WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06), Afghanistan veteran and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability, alongside Representatives Mike Waltz (R-FL-06), Joe Wilson (R-SC-02), and Susan Wild (D-PA-07), introduced a resolution to support the people of Afghanistan including Afghan partners who assisted the US mission, and condemn the Taliban’s ongoing persecution of Afghan women, girls, and members of ethnic and religious minority groups.
Additionally, the resolution encourages the Secretary of State to investigate if the Taliban has committed crimes against humanity, specifically towards women and girls, and encourages the US to work with allies and partners to develop a long-term strategy to counter the Taliban’s human rights abuses and hold them accountable.
“ The Taliban has committed atrocious human rights abuses, especially against women and girls, and must be held to account,” said Congressman Crow. “The US fought in Afghanistan over 20 years; I deployed to Afghanistan twice. We have a moral duty to support our partners who are now targets of Taliban violence. With this resolution, my Republican and Democratic colleagues agree: we must honor our promises, defend human rights, and support our partners.”
“As a Green Beret, I fought in Afghanistan and saw firsthand the human rights atrocities committed by the Taliban,” said Congressman Waltz. “In the aftermath of our withdrawal, the Taliban are reverting to their most oppressive behaviors, including extrajudicial killings of our former allies, religious and ethnic minorities, and turning back the clock on the most basic of rights of women and girls. I am proud to join my colleagues on this resolution to hold the Taliban accountable for their vile human rights abuses in Afghanistan today.”
“For those living under Taliban rule, the situation is dire. Women and girls have effectively been banished from public life, and ethnic and religious minorities face violence and abuse from the Taliban. I am grateful to join Rep. Jason Crow in supporting the people of Afghanistan and holding the Taliban accountable for its human rights abuses and support for terrorism,” said Congressman Wilson.
“I’ve been dismayed to watch as the Taliban’s assaults on the human rights and freedoms of the people of Afghanistan grow more and more egregious,” said Congresswoman Wild. “This targeting of women and girls, of humanitarian workers and human rights defenders, of journalists, of religious and ethnic minorities cannot go unaddressed. That is why I am proud to join my colleagues to urge action among our democratic allies and partners, to hold the Taliban to account, and take necessary steps in defending the rights and livelihoods of Afghans.”
Crow has been an ongoing and fierce advocate for our Afghan allies and partners, including introducing the Afghan Allies Protection Act to expand and extend the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, helping introduce the A fghan Adjustment Act to provide a legal adjustment process for Afghan allies already in the US, and starting the Honoring Our Promises Working Group following the announcement of the withdrawal.
Read the full text of the legislation here .