USGLC

Now that the last American troops have left Afghanistan, the Biden Administration, Congress, and the American people begin to grapple with both the horror and devastation witnessed over the past three weeks in Afghanistan and the continuing security challenges posed by the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Though the American operation over the last several weeks was successful in evacuating over 123,000 individuals, there remain over 100 Americans and thousands of vulnerable Afghans left in Afghanistan. As the country mourns the death of 170 individuals – including 13 U.S. service men and women – killed in the terror attack in Kabul last week, there remains an urgent need to protect the individuals left behind.

As America continues a nationwide dialogue on race, and industries and organizations are being called upon to address systemic racism, increased scrutiny has also fallen upon America’s diplomacy and development agencies. Just as America’s foreign policy affects our local communities, our domestic challenges can also have global repercussions. Current and former officials, in cooperation with bipartisan Members of Congress, agree that to achieve our foreign policy goals abroad, America’s diplomats must look more like America.