Biden Blames Crisis of Stranded American as Created by Afghani Immediate Surrender to Taliban

By Yehudit Garmaise

      After President Joe Biden today bragged of the power and reach of the American military conducting “one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history,” and “from the far side of the world,” a reporter asked the president why he didn’t just avoid the current debacle at the Kabul International Airport, by merely evacuating the tens of thousands of stranded American and Afghani civilians, who helped with the war effort, women leaders, and journalists, in advance of the American military troops, who could have maintained security and order.

     “Although, we were in contact with the Taliban and Doha, Qatar, for this period of time, we didn’t expect the total [and immediate 11-day] demise of the Afghan National Force, which was 300 persons,” the president explained. “Let’s assume the Afghan National Force has continued to fight, and THEY were surrounding  Kabul.

     “It would be a very different story.

     “[Previously,] the overwhelming consensus [among American intelligence and the military] was that the Afghan forces were not going to collapse.

     “They were not going to leave. They were not going to just abandon, put down their arms, and take off. So that is what happened.”

      Since July, the United States has evacuated more than 18,000 people since July and approximately 13,000 since the American military lift began on Aug. 14, President Biden said today, as he updated Americans on the situation in Afghanistan, in which up to 40,000 or more American citizens and Afghanis who translated, provided intelligence, and went into combat with Americans, now need to get out of the now-Taliban-controlled country: as quickly as possible.

     In addition, those to thousands of people desperate to leave a country that is now run by terrorists, Biden said that many Afghanis who had nothing to do with the US war effort also now urgently want to leave the country, “rather than stay under Taliban rule, or any rule,” although the Taliban has agreed to provide checkpoints through which only Americans and American allies can pass to leave the country. 

     “Since I spoke on Monday, we have made significant progress,” the president said. “Thousands more have been evacuated on private civilian charter flights, facilitated by the US government.

      “We have established the flow of flights, and we have increased the number of people who are moving out the country.”

      Biden also explained that by working with Press Corps Nation and the managements of the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, the US has successfully evacuated all 204 of those newspapers’ employees who were stuck in Afghanistan on US military aircraft this week.

     Among the 6000 additional US troops who are now on the ground in Kabul, who have been added to the 2,500 who being withdrawn, are the 82nd airborne, who are providing runway security; the Army 10th Mountain Division, who are standing guard around the airport; and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, who are assisting the civilian departure, the president said.

     “We are doing everything we can to provide safe evacuation of our people and of Afghanis who are targeted because of their association with the us,” said the president, who said he is in constant contact with the Taliban to ensure that Americans and allies have safe passage to the airport. “Let me be clear: Any American who wants to come home, we will get you home.

    “Make no mistake: this evacuation mission is dangerous. It involves risks to our armed forces and is being conducted over difficult circumstances.

     “I cannot promise what the final outcome will be, or that it will be without risk of loss.

    “As commander-in-chief, I can assure you that I will mobilize every resource necessary, and as American, I offer my gratitude to the brave men and women of the US Armed Forces who are carrying out this mission.”

(Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)