Duckworth Statement on Afghanistan

[HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years, issued the following statement today:

“The images we've seen of Afghanistan falling to the Taliban are tragic and incredibly difficult to watch, especially for the countless American servicemembers and military families who sacrificed greatly in that nation.

“Right now, my attention is focused on the evacuation, which includes ensuring our nation leaves absolutely no stone unturned in our efforts to secure the safe return of my constituents, including American hostage Mark Frerichs, as well as all Americans in Afghanistan and on safely evacuating as many of our Afghan partners as possible.

“For two decades, thousands of brave Afghans have chosen to put themselves and their families in great danger in order to support our troops’ mission in their country, and in return our nation made a promise that we would keep our partners safe. Many of them bled alongside our troops and thousands remain in grave danger as our nation completes its withdrawal. We should not break our word to them in this desperate moment of need.”

Senator Duckworth’s office is tracking cases of Illinoisans in Afghanistan in need of repatriation closely and is communicating with the U.S. State Department. While the office cannot guarantee any specific outcome, it urges anyone who knows of an Illinoisan in Afghanistan needing assistance to contact the office.

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