Adam Kinzinger, Liz Cheney Bash 'Unmitigated Disaster' in Afghanistan as U.S. Hurries Exit

Representative Adam Kinzinger, and former U.S. Air Force officer, on Saturday criticized the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan as an "unmitigated disaster."

Kinzinger, an anti-Trump Republican who flew missions in Afghanistan, noted in a tweet that the U.S. is sending more troops to evacuate the U.S. embassy than it had there before. He also noted that Republican Senator Rand Paul was among the first to advocate for a withdrawal, imploring, "Don't let him and his allies memory hole that."

As of early Sunday morning, Taliban insurgents had reportedly entered the outskirts of the capital Kabul.

GOP Representative Liz Cheney said on Sunday that the U.S. withdrawal isn't "ending endless wars" and that American generations to come will have to fight this war at a "much higher cost."

Cheney, also a strong critic of Trump, faced backlash for blaming the "calamity" in Afghanistan on President Joe Biden and his predecessor after she tweeted on Saturday:

"The Trump/Biden calamity unfolding in Afghanistan began with the Trump administration negotiating with terrorists and pretending they were partners for peace, and is ending with American surrender as Biden abandons the country to our terrorist enemies."

Other House Republicans have also criticized the U.S. troops pullout, including Mark Green of Tennessee. Green, who served on the ground in Afghanistan, said on Fox News on Saturday that the way the U.S. is withdrawing from the country "created an abandonment feeling for the people in Afghanistan."

He also noted that the way the withdrawal is carried out "could potentially be an intelligence failure that we need to dig into" as the Taliban "synchronize" attacks across the country.

On Sunday, acting Interior Minister Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal told Reuters and Agence France-Presse that the Taliban were entering Kabul "from all sides."

He said that power will be peacefully transitioned to the Taliban and that any defense of the city is in the hands of the security forces. Kabul is home to more than 4 million people.

The Afghan government and the Taliban are hoping to avoid a large-scale battle as the insurgents vowed to not take over Kabul "by force."

"No one's life, property and dignity will be harmed and the lives of the citizens of Kabul will not be at risk," the Taliban said.

Among major cities the Afghan government has control over only Kabul as of Sunday morning, with most provinces quickly falling to the Taliban.

On Saturday, more Marines arrived in Kabul to help secure the exit of the U.S. embassy personnel and Afghan allies.

Rapid shuttle flights of Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters were seen near the U.S. embassy on Sunday, according to the Associated Press.

"We have a small batch of people leaving now as we speak. A majority of the staff are ready to leave," one official told Reuters on Sunday. "The embassy continues to function."