Arkansas would welcome refugees from Afghanistan, amid the military and humanitarian crisis in that country, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday.
The Republican governor said he is watching ongoing developments in Afghanistan very carefully with great heartache.
"I reflect back on my post-9/11 world in which we had to protect America from a terrorist attack and what our men and women did in Afghanistan was extraordinary," said Hutchinson, who served as a homeland security undersecretary in charge of border and transportation security under then-President George W. Bush from 2003-05. "Their service there for right at 20 years has kept our homeland much safer."
American troops received the cooperation of the Afghan people and many of them supported the United States' mission in Afghanistan at great risk to themselves, he said.
"We see this crisis unfold, and we first want to make sure that all Americans get out of there safely, that they have the passage that they need, the military support that they need, and we are all praying for the military operations to be successful in getting Americans out of there, the contractors, all of the personnel that has worked there in service of our country," Hutchinson said.
The second priority should be those Afghan nationals who fought and trained alongside American service members and supported this country's mission in Afghanistan, he said.
"The point I want to make today is that Arkansas understands the American responsibility toward those families, those brave people that supported the United States of America in that mission and Arkansas would welcome them as part of the other states that are welcoming those that need a place to refuge," Hutchinson said. "Arkansas will certainly stand in the gap there and say we want to do our part and fulfill the mission and the responsibility that America has toward those families."