“The road that ends at the Kabul airport has been blocked. Foreigners can go through it, but Afghans are not allowed to take the road,” [Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman] said...
He urged the crowds of Afghans thronging the airport in hopes of leaving the country to instead go home, saying that the Taliban would “guarantee their security,” and noted that there was no list of people targeted for reprisals....
President Biden’s deadline for the U.S. evacuation of its citizens and allies in Afghanistan — Aug. 31 — is one week away.... The U.S. military has helped secure the evacuation of 58,000 people since Aug. 14.... The Biden administration has been unable to pinpoint how many people are in need of evacuation.
It should at least be an either/or situation: Either they let people get to the airport OR there is no valid deadline.
But I expect silence from the Biden administration about that and presume that they will evacuate until the deadline, then credit themselves with having evacuated so many people so quickly and meeting the deadline. That's what I expect, so I'm not surprised that the Taliban have the gall to declare the deadline in force even as they obstruct access to the airport.
Posts
108 comments:
So we spent a year as a country agonizing over how to get “the translators” out of Afghanistan and now that the deadline chosen by Slow Joe is a week away the SIV (which replaced the term translator) are SOL. We can’t even say we’ll get all our people out in time. All Billy Burns got for risking his ass going in person to beg for more time is a hard no and the door slammed on the SIV.
It isn't gall- they rule Afghanistan and can let leave who they wish to. Be thankful that they are apparently letting some foreigners leave, but how many we don't really know- probably only the ones with military escorts through the gates.
Not sure how many of that “58,000 evacuated” were US citizens. Less than 10% we’re Americans as of late Sunday and no one will believe Milley and his clowns got 40,000 Americans out yesterday.
'It should at least be an either/or situation: Either they let people get to the airport OR there is no valid deadline.'
That's so cute. I should be king of the world but things didn't work out that way.
We lost. Their rules. We must now kowtow to a bunch of medieval, illiterate assholes.
Btw, the reason Psaki won't give the numbers of those evacuated (citizens vs. non-citizens), is because a vast majority of those already evacuated are Afghani.
https://twitter.com/ArthurSchwartz/status/1430138509835358212
Foreigners can go through it, but Afghans are not allowed to take the road,” [Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman] said...
That should make it much easier for ISIS and AQ suicide bombers to operate freely.
It's worse than silence from Biden on the deadline. AFTER it was announced that Taliban would not agree to extend the deadline, "administration sources" leaked to the press that Biden had "decided" not to extend the deadline.
The very idea that these guys could keep American citizens from leaving the country, and that an American President could fail to unequivocally demand their unhindered ability to get out, just blows my mind.
It should at least be an either/or situation: Either they let people get to the airport OR there is no valid deadline.
Valid deadline? Who enforces it? How?
The only way you can extend that deadline without it being a very dead line is to sneak in lots of heavily armed troops to surprise the Taliban while you rescue people. Otherwise, the validity of the deadline is whatever the Taliban wants it to be. There is no other enforcement mechanism. An UN Security Council resolution won't do it, because it never has.
"The Biden administration has been unable to pinpoint how many people are in need of evacuation."
I expect the administration's answer to this question will be revealed September 1, and that that total will match the number evacuated through August 31.
The average person in Afghanistan condones and participates in child rape. Pre-teen girls are routinely sold generally for livestock in an arrangement described as marriage. Boys are passed around to the priests.
The Taliban just occupy the top rung of these arrangements.
The president of the United States is a known rapist. His son is on video having sexual relations with underage girls. Joe Biden is an obvious creep who has molested girls and women in public all his life.
At least the Taliban are being honest about what they are doing. They are despicable people.
They are a step up from the Biden junta.
Are the Taliban waiting for 8-31 before they start posting photos of their soldiers pissing on the former US ambassador's desk?
We've already seen them in the presidential palace lifting weights, or riding bumper cars, and eating ice cream.
There is too much propaganda to be made by further humiliating the U.S.
Btw, did part of out withdrawal agreement include not pancaking our embassy building?
Why would we leave a modern, $700M building intact?
credit themselves with having evacuated so many people so quickly
You trust the White House's reporting of numbers on this??
Well, Jo Biden WANTED to help our Afghani friends...
But! there was NOTHING THAT HE COULD DO; the Taliban wouldn't let him
Well, Jo Biden WANTED to help our Taiwanese friends...
