President Barack Obama should never have announced when the U.S. would leave Afghanistan because the information put people there at risk as American forces are drawn down, said Rep. Randy Forbes.
Security of Americans in Afghanistan came into question Thursday after three U.S. civilians
were killed in an attack by a guard at a hospital in Kabul.
"The big mistake that the president made is when he announced the time certain we are going to get out, regardless of what happens. [He] should have never done that," the Virginia Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" Thursday.
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Forbes explained it was "one thing to get out" when ending a military operation. It was another to "announce the date" and reduce forces "to where they are too low to do what we need to do to protect the people that are there."
When President Obama first announced the U.S. would withdraw from Afghanistan, Forbes explained Afghan insurgents wanted a "time certain" for when troops would be leaving. He said that gave them the opportunity to "go to any supporters of the U.S." and threaten to "come after you when (U.S. troops) leave."
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