Rubio: Outcome of war in Afghanistan is 'going to be a terrible thing,' Taliban will 'take over'

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told Just the News that the outcome of the war in Afghanistan is going to be a "terrible thing," predicting that the Taliban will take over the country.

Rubio, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was reacting to the Biden administration's reported plans to announce a withdrawal from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021.

"What they've announced is that they're going to stick with President Trump's decision with regards to Afghanistan," Rubio said on Tuesday. "Look, the outcome is going to be a terrible thing. The Taliban, I believe, will eventually take over the country, as they were in charge before, and it's not going to be a good outcome. 

"The flip side of it is that I'm not sure what the pathway to a better future in the near term was, and, you know, given all the other needs we're facing around the world, you know, once President Trump made that decision, I think the die was cast in that regard."

Interviewed after speaking at a news conference about passing the reintroduced Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act, Rubio was asked if he thinks the U.S. has made enough progress in training the Afghan security forces to secure their country.

"I mean, I hope so, I don't have a tremendous amount of hope," he replied. "I hope I'm wrong because of the implications, but I don't have a lot of faith that the current government in Afghanistan will be able to survive or hold on for long."  

The war in Afghanistan began shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks and has continued since.