Hawkeye Reporter

U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) condemned President Joe Biden's handling of the Afghanistan crisis that so far has resulted in 13 service members being killed.

"I believe this administration has dishonored both those who have served and especially those who lost their lives in the Global War on Terror," Miller-Meeks told the Hawkeye Reporter. "I have heard from veterans who served in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan who are angry and despondent regarding the mishandling of this withdrawal and the lack of clarity and transparency. 

"We have all been concerned with the lack of information from the administration regarding on-going operations. This administration has mishandled the withdrawal since the beginning. For months, I worked with a bipartisan group of members pushing President Biden to begin immediately evacuating American soldiers and citizens, as well as our Afghan partners. We were stonewalled. This withdrawal has been an operational and possible intelligence failure at every step ...

"As a Vietnam era veteran, this is reminiscent of the fall of Saigon and the second time in life where the military has made gains or 'won a war' that was politically squandered or lost." 

Over the course of several days, U.S. troops have been helping to evacuate Afghanistan allies and Americans who are within the war-torn country following the swift takeover by the Taliban forces. 

The Taliban’s taking of Kabul, the nation’s capital, with little resistance and the hurried efforts from the Biden administration to get people out has faced criticism from both political parties and has hurt his approval ratings. 

More than 69% of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, according to data from a Trafalgar poll cited in an opinion piece in The Washington Examiner.

Biden State Department has been unable to assist all the Americans stranded in Afghanistan. The department instructed people not to call the embassy for help, asserting in an official advisory, “Do not call the U.S. Embassy in Kabul for details or updates about the flight,” according to an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal.

The Pentagon has yet to release statistics regarding how many Americans are stranded in the war-torn country, a notion that Fox News strategic analyst and retired Gen. Jack Keane said was “insulting” because the country has a right to know.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) has organized a hotline for Americans who have been left behind in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of American forces. Americans can call 501-223-9081 or email evac@cotton.senate.gov. 

“The situation is dire, but we’ll do everything in our power to help keep you informed and to help get you out,” Cotton said in a press release.

The Taliban created checkpoints to the airport that have stalled efforts by Americans to flee the country via the international airport in Kabul, according to the Journal's opinion piece.

Biden has said that he will stick with the plan of removing US forces by the end of the month, which could result in “dozens of armored vehicles and U.S. Army Apache gunships” abandoned in the country, Fox News reported. 

KDVR reported that 21 Iowans have died as a result of the Afghanistan crisis.