DENVER (KDVR) — Afghanistan war veterans across the country are feeling demoralized watching nearly two decades of fighting in Afghanistan come to an end so quickly.
“There is going to be blood shed as the Taliban people move through and start to take over things and enforce their religious and morality and beliefs on people. It’s something the Afghan people need to take care of. It’s no longer our fight,” Farley Fergerson, a U.S. Army veteran, who served three tours between Afghanistan and Iraq said.
Fergerson said the withdraw comes as no surprise. He said anyone who spent time over there would understand why the Taliban moved back in.
“We didn’t leave. We broke our contract and they (the Taliban) decided to come in by force and they knew we were already in a weak position because we pulled so many people out,” Fergerson said.
He also said that he thinks the U.S. overstayed their time there.
“We should have never tried to establish the nation or build their army. We should have just went in do what we’re supposed to do, get Osama Bin Laden, off of Tora Bora and leave,” Fergerson said.
He said it’s now the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s decision on what Afghanistan will be like.
“We came in and tried to build the Afghan army to fight the Taliban, which isn’t their fight. It’s not like they took down their towers in Kabul. They took down our towers. It was our fight,” Fergerson said.
Angel Guma, another U.S. Army veteran said he understands why it was time to leave but said this withdraw leaves Afghanistan vulnerable to another insurgence.
“When I was there I would hear how we accomplished our objectives there. Yes, to a degree we did. When I was in Afghanistan I felt hope in the mission there,” Guma said.
Right now in Afghanistan there are around 3,000 U.S. troops on the ground and President Joe Biden recently announced the U.S. would be sending 3,000 more. Back in April, there were only 2,500 U.S. troops on the ground in that country.
“Part of you feels like it’s a waste of time but as long as Afghanistan can become a stronger participant in the world, it’s worth it,” Fergerson said.