A bitter disappointment for many in Kabul

BBC News ^ | August 24, 2021 | By Tara McKelvey

[Oldeconomybuyer]

The staffers were punctual: they moved velvety ropes from a briefing room to the Roosevelt Room, and got ready for the president's speech at 12:00 (16:00 GMT). They set up a sound system, and prepared the stage for an important moment: the president would speak about Afghanistan. But the president was late. He met aides in the Oval Office, worked on his speech. "What's going on?" my colleagues asked, sending me texts, wondering what was happening, and why his speech had been delayed, again and again. They were not the only ones who were wondering: many people in Kabul were desperate to find out.

Finally, the president spoke at around 17:00, hours late: things were on track to end the US mission by 31 August, he said.

His remarks were a bitter disappointment for many in Kabul, who say the mission is far from over, since it leaves them stranded.

Backstage at the White House, the president's day, and the lead-up to his speech, were disorganised, unpredictable and chaotic.

For many, it captured the essence of his Afghanistan policy, one that they describe as disastrous.

[BobL]

“A bitter disappointment for many in Kabul”

Perhaps a bit more than a ‘disappointment’ for the many Americans trapped in Kabul.

[cgbg]

Amazing stuff from the BBC—I thought I would never see the day when they criticized a Democrat.

[canuck_conservative]

Sleepy Joe & his bunch'o'bozos known as the Biden Administration have been a big disappointment everywhere, not just in Kabul!!

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

It took those extra hours to optimize the drug mix, so he looked as little looped out as possible during the broadcast.

[lightman]

They are a dis F grace!

[End Times Sentinel]

Most of those in Kabul are little more than welfare and social security cheats. They had a brother, cousin, or neighbor who got American citizenship, somehow. They were “sponsored” by their fellow countrymen, came here, established residency and then fled right back to their third world hell hole. They realized that pubic urination/defecation, and throwing trash into the streets wasn't smiled upon here. They had little else use for America beyond that.
So, every four months, they fly back to Uncle Sucker to pick up their checks and sell off their food stamps, and then it's right back to Dear Old Trashcanistan, rinsing the stink of contemptible, naive, idiotic westerners.

[Empire_of_Liberty]

Did the BBC hire Peggy Noonan? It sounds like it.

[montag813]

"What's going on?" my colleagues asked, sending me texts, wondering what was happening, and why his speech had been delayed, again and again. They were not the only ones who were wondering: many people in Kabul were desperate to find out.

Sorry folks...you'd better take it up with Biden's new National Security Adviser...

[VTenigma]

I believe you may be right.

[VTenigma]

I believe you may be right.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Some, yes.

But tens of thousands are citizen patriots or locals who helped us for years. And they are being abandoned by the greatest country on the planet. It’s shameful.

[pepsionice]

If you look across the press of Europe (even public TV news)...either it’s highly critical of Biden, or just reporting the facts. Beyond that, Biden gets no public support anymore.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Harris is deemed as a selection of Biden, and identified as a poor judgement call as well.

[Carriage Hill]

“...the Biden Administration have been a big disappointment everywhere, not just in Kabul”

They’re just doing what I fully expected them to, in every way possible.

[ncalburt]

So true .

No real Americans left.
Just Sleazy Welfare Cheats who got US welfare thru the chain migration gravy chain ..

We need to leave NOW .

[VideoDoctor]

I WOULD GUESS THAT IT'S MUCH WORSE THAN THE NEWS STORY HAS MADE IT OUT TO BE.

[sjmjax]

“Bitter disappointment”?

More like a death sentence!

[Truth29]

I saw a video clip of Harris today in SE Asia saying that because of supply chain delays, American consumers might want to do their Christmas shopping now. Amazing.

[sauropod]

Enjoy your Biden vote.

[damper99]

Numbers of Americans were inflated to create a “crisis”. This will end up with Biden declaring an evacuation success. It was engineered to look bad, but Biden solves the problem. Never let a good crisis go to waste. This was a setup, we’ve been played.