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Internal State Department Cable Warned of Kabul Collapse
MSN ^ | 19 August 2021 | Vivian Salama

Posted on 08/19/2021 5:06:09 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

WASHINGTON—An internal State Department memo last month warned top agency officials of the potential collapse of Kabul soon after the U.S.’s Aug. 31 troop withdrawal deadline in Afghanistan, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the document.

The classified cable represents the clearest evidence yet that the administration had been warned by its own officials on the ground that the Taliban’s advance was imminent and Afghanistan’s military may be unable to stop it.

The cable, sent via the State Department’s confidential dissent channel, warned of rapid territorial gains by the Taliban and the subsequent collapse of Afghan security forces, and offered recommendations on ways to mitigate the crisis and speed up an evacuation, the two people said.

The cable, dated July 13, also called for the State Department to use tougher language in describing the atrocities being committed by the Taliban, one of the people said.

As of last weekend, some 18,000 Afghans who have applied for the U.S.’s Special Immigrant Visa program, as well as their families, remained on the ground in Afghanistan, with about half of them outside Kabul in areas already under Taliban control, and efforts to get them to the Kabul airport have grown more difficult by the day.

In all, 23 U.S. Embassy staffers, all Americans, signed the July 13 cable, the two people said. The U.S. official said there was a rush to deliver it, given circumstances on the ground in Kabul.

The cable was sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Director of Policy Planning Salman Ahmad. Mr. Blinken received the cable and reviewed it shortly after receipt, according to the person familiar with the exchange, who added that contingency planning was already under way when it was received, and that Mr. Blinken welcomed their feedback.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Blinken knew.
1 posted on 08/19/2021 5:06:09 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

What Flavor Taliban Joe?


2 posted on 08/19/2021 5:09:56 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“...and Director of Policy Planning Salman Ahmad.”

What did Biden expect?


3 posted on 08/19/2021 5:22:24 PM PDT by BobL (I shop at Walmart and eat at McDonald's, I just don't tell anyone, like most here.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

25th.
Amendment.
Now!!!


4 posted on 08/19/2021 5:31:25 PM PDT by God luvs America (63.5 million pay no income tax and vote for DemoKrats...)
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To: MtnClimber
add this one...


5 posted on 08/19/2021 5:39:21 PM PDT by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. P144:1)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Joe only hears what he wants to hear.


6 posted on 08/19/2021 5:40:24 PM PDT by seowulf (Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty, and dies with chaos...Will Durant)
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To: seowulf

And disregards the rest.

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/paulsimon/theboxer.html


7 posted on 08/19/2021 5:44:54 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy." ― Mao Zedong)
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To: Chode
Like this???

What Flavor Taliban Joe?


8 posted on 08/19/2021 6:13:55 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: God luvs America

25th does not work here.

He has to be impeached.


9 posted on 08/19/2021 6:16:14 PM PDT by eyedigress (Trump is my President!)
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To: MtnClimber

bingo


10 posted on 08/19/2021 7:13:28 PM PDT by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. P144:1)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

With Today’s various methods of communication,

What is a “cable” ?

I think of a telegram.

Does the fed use Western Union to talk to each other?

Do they still use mimeographs?

Am I missing something?


11 posted on 08/20/2021 7:15:25 PM PDT by Ken Regis
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To: Ken Regis

The travel through a 1940s time-tunnel to get anywhere they want.


12 posted on 08/20/2021 7:40:20 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy." ― Mao Zedong)
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