LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Taliban has seized power in Afghanistan two weeks before the U.S. was set to completely withdraw troops from the country.
While in Louisville Monday, Senator Mitch McConnell called the fall of Afghanistan an "unmitigated disaster."
"Every terrorist around the world — in Syria, in Iraq, in Yemen, in Africa, are cheering the defeat of the United States military by a terrorist organization in Afghanistan," McConnell said.
McConnell said he advised President Joe Biden against the complete withdrawal of troops and said he made the same recommendation to Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
"I know for a fact the president's military leaders argued against this decision," McConnell said. "I think the president felt strongly about this. Obviously, he overruled his own military leaders to do it and he owns it."
The Senate Minority Leader said he hopes the Biden administration provides enough troops to help stabilize the region as chaos erupted at the Kabul airport. Back in the U.S., emotions have run high for veterans who spent years fighting in Afghanistan.
Doug High was called up by the U.S. Navy Reserve to serve in Afghanistan in 2017. Now living in Lexington, High said it felt like the progress the U.S. made over the years seemingly vanish overnight.
"You serve hoping to make your country safer and to make a better country for the people of Afghanistan — to help them find a better country, fight for a better country," High said. "To know now that hard work and that sacrifice is now in serious jeopardy is just devastating."
The former news anchor at WTVQ in Lexington said he is not the only veteran upset by what is happening in Afghanistan.
"You're going to see a lot of Kentuckians who have served over there that are going to be...very upset about what's happened over there," High said. "They're going to feel that the time they spent over there was for nothing. They're going to be concerned about the friends that they made over there and the time they sacrificed over there."
Jeremy Harrell is the CEO of Veteran's Club, a nonprofit that helps vets around the region. He said he's heard from a lot of Afghan War veterans who feel defeated.
"It's really disheartening for those who have served there," Harrell said.
Congressman John Yarmuth called the situation unfolding "truly heartbreaking," but said a third decade of the war cannot be an option.
"Thousands of American men and women bravely served in Afghanistan for the past two decades, sacrificing life and limb on behalf of our country and theirs," Yarmuth said. "It is our moral obligation to use our economic and diplomatic power to fulfill our commitments to those who have risked their lives to aid in America’s missions in Afghanistan and to protect innocents from the Taliban."
Both High and Harrell said it is important to offer support to veterans.
"Just listen to them," High said. "You're going to hear a lot of war stories coming up here."
They also encourage veterans to reach out for help if needed.
"One thing that I know that veterans tend to do in times like this is isolate and Isolation is a killer in the veteran community," Harrell said. "Isolation will kill more than the enemy will."
The Veterans Crisis Line offers free, confidential support for veterans in need both online and over the phone. Veterans can call 1-800-273-8255 or visit veteranscrisisline.net.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.