As new foreign-policy crises erupt in the Middle East, it is easy to forget the old ones in the broader region. President Biden’s abrupt decision to jettison our Afghan allies into the jaws of the Taliban has created lasting legal and security problems. Al-Qaeda and other terror entities can now look to Afghanistan for safe haven — inauspicious timing given the heightened activity of Islamic terrorist groups in response to the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians. We also are left with tens of thousands of refugees from Afghanistan in limbo. They represent the remnant of the brave Afghans who risked all to serve alongside American forces, to teach little girls how to read, and to serve in government, all in the face of Taliban threats. Those stuck there are hunted; those left in refugee facilities in the Middle East and here in the U.S. are left fearing for their expulsion back into the Taliban’s clutches.
The American people may not agree on much, but they do agree on this: When Americans give our word, we should keep it. That’s what a poll conducted by the veterans’ advocacy group With Honor and the international polling firm Ipsos found in a survey released this week. For those jaded by the partisan rancor of the past few decades, the results are nothing short of astounding.
Leo Shane of the Military Times reports:
About 89% of individuals surveyed by the group said that the country must “keep its pledge” to provide immigration options and security assistance to Afghans who served as interpreters, advisors and other assistants to U.S. forces overseas. Roughly 80% said that must include helping them resettle in America. [Emphasis added.]
The support was bipartisan, as one would expect from near 90 percent consensus. Perhaps more eyebrow-raising is the fact that even a small plurality of conservatives support granting full citizenship to our allies left stranded by Biden’s botched withdrawal. There are still shades of Reagan Republicanism left in the party — conservatives who remember the days when we offered refuge to those fleeing America’s enemies.
Congress is gridlocked on the issue of granting immigration authorities to those Afghans stuck in legal limbo. So let this poll be a clarion call. Put it in plainer English: Nine-out-of-ten support for anything, particularly in the political space, is unheard of. So when a rigorous and respected pollster like Ipsos finds credible data that nine out of ten Americans want Congress to fix something, the House and Senate should take note. And act accordingly.