Posted on 09/01/2021 4:03:34 AM PDT by Kaslin
At 9:05 Monday night, State Department spokesman Ned Price issued a plaintive message to the new rulers of Afghanistan. "The Taliban needs to meet its commitments and obligations in Afghanistan," Price tweeted. Those commitments and obligations include respecting freedom of travel, safeguarding the "basic rights of the people," engaging in counterterrorism, "not carrying out reprisal violence against those who stayed" in Afghanistan and "forming an inclusive government."
Who is Price kidding? Here is a quick answer: No, the Taliban is not going to do those things.
The more immediate question is: What about the Americans still in Afghanistan after the last U.S. plane left Kabul? "We believe there are still a small number of Americans -- under 200 and likely closer to 100 -- who remain in Afghanistan and want to leave," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday night. Blinken would never have said it this way, but those Americans are now pretty much stuck.
That is an end President Joe Biden specifically pledged would not happen. "If there's American citizens left, we're gonna stay to get them all out," he told ABC News on Aug. 19.
The military effort to remove Americans, and many more Afghans, is over. Now, any effort to bring Americans out of Afghanistan depends on diplomacy -- and that depends on the Taliban. "While the military evacuation is complete, the diplomatic mission to ensure additional U.S. citizens and eligible Afghans who want to leave continues," Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, said Monday.
The diplomatic mission? Not long after McKenzie spoke, Blinken announced, "As of today, we have suspended our diplomatic presence in Kabul." State Department employees previously in Afghanistan have now moved to Doha, Qatar. "Given the uncertain security environment and political situation in Afghanistan," Blinken continued, "it was the prudent step to take." It is not clear how American diplomatic efforts will continue with a government that has made the country too dangerous for American diplomats.
Also in question: Just who did the U.S. government rescue from Afghanistan? You've probably heard a lot of numbers thrown around. But combining Blinken's and McKenzie's presentations on Monday, some basic facts emerged. First, the U.S. rescued about 6,000 American citizens who were in Afghanistan. It airlifted many times that number of "Afghan allies." "More than 123,000 people have been safely flown out of Afghanistan," Blinken said. "That includes about 6,000 American citizens."
But the big number, 123,000, was the total for coalition airlifts out of Kabul, not just American efforts. McKenzie said it this way: "Since August 14th, over an 18-day period, U.S. military aircraft have evacuated more than 79,000 civilians from Hamid Karzai International Airport. That includes 6,000 Americans and more than 73,500 third-country nationals and Afghan civilians. This last category includes special immigrant visas, consular staff, at-risk Afghans and their families."
How carefully are U.S. officials vetting those who leave? Former Trump administration officials Stephen Miller and Ken Cuccinelli are suggesting that the Biden administration has lowered standards, or thrown them out altogether, for examining the pasts of airlift passengers. "We're not really vetting them before bringing them here -- we can't do it this fast," Cuccinelli tweeted recently. "It's normally an 18-24 month process with 14 steps. Think there might be shortcuts now?"
A recent New York Times account seems to support that contention. "In the first few frenzied days under the Taliban," the Times reported Sunday, "when rumors swirled of American planes transporting Afghans directly to the United States, thousands of people without passports, visas or identification cards flooded Kabul's airport and were placed on Doha-bound planes." That doesn't sound like a very rigorous system.
Now, Blinken is pledging to keep the haphazard process going. "We will continue our relentless efforts to help Americans, foreign nationals, and Afghans leave Afghanistan if they choose," Blinken said.
With its frenzied, careless and improvised withdrawal, the Biden administration has managed to unite those Americans who supported an end to U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and those who wanted to see the effort continue. Now the question becomes whether there can be any unity among U.S. law and policymakers when it comes to cleaning up the president's mess.
THAT'S the phrase and concept that will be the next confusion, like ... three or four different "vaccines"
They didn't want to leave ... dual citizens, primarily Arghani's that loved their country .... etc.
According to Blinken, among the 6,000 were an unknown number of “self-identified” Americans. The immediate assumption is that they did not check any backgrounds in Kabul.
Just as rigorous as on the Southern border. /s
Begging with the “honorable” clansmen of Afghanistan is not a productive form of negotiation. They have tasted what they believe to be a stunning victory over the “Great Satan”, and now they shall be insatiable. The Islamic Republic of Iran, right next door, is a willing recipient of all the war materials the Taliban and the ISIS-K cannot put to use. Lord knows, they could use the additional capability in Iran, as they have an internal revolution to put down, as well as hungry mouths of terrorists to feed all over the Middle East, and most of the continent of Europe and Africa.
There are only two Americans left in Afghanistan. Or maybe one.
The high school kids didn’t want to leave?
What part of hanging a man from a helicopter did he not understand?
Just like Aminijahd when asked about gays in Iran
“There are no gays in Iran”
This administration tries to claim
“There are no Americans in Afghanistan”
Reprehensible!
7
Freedom of travel, I there isn’t a lock down and you don’t have your covid passport?
Liberals are incapable of decisive speech, clear thinking, or acceptance of responsibility!
So, they always answer questions by marble-mouthing wholly irrelevant, incomplete, unfocused, inadequate and unrelated words and phrases. When that doesn’t work….they shout you down and interrupt you. It makes them feel that they have invalidated you and your view of the issue.
Byron York is a Never-Trump Washington D.C. elitist. I bet he’s too stupid to realize this Afghan disaster is HIS OWN FAULT for voting for the traitorous weasel Biden.
What?
They’re democrats .... not liberals
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