Cross-Posted from DaleGlading.com
I am not a fan of hecklers interrupting someone’s speech, especially in a decorous setting such as the State of the Union address delivered to a joint session of Congress. The being said, I am completely sympathetic with Steven Nikoui, the Gold Star parent who shouted those words from the House balcony about an hour into President Biden’s speech.
Nikoui’s son Kareem was one of 13 U.S. servicemen – 11 Marines, one Soldier, and one Sailor – who were killed on August 26, 2021, when a bomb went off at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Roughly 170 Afghan civilians were also killed in the attack.
Why would Steven Nikoui risk arrest and possible incarceration by interrupting the president during his high-profile remarks? Simply because he rightfully blames President Biden’s ill-advised withdraw order from Afghanistan that resulted in chaos, disaster, and death… along with a complete loss of face for America.
Just like the border crisis that he almost single-handedly created by rescinding all of President Trump’s immigration policies on his first day in office, President Biden acted in kneejerk fashion by first announcing a firm withdraw date and then disregarding the advice of his military advisors to leave a 2,000-man peacekeeping force in place. Hellbent to show that he was smarter than his predecessor, Biden instead proved former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates right when he said, “I think he [Biden] has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.”
Tragically, President Biden’s impatience and incompetence cost 13 brave servicemen their lives… and left behind a fully-operational U.S. airbase and $8 billion in U.S. military equipment including scores of planes, helicopters, and ground vehicles, as well as more than 316,000 weapons worth an estimated $512 million, plus ammunition and other accessories. Those weapons, military equipment, and ammunition are now in the hands of the Taliban… and have shown up as far away as Kashmir in Southeast Asia.
Mr. Nikoui wants – and deserves – answers for why his son’s life was unnecessarily lost because of a Commander-in-Chief who was derelict in his duties. So do Gold Star parents Alicia Lopez and Darin Hoover, whose children were also killed that day in Kabul. They were in the House chambers for President Biden’s speech as guests of Speaker Mike Johnson.
As far as I am concerned, President Biden forfeited his right to continue serving as President of the United States – let alone run for re-election – when he made the catastrophic decision to withdraw from Afghanistan is such a hurried and harrowed manner.
My only hope is that voters will “Remember Abbey Gate” when they go to the polls on November 5th.
