SR0487 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0487 LRB102 19997 LAW 28801 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Kabul, Afghanistan fell to the advancing Taliban forces on August 15, 2021; and

WHEREAS, In scenes eerily reminiscent of the fall of Saigon in 1975, U.S. forces were forced to evacuate the U.S. Embassy in Kabul by helicopter, echoing and amplifying a dark moment in American history; and

WHEREAS, As these images unfolded, Americans from all walks of life watched in horror as the U.S. flag at the embassy was furled and embassy personnel fled from hostile combatants, as scenes of chaos and confusion deluged the international airport in Kabul, as young men plunged to their deaths after vainly attempting to latch themselves to departing evacuation planes, and as desperate parents pressed their children into the hands of U.S. service members, even at the price of separation, to ensure that their children had the chance to grow up free; and

WHEREAS, A terrorist bomb attack at the Kabul airport killed at least 169 Afghan civilians on August 26, 2021, including Sayed Obaidullah Amin, an Afghan interpreter who served alongside U.S. troops; countless others were wounded; and

WHEREAS, Eighteen U.S. service members were wounded in this attack, and an additional thirteen U.S. service members made the ultimate sacrifice, dying in the line of duty; and

WHEREAS, These brave men and women gave their lives to defend their fellow Americans and to uphold the U.S. flag and everything for which it stands; and

WHEREAS, August 26, 2021 was the deadliest day for the U.S. military in Afghanistan since 2011; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. government abandoned allies, ignored or neglected actionable intelligence, and sent contradictory signals in the face of the rapid Taliban advance; it was unprepared to evacuate U.S. citizens, allies, and the Afghan citizens who served alongside U.S. troops or to safeguard the U.S. troops guarding the airport in Kabul; and

WHEREAS, The Afghan allies of the U.S. paid a heavy price; Afghan forces remained in the field until the withdrawal of U.S. air support; 66,000 Afghan soldiers and policemen were killed fighting side by side with or under the direction of the international coalition led by the U.S.; more than 47,000 Afghan civilians were killed throughout the conflict; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. government abandoned the defensible and geopolitically important Bagram Air Field prior to the evacuation of U.S. citizens, allies, and fleeing Afghans; and

WHEREAS, Contrary to the American military ethos of leaving no man behind, the U.S. government has abandoned an unknown number of U.S. citizens, Afghan interpreters, and others who served directly alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan; many were unable to escape prior to the final withdrawal of U.S. troops, leaving behind not only men but also women and children who will bear the brunt of the Taliban's repressive policies; and

WHEREAS, Upon announcing that the last U.S. troops had left Kabul, Marine Corps General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., Commander of U.S. Central Command, stated that some U.S. citizens who wanted to leave Afghanistan had been left behind; and

WHEREAS, Media sources have reported instances of innocent civilians and Afghan allies being raped, tortured, and executed by the Taliban and of Taliban fighters forcing young women and girls into so-called marriages; and

WHEREAS, The handling of the troop withdrawal by the U.S. has been widely panned and referred to as a total disaster, egregiously mishandled, and flawed; and

WHEREAS, America's NATO allies have roundly and sharply criticized the handling of the drawdown and the current administration's go it alone approach; and

WHEREAS, American leadership apparently disregarded the appeals and calls of the leaders of the allied nations that have stood with the U.S. throughout two decades in Afghanistan during the critical moments prior to and following the fall of Kabul; and

WHEREAS, The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan undercut the global credibility of the U.S., its ability to inspire fear in its enemies, and its standing among its friends and allies while empowering its enemies at the expense of its friends; and

WHEREAS, The pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the collapse of a friendly government to a hostile insurgency weakens America's defense and security posture in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent; and

WHEREAS, Al-Qaeda and other militant groups, such as the so-called Islamic State, currently operate in Afghanistan and may, once again, use it as a base to train and launch terror attacks against the U.S. and its allies; and

WHEREAS, Media reports indicate that the Taliban and its allies now possess tens of billions of dollars' worth of military gear and weapons that were manufactured in the U.S., including Blackhawk helicopters, drones, night-vision goggles, and military vehicles that were seized following the American withdrawal; and

WHEREAS, For many veterans, particularly those who served in Afghanistan, the chilling images have reawakened old wounds and unearthed buried memories, causing them to question the purpose of their sacrifices; and

WHEREAS, Over the past weeks, many of these veterans have made phone calls, sent emails, and done everything in their power to facilitate the evacuation of Afghan friends and colleagues with whom they had served; and

WHEREAS, More than 2,400 U.S. service members died serving their country in Afghanistan, and countless others returned maimed and injured, forever changed by their wartime experiences; and

WHEREAS, Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are universal and unalienable rights shared by men and women across the globe, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or culture; and

WHEREAS, Under the Taliban, Afghans, especially Afghan women, will lose many of the rights and freedoms they achieved under the former government; as the promise of freedom has receded, it has been replaced by the dim reality of oppression; and

WHEREAS, To escape danger and to seek freedom and a better life, many of the Afghan allies of the U.S. have fled their homes, seeking refuge in the U.S. and other allied countries; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor the memory of all U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan, including the thirteen who died on August 26, 2021 who were Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Navy Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak, and Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page, and we extend our sincere condolences to their families; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we extend our gratitude to all the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who served in Afghanistan to let them know that, even in these dark days for our country and for Afghanistan, their sacrifices have not been forgotten; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the federal government to secure the safety and evacuation of any U.S. citizens still remaining in Afghanistan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the federal government to work with international, state, and local governments to assist displaced Afghan allies to resettle in safe communities, either in the U.S. or in other, allied nations; and be it further

RESOLVED, That, as the American people expect accountability from their leadership, we urge the federal government to somberly evaluate the failures of U.S. leadership that led to this grim denouement of Operation Enduring Freedom, to stand boldly against totalitarian regimes emboldened by this perceived American weakness, and to once again take up America's historic position as the leader of the free world and as a beacon of liberty across the globe.