‘LET DOWN’ AND ‘BETRAYED’
Families of state soldiers killed in Afghanistan say the country’s collapse is painful to watch
The families of Connecticut soldiers who were killed years ago fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan say it’s been painful to watch the terrorist group quickly regain control of the country, igniting chaos and panic as America ends two decades of war there.
“It’s very tragic, discouraging and sad,” said Bob Keiser, the stepfather of Andrew Pedersen-Keel, a 28-year-old Army special forces captain from Madison killed in Afghanistan in 2013.
“The last couple of days have been almost like reopening the wound a bit – to see what’s happening,” Keiser said. “It’s a humanitarian crisis now. But you know, Andrew liked what he was doing there, and he felt he was making a difference.”
Keiser is not alone in feeling disappointed over how America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan – the longest ever in US. history – ended in chaos as U.S. troops left and the Taliban quickly regained control of the country they
once ruled.
On Aug. 6, Taliban fighters began overrunning the major provincial capitals in the country and nine days later pushed into the capitol, Kubal, virtually unchallenged. Panicked Afghans earlier this week swarmed Hamid Karzai International Airport seeking to escape the country.
Cameras captured disturbing footage of people surrounding planes and desperately clinging to a military transport plane as it took off, and several dying after they fell. In all, seven people were reportedly found dead at the airport this week.
Military families told Hearst Connecticut Media they never believed Afghanistan would necessarily become a free and peaceful democracy resembling life in the U.S. But they also said they didn’t expect the country their sons paid the greatest sacrifice to help liberate would collapse so quickly.
They worried about the fate of refugees, interpreters and other Afghan civilians who supported the U.S military, as well as the damage to America’s standing that could be caused by such a disorganized exit.
“There are 30,000 families who need to get out of there,” Keiser said. “I don’t know how you get them out.”
Patricia Parry, the mother of Navy SEAL Brian Bill, a 31-year-old Stamford native killed in Afghanistan when his helicopter was shot down in 2011, said she’s not happy over the way the withdrawal has unfolded.
“I feel that my son was a remarkable young man and he believed in what he did, and I think what he did was very honorable,” Parry said.
“But I feel very let down by what has evolved and somewhat betrayed,” Parry added, referring to America’s withdrawal. “I don’t think it was handled very well, and we have sent a message of weakness to the world.”
The U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. The goal was to eliminate Osama Bin Laden, his Al-Qaeda network and the Taliban to ensure Afghanistan could never again be used as a base to attack America.
The U.S. spent more than $1 trillion in Afghanistan including to develop and support a national army, but in recent days it essentially melted into the background as the Taliban surged. The U.S. has since recalled 6,000 U.S. troops to restore order at the airport and protect ongoing evacuations.
Earlier in the week, Reuters reported that the Taliban wanted peaceful relations with other countries and would respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law. However, US senators this week said they “are receiving regular reports regarding the targeting, threatening, kidnapping, torturing and assassinations of women for their work,” according to The New York Times.
During the Taliban’s rule between 1996 and 2001, the militants stopped women from working and administered punishments, including public stoning. Girls were not allowed to go to school and women had to wear all-enveloping burqas to go out, Reuters pointed out.
By mid-week, finger pointing was well underway in the U.S. over the image of a chaotic American withdrawal. President Joe Biden declared that leaving Afghanistan was “the right decision” and some Congressional leaders began calling for hearings to examine how the exit was handled.
‘Walking away’
Andrew Pedersen-Keel attended the United States Military Academy and eventually worked his way up to Special Forces captain.
On the morning of March 11, 2013, PedersenKeel was concluding a patrol briefing when a 20year-old Afghan jumped into the back of an Afghan police pickup truck, grabbed the machine gun mounted on the truck bed, and shot the Special Forces team. Pedersen-Keel was mortally wounded.
In the wake of his son’s death, Keiser founded APK Charities, along with his mother, Helen PedersenKeiser. The charity seeks to raise awareness and support for active, retired, wounded and fallen troops and their families, and provide financial aid.
“APK Charities’ mission is to serve as a bridge connecting our society and our Armed Forces, opening our hearts and minds to serve those who protect us,” the organization says on its website.
Keiser said coverage of Afghanistan brought back memories of Andrew.
“It does because, to be honest, over time you think about other things,” Keiser said. “Now, it’s all about Afghanistan and the places he was stationed.”
He said interpreters who worked with his son – each unit in Afghanistan had an interpreter to bridge the language gap – had already relocated to Virginia.
“Andrew’s interpreters are in the states,” Keiser said. “We have been in contact with them, and they are asking if we can help [with others left behind]. They have family over there. There is nothing we can do, and that’s a sinking feeling.”
Many observers of Afghanistan say there is justified concern over reprisals by the Taliban against anyone who helped or supported the American military effort.
‘Was it worth it?’
Keiser said Afghan veterans he talks with are dismayed over what they are seeing on television.
“Some feel like …why were we there? Was it worth it at all?” Keiser said. “That’s kind of the reaction. Some react like [my wife] and say they did make a difference. I don’t think anyone expected Afghanistan was going to become America. It’s just sad to think nothing ever changes.”
Keiser added: “What you see at the airport, it’s desperation. I remember Vietnam. I remember what happened there. It’s just smacking you in the face. There probably needed to be a different way to handle it.”
Brian Bill, an elite Navy Seal, was on a nighttime mission on Aug. 6, 2011, when the Chinook helicopter he was riding in was shot down by enemy fire, killing all onboard.
Parry, his mother, said she shakes her head when she thinks about how the withdrawal is being handled.
“It’s tragic that he lost his life in a country we are walking away from,” said Parry. “We were not going to change Afghanistan or run the country. Our mission was to go over there and send a message.”
Parry said that the right time for the U.S. to have left Afghanistan was after Osama Bin Laden was killed in May 2011.
“The purpose was to make sure that nothing like 9/11 ever happened again,” Parry said. “Leaving is not the issue; it’s that the message we are sending that you can attack us because we don’t stand strong.”