Indiana Rep. Jim Banks (R) said the terrorist organizations like ISIS-K were “waiting for a president like Joe Biden” to create a chaotic situation in Afghanistan for them to “strike.”
Banks, who is a veteran previously deployed to Afghanistan, made this statement in a Fox News interview today to discuss the multiple suicide bombings at the airport in Kabul that resulted in at least 11 Marines and one navy medic dead, as we reported. Biden has not spoken on these attacks, but is scheduled to speak at 5 p.m. ET.
“I’m both heartbroken and angry at the same time,” Banks said in the interview. “By the way, you’re hearing more and more about ISIS-K. ISIS-K is not a new dynamic in Afghanistan. They’ve been building up there for about over three years, waiting for a moment like this. Waiting for a president like Joe Biden to create a chaotic situation, like what he has, to strike. And we saw what’s happened over the last couple of hours we’re going to see a lot more of that to come in the days ahead.”
Banks continued, describing the situation in Afghanistan as “completely avoidable.”
“I’m heartbroken thinking about how many lives have been impacted – our service members, the lives of the Afghans who have been helping us over the last 20 years who are trying to get to the airport just to potentially get out of a Taliban-run situation,” Banks said in the interview.
“All of this was completely avoidable. That’s what makes me so angry watching these images and hearing about potentially the loss of American lives – of our service members – in the situation going on there.”
Today, President Biden has been silent regarding the attacks. Banks shared his thoughts on this in a series of tweets.
We haven’t heard anything from President Biden.
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) August 26, 2021
The White House continues to postpone briefings.@SpeakerPelosi has tweeted about Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan, but not a word about the growing loss of American lives in Afghanistan.
Is there any leadership in this country?
Do we even have a President anymore?
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) August 26, 2021
“As a veteran who served in Afghanistan, my heart breaks for the families of the American servicemembers and the Afghan people who are learning this morning that their loved ones have been harmed or killed in a terrorist attack,” Banks shared in an official statement. “The responsibility for this tragedy rests squarely on the shoulders of Joe Biden. His incompetence means American blood has been shed. This was avoidable and unforgivable!”
Watch the interview below.
Afghanistan veteran @RepJimBanks: “All of this was completely avoidable. That’s what makes me so angry watching these images.”
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 26, 2021
Terrorists were “waiting for a president like Joe Biden” pic.twitter.com/4w7KTozcNg