ARLINGTON, Va.—Ahead of President Biden’s White House meeting Friday with President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani and Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) Senior Adviser Dan Caldwell released the following statement on behalf of the organization:
“President Biden was right to order the full withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and he has the strong backing of the American people – including the majority of veterans – in this effort. We long ago accomplished what we needed to in Afghanistan and maintaining an American military presence in that country will only needlessly endanger the lives of our servicemembers while not making us safer. A continued American presence will also not fundamentally alter the course of the long-running civil war in Afghanistan nor resolve the systemic issues that are driving the current violence.
“President Biden should resist efforts to spoil or delay the withdrawal by those who wish to see America remain in Afghanistan indefinitely. It is in America’s interest that President Biden follow through with the planned withdrawal so we can focus on more pressing priorities at home and abroad.”
BACKGROUND:
CVA recently launched the latest phase of its End Endless Wars campaign, a $1.25 million digital ad campaign combined with a robust grassroots push across the country. CVA has spent over $4 million on digital, television, and direct mail advertising urging a full withdrawal from Afghanistan. The campaign is aimed at educating and encouraging the American public to contact their elected representatives. In total, the campaign has generated close to one million emails to leaders in Washington urging them to end our “forever wars.” The End Endless Wars campaign evolved from CVA’s Rethink Foreign Policy effort, which the group launched in mid-2019.