Former US President George W. Bush said late Monday night that he and former First Lady Laura Bush feel "deep sadness" over the events unfolding in Afghanistan.
"Laura and I have been watching the tragic events unfolding in Afghanistan with deep sadness. Our hearts are heavy for both the Afghan people who have suffered so much and for the Americans and NATO allies who have sacrificed so much," the former president said in a statement.
The US government has "the legal authority to cut the red tape for refugees during urgent humanitarian crises. And we have the responsibility and the resources to secure safe passage for them now, without bureaucratic delay," Bush said.
The former president also praised members of the US armed forces who fought in the war in Afghanistan since 2001.
Bush launched the war in Afghanistan soon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He stated that "our war on terror begins with Al-Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.”
On Monday, President Joe Biden said he "stood squarely behind" his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan and rejected broad criticism of the chaotic withdrawal that is posing a crisis for him.
Biden blamed the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan on Afghan political leaders who fled the country and the unwillingness of the Afghan army to fight the militant group.
Seth J. Frantzman contributed to this report.