Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Thursday reacted to confirmed reports of explosions at the Kabul airport, resulting in U.S. and civilian casualties, urging the Biden administration to reestablish U.S. presence in Bagram and predicting that “those involved in the operation would gladly accept that risk because it would restore our honor as a nation and save lives.”
“This despicable terrorist attack against innocent civilians at the Kabul airport, which injured American Marines, is a reminder of the depravity the world faces from Afghanistan,” Graham said in a thread following confirmed reports of terror at the Kabul airport.
“I have advocated for days that the Bagram Air Base should be reopened as the Kabul airport is very difficult to defend and has been the only evacuation outlet,” he said, explaining that the U.S. has the “capability to reestablish our presence at Bagram to continue to evacuate American citizens and our Afghan allies.”
“The biggest mistake in this debacle is abandoning Bagram,” the South Carolina senator said, urging the Biden administration to “reestablish our presence in Bagram as an alternative to the Kabul airport so that we do not leave our fellow citizens and thousands of Afghan allies behind.”
“It is not a capability problem, but a problem of will,” he asserted.
“The retaking of Bagram would put our military at risk, but I think those involved in the operation would gladly accept that risk because it would restore our honor as a nation and save lives,” Graham added:
According to a report from Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin, three Marines were “seriously wounded” in one of the bombings in Afghanistan Thursday morning:
The Pentagon confirmed a “number of US & civilian casualties” as a result of one of the blasts. The Wall Street Journal has reported that four U.S. Marines have been killed: