Sasse: Retreat from Afghanistan worst US foreign-policy disaster

Republican Senator Ben Sasse has called the fall of Kabul "worse than Saigon" for the United States, referring to the hasty evacuation of remaining American troops from Vietnam when the city of Saigon fell two years after former American President Richard Nixon withdrew American forces in the country.

In a statement blasting US President Joe Biden on Monday, the Nebraska senator said while “Biden cowers at Camp David, the Taliban are humiliating America.”

“The retreat from Afghanistan is our worst foreign-policy disaster in a generation," the Nebraska Republican said.

He said the Biden administration failed to protect the American embassy in Afghanistan and is "turning their backs on the women and children who are desperate for space on the remaining flights out of hell."

"This bloodshed wasn’t just predictable, it was predicted. For months, Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee have warned the Biden administration that this would happen. Now the administration is acting like this is a surprise. It’s shameful, dishonest spin," he said.

"Make no mistake: The Taliban will exploit every image of American retreat," Sasse added. "Pictures of desperate Afghans perilously crowded around the unguarded airport in Kabul are painfully reminiscent of images of Saigon — images that cemented communist victory in Vietnam and showed American weakness to the world."

The Taliban took over the capital Kabul on Sunday and declared that the war in Afghanistan was over. The militants entered the presidential palace after president Ashraf Ghani fled the country, saying he wanted to “prevent a flood of bloodshed.”

American journalist Don Debar told Press TV on Sunday that “this entire war, since Jimmy Carter started it (using George Bush, the first's CIA and Donald Rumsfeld's military intelligence) and George Bush II deployed regulars, through the Obama-Trump and now the Biden administration's time, has been a ‘Saigon moment.’”

US diplomats were evacuated from the embassy by chopper after a lightning advance by the Taliban militants.

The Taliban are reportedly poised to run Afghanistan again 20 years after they were removed from power by American forces following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Chaos and killings at Kabul airport: US forces open fire as Afghans mob tarmac

At least three people have been killed by gunfire at the passenger terminal of Kabul

Authorities at Kabul airport said in a message to reporters Monday that all commercial flights from Kabul had been canceled, while civil aviation authorities said Kabul airspace had been handed over to the Taliban, advising transit flights to reroute.

A State Department spokesperson said that all American embassy staff, including Ambassador Ross Wilson, had been transferred to Kabul airport, and were awaiting evacuation.

US military forces took over the security of Kabul airport to facilitate the evacuation of US civilian personnel from the country.

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