Two former secretaries of state, Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice, reportedly told the House Foreign Affairs Committee Wednesday they’re concerned about the potential effects of President Joe Biden’s planned withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Rice and Clinton both expressed concern about protecting American diplomats in the country and the future of U.S. counter-terrorism efforts, according to Axios. Rice reportedly told the committee that American troops would eventually have to return if Biden’s withdrawal were carried out.
Thank you to Secretaries @HillaryClinton and @CondoleezzaRice for joining today’s briefing to share their invaluable expertise and insight with the House Foreign Affairs Committee. pic.twitter.com/iscaHXlT0A
— House Foreign Affairs Committee (@HouseForeign) April 28, 2021
Clinton and Rice both supported the initial U.S. intervention in the Middle East after 9/11, with Rice playing a key role at the time as former President George W. Bush’s national security adviser.
Clinton supported the 2009 troop surge in the Middle Eastern country, and was a frequent supporter of military interventionism in the region during her time as secretary of state during the Obama administration. (RELATED: Washington Post Runs Op-Ed Criticizing Afghanistan Withdrawal, Doesn’t Disclose Author Is On Defense Contractor Board)
Biden announced the withdrawal would take place by Sept. 11, 2021, on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack that drew U.S. forces into Afghanistan.
Biden’s decision involved reneging on a deal reached between the Trump administration and the Taliban which would have seen U.S. forces leave the country by May 1.