Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Key Democrat opposes GOP Section 230 subpoena for Facebook, Twitter, Google MORE (R-S.C.), a vocal foreign policy hawk, bashed the Democratic presidential hopefuls appearing in Tuesday night’s primary debate, suggesting their plans to withdraw from Afghanistan could help terrorist groups.

“Withdrawing from war zones filled with terrorists — against sound military advice — didn’t work for President Obama and it won’t work for anyone else,” Graham tweeted. “ISIS and al-Qaeda are loving this debate.”

Withdrawing from war zones filled with terrorists — against sound military advice — didn’t work for President Obama and it won’t work for anyone else.



ISIS and al-Qaeda are loving this debate. — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 30, 2019

The South Carolina Republican, a close ally of the White House, has praised President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE’s use of military force during his term, including two strikes on Syria in response to chemical attacks on rebel areas in the country. Graham was also critical of former President Obama’s withdrawal from Iraq.

ADVERTISEMENT

Several Democrats vowed they would withdraw the U.S. military from Afghanistan, with South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBillionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November Buttigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice MORE and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock Steve BullockMcConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Senate Democrats demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency Pence seeks to boost Daines in critical Montana Senate race MORE saying they would pull out troops within their first year in office, while former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) said he would do the same within his first term.

“Look, around the world we will do whatever it takes to keep America safe, but I thought I was one of the last troops leaving Afghanistan when I thought I was turning out the lights years ago,” Buttigieg, an Afghanistan War veteran, said.

“Every time I see news about somebody being killed in Afghanistan, I think about what it was like to hear an explosion over there and wonder whether it was somebody that I served with, somebody that I knew, a friend, a roommate, colleague. We’re pretty close to that day when we will wake up to the news of a causality in Afghanistan who was not born on 9/11.”

The Indiana Democrat went on to detail updates he would like to see for the authorization for the use of military force (AUMF), saying he would propose an AUMF that sunsets after three years.

The Pentagon currently has about 14,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan in the 18-year war, whose mission includes to train and advise local troops in their fight against the Taliban and to conduct counterterrorism missions against groups including ISIS.

Two U.S. troops were killed Monday in what was reportedly an insider attack.