But! there was NOTHING THAT HE COULD DO; the Communist Chinese wouldn't let him
Jo Wanted to close the border, but there was Nothing he could do
Jo Wanted to reduce inflation, but there was Nothing he could do
Jo Wanted to get people back to work and school, but there was NOTHING he could do
That's The Way It Goes, when you're a minor player on the world stage
Unlike Russia, or China, or the Taliban; the United States is not a world power
and Wishing Won't Make It So
It's unfolding exactly like the people in power want it to unfold. If those people didn't want it to happen this way it wouldn't. It would happen another way.
The Taliban is telling us what to do. Americans and way more Afghans are going to be left behind on August 31.
I take no pleasure in this comment, but the 9-11 PR releases from the Taliban are going to be horrible. They won and they are going to tell the whole world.
Biden needs to resign. And before he does, he needs to fire scores of people.
Kamala will be our new President. She is not qualified, but at least she's not senile.
If as many as ONE American that wanted to leave doesn't get out, Biden, Harris, most of the cabinet and several generals won't be in their jobs in October. I don't see how they could all possibly get out despite the Taliban saying foreigners are free to leave.
It's pretty clear who's calling the shots in Kabul -- and it ain't Joe.
To this point, it appears the Biden junta made a bad choice when they asked the Taliban for permission to leave and also requested their guidance and oversight.
The Biden Presidency… “Muh norms have been restored and America’s honor reclaimed!”
per Vanity Fair.......Republicans are weaponizing..........instead of pouncing now. thought you'd like to know.
We are paying billions for the right to be humiliated on the world stage.
But no worries, Joe is a foreign policy expert, and his son is the smartest person he knows...
And at the end, medals for everybody! Maybe the President will get an Emmy.
What the CIA director ought to have told them, in my humble opinion:
Congratulations. You got here faster than we ever thought possible. Now we're going to get our own people out. While we're at it we're taking our Afghan friends. You should want as many of them to leave as possible. We're offering to solve a difficulty for you.
We were leaving because my people didn't see why we were here anymore. Do you want to remind them why? They didn't see what we were trying to do anymore. This is something.
The adults are back in charge...
The potential hostage haul will make the '79 debacle look a kindergarten picnic. Not just US people, but many western Europeans as well. Think of all the 'do-gooder' NGO's in the hinterlands working on schooling and such. Think they can get to Kabul? If it was not so serious, I'd hazard a smirk, because of the number of Ivy League Trust Funders there doing Peace Corps work for resume padding. I will say, I am not smirking, the ransom for those will be eye-opening if it comes to pass. While I pray it does not come to pass, one must be a realist in these dark times.
My confidence is not increased when the DOD puts out a photo of a C-17 evacuating who knows who, and lists it as a USAF aircraft, when in fact it was a UAE C-17. I think we're getting to a 'doesn't anybody here know how to play this game' phase.
Too bad trump didn’t negotiate for free passage. Then we would have received something tangible in exchange for our surrender
'And at the end, medals for everybody! Maybe the President will get an Emmy.'
Why not? They gave Obama a peace prize for...
Joe will get a shiny medal from Harris on his way out. He will think it's a Chuckie Cheese medallion, but he'll be happy nonetheless.
"It should at least be an either/or situation: Either they let people get to the airport OR there is no valid deadline."
We had someone that would have enforced that either/or situation. You didn't vote for his reelection.
"It should at least be an either/or situation: Either they let people get to the airport OR there is no valid deadline."
It's an and/and/and situation. They let some people through and there is no valid deadline and they toy with the "Biden" administration.
This White House is hip deep in sheep dip.
Li'l steve uhr: "Too bad trump didn’t negotiate for free passage. Then we would have received something tangible in exchange for our surrender"
Yes.
You read that correctly.
Li'l Stevie Uhr and the other Usual Lefty Suspects at Althouse really are going to try and continue running with this "laughed out of town" talking point that has already been completely discarded by 75% of the American public, the Europeans, the democratical-aligned deep staters and most democratical politicians who understand this transparent lie will not fly.
Once again, the Usual Suspect Althouse lefties (Uhr, LLR Chuck, Howard, Left Bank, etc) are weeks behind the evolution of their own teams moronic talking points.
I demand Althouse bring in some better lefty trolls cause Steve and Chuck et all ain't cuttin' it.
