a prisoner swap of five-thousand Taliban for about a thousand people held BY the Taliban. Grassley, a Republican, voted against the Gulf War in 1991, but supported the resolution authorizing the Bush Administration’s push into Afghanistan after the September 11th attacks.

Grassley made his comments this morning, before President Biden’s scheduled remarks at the White House.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Chuck Grassley, Republican Party

Featured Stories

Final employee who was there at the launch of the Iowa Lottery to retire

No more USPS mail in Iowa prisons; inmates to get copies of mail

State officials warn of influx of fake prescription drugs laced with fentanyl

‘Brain-eating amoeba’ discovered in Taylor County lake

Cedar Rapids therapist’s relationship with student leads to years in prison

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Hutchinson calls Iowa State a perfect fit

Northern Iowa’s Farley touts new practice facility

First minor league game gets things started tonight at Field of Dreams site

Knoxville set to host sprint car racing’s biggest event

Iowa State basketball builds on its identity

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC