Joe Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan has been condemned by families who say the rapid Taliban takeover is a 'slap in the face' to US troops killed while fighting there.
One mother, whose son was among the 2,300 Americans killed in Afghanistan, said his efforts were 'in vain' and that leaving the country was a 'violent retreat'.
Another woman - whose son is a 101st Airborne Division soldier tweeted: '(The withdrawal) is a slap in the face to the soldiers and families of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice when we fought for the freedom of the Afghan people'.
'We left there knowing the job was not done when there was massive pullout and that's why the ones there remained, to train and ready the Afghanistan people to be self-sufficient and have the equipment and strategic abilities to survive the Taliban.'
Speaking to DailyMail.com, the mom, who did not want to be named, said that her son served in the US Army for 20 years. He served two long tours to Afghanistan and then three shorter tours there and in Iraq.
Veterans and their families are speaking out in wake of the US military's withdrawal from Afghanistan (pictured: US soldier pointing his gun towards an Afghan passenger at the Kabul airport in Kabul on Monday)
President Joe Biden ordered about 6,000 troops (US soldiers pictured in Kabul on Monday) to help evacuate US staff 'and other allied personnel' from Afghanistan as the Taliban continues to overtake the country
She added: 'I've cried tears since yesterday because it just hurts to see all of that time, effort, lives, going down the tubes.
'So many of his division lost their lives. He witnessed it,' the mother explained.
'He was there when Sadam's sons were killed. He saw officers shot at point blank range.
'It's hard to believe that all who fought so hard, who died, who will never be the same because of mental illness or loss of facilities was all in vain.'
'He feels emotional as well. All that he gave up to serve, which was his honor to do for our country, has been lost. He missed his babies growing up.
'That's huge to a young father. He's angry. As am I. This administration has made a mockery of our efforts,' she continued.
Army widow Jennie Taylor (above), whose husband, Brent, died in 2018 while serving in Afghanistan, described the climate as painful, saying ''t hurts to watch the city fall, it hurts to watch the country fall'
Brent (pictured) served multiple tours in Afghanistan. Taylor says her husband knew it was possible that a situation like the one currently unfolding in the country was possible, but he made the sacrifice to serve regardless
Meanwhile, Army widow Jennie Taylor, whose husband, Brent, died in 2018 while serving in Afghanistan, expressed similar feelings.
'It hurts to watch the city fall, it hurts to watch the country fall,' Taylor told ABC 4 on Sunday.
Brent served multiple tours in Afghanistan. Taylor says her husband knew it was possible that a situation like the one currently unfolding in the country was possible, but he made the sacrifice to serve regardless.
'He went to war in 2018 knowing what happened today was likely to have happened – or at least could have happened. And he didn't say 'Nah, that's a lost cause, I'm out of here, I'm not willing to put on my boots for that one.''
Taylor is concerned that families will feel their sacrifices were in vain and urges Americans to remember and honor the heroism of the nation's soldiers.
'He and thousands, tens of thousands – hundreds of thousands of brave American men and women and our allied forces – have gone to war anyway,' she said.
'As we get so deep into the politics and policies of war, I worry we're going to have service members who have served in those wars feel that they fought in vain. I worry there's Gold Star families like mine who are going to say I lost my loved one for no reason. And I just can't get myself to think that way, I don't see it that way.'
Taylor continued: 'We've got to make sure that as we say well, was this war just a waste? We can't — cannot — let that translate into thinking that the service our military men and women have provided is a waste.'
Former United States Representative Denver Riggleman, who was deployed following the September 11 attacks, said he was 'struggling' as the situation in Afghanistan unfolded
Former United States Representative Denver Riggleman, who was deployed following the September 11 attacks, said on Sunday that he was 'struggling' as the situation in Afghanistan continued to unfold.
'I deployed on Sep 21, 2001. So many lost in the Towers. So many brothers & sisters in arms lost,' he wrote on Twitter. 'When I first arrived, I researched what the Taliban did to women. I briefed the troops on it. Horrific images seared in my mind: executions, hangings, stonings. I’m struggling today.'
Several other Twitter users echoed his emotions.
'My son served in Kandahar and with the help of a few soldiers he built a library at Kandahar Airfield and filled it with books from Operation Paperback. Dan died in 2016 and in these days of gut wrenching turmoil in Afghanistan I can't seem to stop thinking about that library,' shared Stephanie Keegan.
'Question and thoughts please, what was the war in Afghanistan and Iraq for, did my Son sacrifice his life for nothing,' questioned Lisa Billing, whose son was a British soldiers that fought alongside American troops.
'He's my hero but I'd do anything to have him here with me. Was it worth it (former UK Prime Minister) Tony Blair because you still have your Son and you wouldn't let him go to war.'
Several military family members took to Twitter to express their concerns and frustration with the Biden Administration's decision
Others issued their support for our service men and women.
'To all my fellow brothers and sisters in arms who served in Afghanistan, I hope you hold your heads high in what you did during your time there. Nothing about the current results should weigh heavily on your minds! You served with honor, and nothing will change that!' Michael Hodges tweeted.
'I am no expert on international matters, but I do acknowledge that today is a devastating day for many with what’s happening in Afghanistan. As a spouse of a veteran, I just wanted to take a moment to thank our veterans that served,' shared Kurt Thigpen.
Biden ordered about 6,000 troops to help evacuate US staff 'and other allied personnel' from Afghanistan as the Taliban continues to overtake the country. The Pentagon estimates approximately 30,000 people will need to be evacuated in this process.
The Taliban declared victory from the presidential palace in Kabul on Sunday following a blistering advance across the country.
Three stowaways are believed to have plunged to their deaths, with footage showing bodies falling from the underside of a hulking USAF transport jet as it climbed into the skies over the fallen city on Monday
Almost all major checkpoints in Kabul were under Taliban control by Monday morning and Afghanistan's Civil Aviation Authority issued an advisory saying the 'civilian side' of the airport had been 'closed until further notice' and that the military controlled the airspace. At least seven people have been killed at the airport as it was overwhelmed by desperate people hoping to escape on Monday morning.
Experts and lawmakers have for months warned the Biden Administration that the takeover was exactly what would happen if they continued with the hasty retreat and entrusted the country to the Afghan National Army.
The president has defended the withdrawal of US troops and blamed his predecessor Donald Trump for a deal that left the warlords 'in the strongest position militarily since 2001'.
More than 2,300 Americans were killed and 20,000 wounded while fighting in Afghanistan, USA Today reported. The 20-year war is said to have cost the US approximately $2.26trillion.
Biden announced plans to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan on Thursday.
Around 30,000 US personnel were in the country as of two weeks ago and, as of Sunday, 6,000 troops have been dispatched to ensure they return home.
The Taliban declared victory from the presidential palace in Kabul on Sunday following a blistering advance across the country.
Late Sunday, the state department confirmed that all staff working at the US Embassy in Kabul had been evacuated to the nearby airport.
Eight people have died at the Kabul airport where thousands of desperate Afghans have clambered onto moving military planes and US troops have fired warning shots into the air amid a chaotic scramble to flee the Taliban.
Three stowaways are believed to have plunged to their deaths, with harrowing footage showing their bodies falling from the underside of a hulking USAF transport jet as it climbed into the skies over the fallen city on Monday.
Men climb over a wall into Hamid Karzai International Airport in scenes reminiscent of the chaos in Saigon in 1975
Taliban officials said everyone would be allowed to return home from Kabul airport if they decide to stay in the country and promised civilians would not be harmed. The group previously said westerners would be allowed to leave the country but that Afghans would be barred from departing.
US troops are guarding the airport and have taken over air traffic control, but all non-military flights are grounded. Early Monday morning, flight-tracking data showed no immediate commercial flights over the country.
In the capital, a tense calm set in, with most people hiding in their homes as the Taliban deployed fighters at major intersections.
There were scattered reports of looting and armed men knocking on doors and gates, and there was less traffic than usual on eerily quiet streets. Fighters could be seen searching vehicles at one of the city's main squares.
Many fear chaos, after the Taliban freed thousands of prisoners and the police simply melted away, or a return to the kind of brutal rule the Taliban imposed when it was last in power.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told US senators Sunday morning that the sudden collapse of the Afghan government means terror groups like Al Qaeda could grow stronger in Afghanistan far sooner than the two years Congress had previously estimated it would take them to become a threat.
He conceded that the prediction also raised the possibility of a domestic attack in the US, or on one of its allies. Milley said up to 60,000 refugees could qualify for Special Immigrant Visas as a result of Iran's collapse.
Experts and lawmakers have for months warned the Biden Administration that this was exactly what would happen if they continued with the hasty retreat and entrusted the country to the Afghan National Army.
Biden's calamitous surrender of Afghanistan and his 'shameful' silence since Kabul fell on Sunday has been widely condemned by media outlets across the globe.
The president has failed to address the chaos publicly, except for a written statement on Saturday which blamed Donald Trump for an earlier deal which he says handed too much power to the Taliban.
'When I came to office, I inherited a deal cut by my predecessor... that left the Taliban in the strongest position militarily since 2001 and imposed a May 1, 2021, deadline on US forces,' Biden wrote in the statement.
'I faced a choice -- follow through on the deal, with a brief extension to get our forces and our allies' forces out safely, or ramp up our presence and send more American troops to fight once again in another country's civil conflict.'
The president remained holed up at Camp David on Monday after spending the weekend largely out of sight while Afghanistan crumbled into chaos, with a senior adviser only able to say he would address the nation 'soon.'
The White House released an image of President Biden at Camp David as officials fend off growing criticism of his absence from Washington
With the United Nations Security Council and European ministers due to hold crisis meetings to address the rapid return of the Taliban, Biden and his officials kept a low profile amid mounting questions about their bungling departure from Afghanistan.
Email enquiries sent to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki over the weekend received an automated out-of-office response saying she would return on Aug. 22.
While US military planes flew in an out of Kabul airport to rescue American nationals, it was left to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to defend Biden's decision for a rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan.
He said staying longer would not have changed the overall outcome but was vague about when the nation might hear from its commander in chief.
'They can expect to hear from the president soon. He's right now actively engaged with his national security team,' he told Good Morning America.
'He is working the situation hard.
'He is focused on ensuring the mission which is to secure that airport and continue these evacuations that that mission continues and brought to a positive conclusion. He's deeply engaged on it.
'At the right point he will address the American people.'
In Washington, opponents of Biden's decision to end America's longest war, launched after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said the chaos was caused by a failure of leadership.
Biden has faced rising domestic criticism after sticking to a plan, initiated by his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, to end the US military mission by Aug. 31.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell blamed Biden for what he called a 'shameful failure of American leadership'.
Former President Trump mocked Biden's absence.
'The outcome in Afghanistan would have been totally different if the Trump Administration had been in charge,' he said in an emailed statement.
'Who or what will Joe Biden surrender to next?
'Someone should ask him, if they can find him.'
Afghans crowd on to the apron at Kabul airport as they try to flee the country
Meanwhile, refugees have been massing at the borders as people desperately try to flee Afghanistan before the Taliban's brutal rules are implemented, with pictures from the country's border with Pakistan showing hundreds of people queuing in an attempt to leave.
'Today is a great day for the Afghan people and the mujahideen. They have witnessed the fruits of their efforts and their sacrifices for 20 years,' Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman for the Taliban's political office, told Al Jazeera TV. 'Thanks to God, the war is over in the country.'
President Ghani fled the country on Sunday night as the insurgents encircled the capital - saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed - capping a military victory that saw them capture all cities in just 10 days.
In a Facebook post, Ghani said he had left the country to avoid clashes with the Taliban that would endanger millions of Kabul residents. Some social media users branded Ghani, who did not disclose his location, a coward for leaving them in chaos. Al Jazeera reported he had flown to Uzbekistan, citing his personal bodyguard.
'The Taliban have won with the judgement of their swords and guns, and are now responsible for the honour, property and self-preservation of their countrymen,' Ghani said after fleeing.
Taliban officials said they had received no reports of any clashes anywhere in the country: 'The situation is peaceful,' one official said. The Taliban controlled 90 percent of state buildings and fighters had been told to prevent any damage, the official added.
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