The updated numbers on STRANDED Americans the Dementia Boy/Giggles Girl admin didn't want you to know:
Alex Ward@alexbward 7h
NEW: Leaked State cable with evacuation numbers (as of Aug 23 at 1500 ET):
Total manifested since midnight Kabul AUG 23: 483 AMCITS, 6,425 Afghans natls, 8 3rd country/unknown. Total = 6,916
Total manifested since op began: 4,407 AMCITS, 21,533 Afghans, 642 TCNs. Total = 26,582
Are they polishing up the Nobel Peace Prize??
I'm told 81 million people voted for this. because he's not trump. trump was mean, in the debates, in his tweets.
hopefully they got the fucking gay pride flag out.
the decline of a once great nation, brought to you by feminism, gender studies, and diversity doctrine, among other 'important' academic pursuits.
Just remember, you voted for it. stand proud.
now, can we get back to living in fear of the china virus, whether or not trans people are respected enough, and other important issues. Maybe resume tearing down statues of our disrespected founders.
our so called institutions of higher learning are rejoicing at the decline.
Those same founders would have burned the current crop in DC to the ground.
And now Dementia Boy has undercut our European allies....AGAIN!
John Cooper@thejcoop · 1h
WOW: Fox reporting that the G7 had an agreement in place to tell the Taliban the G7 nations would stay in #Afghanistan past August 31, and now Joe Biden has undercut our allies again.
Everytime the G7 thinks they have an agreement, Biden sells them down the river.
This is why Steve Uhr's latest, and potentially most pathetic, lies re: Trump responsibility for Dementia Boy's actions aren't cutting it anywhere in the world.
the 9-11 PR releases from the Taliban are going to be horrible
I suspect they will do more than the equivalent of sending strongly-worded letter to the editor.
I expect that their "PR releases" will be written in blood and fire and destruction.
They are dealing with this so badly, so incompetently, so incoherently, so ineffectually that one wonders if it is not done on purpose.
This will haunt us for decades.
steve uhr said, "Too bad trump didn’t negotiate for free passage. Then we would have received something tangible in exchange for our surrender."
As analysis it is lacking the context in which on April 24 Biden announced his own timetable instead of sticking to Trump's plan. As humor it is simply lacking. So based on those two deficiencies in your post, I fail to understand what you were trying to say. Unlike Joe's pressers, you can't just limp in here and post "mumble mumble Trump" and expect good results. Try harder. No one believes the new myth that Trump's exit would have been this bad or worse. There is simply nothing in Trump's short first term that one can point to as an example. He addressed Syria. He addressed ISIS. He was blunt with the Taliban that failure to negotiate would "have consequences," a saying you might have heard thrown back at us today.
“As the situation in Kabul deteriorates, the Biden administration seems increasingly untethered to reality, boasting about an evacuation gone haywire and lying about stranded Americans.“ -The Federalist
"NEW: Leaked State cable with evacuation numbers (as of Aug 23 at 1500 ET):
Total manifested since midnight Kabul AUG 23: 483 AMCITS, 6,425 Afghans natls, 8 3rd country/unknown. Total = 6,916
Total manifested since op began: 4,407 AMCITS, 21,533 Afghans, 642 TCNs. Total = 26,582"
So almost 5x as many Afghans as Americans have been evacuated. How many Ilhan Omars got loaded onto the flights by the Taliban who took away many people's papers? And I hope and pray that there were not 15,000 Americans in the country; we will never get that number out now. Because we also have to get our 6,000 troops out. I'm picturing helicopters like forts along the runway as the last plane leaves with our guys around the helicopters, then they take off. Farewell, sunny Afghanistan. Then the Taliban parade their 5,000 captured Americans through Kabul. Oh, we're still leaving, Joe? "Leaving," now meaning "leaving them behind." You think? I think you're leaving.
Mike. No doubt Biden fucked up big time. I never said otherwise. But the Trump deal was a disaster. We leave and they “promise” not to harbor terrorists. They “promise” to talk to the Afghan government. Let’s Trust the Taliban to keep their word. What am I missing?
“TR sent an ultimatum to Morocco by having the message, “We want either Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead.” Perdicaris was released.
That was then. This is now.
Too bad trump didn’t negotiate for free passage. Then we would have received something tangible in exchange for our surrender
If one reads between the lines, Democrats are mad at Trump because he let Biden become POTUS. They know how incompetent Joe is, regardless of his advancing dementia.
In that sense, it is truly Trump's fault for losing the selection.
