Hawkeye Reporter

A new poll showed veterans in Iowa did not support how President Joe Biden handled the final withdrawal of U.S. forces in Afghanistan — ending the 20-year war that resulted in the deaths of thousands of American troops.

Of the 138 veteran respondents to a Facebook survey, approximately 86% disapproved of the exit strategy that took place in August. Only 11% said they supported the decision and 3% had no opinion. 

"While the people are the top priority, it’s unconscionable that billions of dollars of U.S. weapons and hardware intended to fight the Taliban are now in the very hands of the Taliban fighters,"  U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) told the Hawkeye Reporter Sept. 3. "It’s truly unacceptable, and that’s why I joined my Senate colleagues in calling for a full accounting of the U.S. weapons and military equipment left in Afghanistan by the Secretary of Defense."

Nationally, the social media poll targeting veterans in seven states found that 93.4% of respondents did not believe that the withdrawal honored those who served and gave their lives in the conflict. The poll took place from Sept. 1-9 and received 769 veteran responses.

When it comes to how the military withdrew from Afghanistan, the poll results are similar to the opinion of most Americans surveyed for a recent poll from the Washington Examiner, which reported that 69% of citizens disapproved of the exit strategy.  

Part of the criticism the Biden administration faced around the withdrawal is that many Americans and Afghanistan allies were left behind, along with the dramatic photograph of Afghans clinging to U.S. military transport planes while they were traveling on the runway at the international airport in Kabul. 

Before the final pullout, the State Department was not able to assist all the Americans stranded in Afghanistan and instructed people not to call the embassy for help, stating in an official advisory, “Do not call the U.S. Embassy in Kabul for details or updates about the flight," the Wall Street Journal reported. 

In a set of pre-written remarks, Biden stated, “I always promised the American people that I will be straight with you. The truth is: This did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated.” 

However, a former CIA expert says Biden’s statement is “misleading at best” as his agency and others anticipated this scenario and briefed the president months ago, the website justsecurity.org reported.