Former President George W. Bush on Monday urged President Joe Biden to “cut the red tape” and allow for the swift evacuation of Afghan refugees following the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
Responding to the fall of Afghanistan’s US-backed government, Bush said the Afghans “at the greatest risk are the same ones who have been on the forefront of progress inside their nation.”
The costly US-led war in Afghanistan began just shy of 20 years ago after the 9/11 attack while Bush was president.
Bush, in his Monday statement, noted Biden has promised to evacuate the Afghans who assisted Americans and its NATO allies over the past two decades.
“The United States government has the legal authority to cut the red tape for refugees during urgent humanitarian crises. And we have the responsibility and the resources to secure safe passage for them now, without bureaucratic delay,” he said in his statement.
“Laura and I are confident that the evacuation efforts will be effective because they are being carried out by the remarkable men and women of the United States Armed Forces, diplomatic corps, and intelligence community.”
The Taliban claimed complete control of Afghanistan on Sunday — and since then, scores of Afghans, Americans and other allies have been scrambling to flee the war-torn country.
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