And now even this, from wildly pro-democratical Richard Engel (though, admittedly, Engel is not as pro-democratical as our own pro-marxist LLR Chuck):
Richard Engel@RichardEngel · 22m
US embassy issues last alert for US citizens to leave afghanistan or they’re on their own, then recalls it 30 mins later.
According to LLR Chuck, Steve Uhr, Howard, Left Bank etc, this specific chaotic State Department messaging was purposely designed and executed by Trump......and they really do believe that.
Shock USA Today poll today has Biden*'s job approval at 41%, disapproval 55%. He's still holding the allegiance of about 88% of the Democrats, but he's lost more than 2/3rds of the independents. This is a huge swing in a short period of time, almost all because of the bungling in Afghanistan. The regime's policy isn't selling. Expect things to get worse after they bug out on 8/31 leaving Americans and Afghan SIVs to the tender mercies (aka beheadings) of the Taliban. Those of us who didn't vote for Biden are mortified and ashamed, but at least we won't have blood on our hands like those who did.
"Too bad trump didn’t negotiate for free passage."
The person that said this, kinda had a point. Since, AT LEAST 2009; the Only President the United States had, and was Even MINIMALLY Competent, was President Trump...
So, as he was the Only Adult in the Room; Who ELSE are you going to Blame?
The Stoner talking head; that could only read off a teleprompter?
The brain dead pedophile, that couldn't EVEN read off a teleprompter?
JPS said...
What the CIA director ought to have told them, in my humble opinion:
Congratulations. You got here faster than we ever thought possible. Now we're going to get our own people out. While we're at it we're taking our Afghan friends. You should want as many of them to leave as possible. We're offering to solve a difficulty for you.
I'd add what Trump allegedly told the Taliban at Camp David.
"We know where you sleep. We know where your families sleep."
Aug 31 ends part 1 of our National humiliation.
part 2 starts when they trot out the first increment of hostages for sale.
part n starts when they trot out the last group for sale.
part n plus 1 starts when they execute the xxx
what's the over / under on the number of Americans left behind? 1,000, 3,000, 5,000?
Carter was destroyed as a credible POTUS over 52 hostages. Pretty much all of them were Feds. Biden got most of the Feds out and just left citizens.
Where's Ross Perot when you need him?
“…But if your government is not willing to protect American citizens, and if you have people in your company imprisoned in a country, you have an obligation to get them out of there.”
- Ross Perot
Dr K said ...
That was then. This is now
Good to hear from you, Doctor!
The Drill SGT said...
"We know where you sleep. We know where your families sleep."
We had 1 meter grids and 95+% voice recognition in real time on land lines for a bunch of them.
"Those of us who didn't vote for Biden are mortified and ashamed, but at least we won't have blood on our hands like those who did."
If you didn't vote for Trump, you effectively voted for Biden.
They are dealing with this so badly, so incompetently, so incoherently, so ineffectually that one wonders if it is not done on purpose.
I recognize that this idea - which I've harbored myself - is probably no more than our hard-wired human tendency to seek signal in noise... probably.
But God. It's such a travesty, and such a predictable one. It's so hard for me to believe that there isn't some malevolent entity operating these pathetic marionettes.
Harris on the current situation in Afghanibiden: “It’s a big area of focus for me in the past days and weeks and it will continue to be.” Everybody exhale.
steve uhr: "Mike. No doubt Biden fucked up big time. I never said otherwise. But the Trump deal was a disaster. We leave and they “promise” not to harbor terrorists. They “promise” to talk to the Afghan government. Let’s Trust the Taliban to keep their word. What am I missing?"
Nothing. You're simply in Full Liar Mode for your Dementia Boy.
As expected.
Not gonna work this time homey cuz your boy has turned the entire world against us and you have been left far out on Liars Limb all by your lonesome...with the exception of your Usual Suspect Althouse lefty allies.
Btw, we've now got a handful of our European "partners" openly chatting up Putin for support and assistance.
Naturally, Putin who is sitting on mounds of additional revenue streams thanks to Biden giving 2 thumbs up to the Putin Pipeline, is quite eager to "help".
It will be fun to watch the standard pavlovian Steve Uhr robotic and moronic response that that too is Trump's fault.
Lers all just sit back and watch the fun....
@Joe Smith12:31--
Wait, bumper cars in the Afghan presidential palace? Talk about wasted money--they'll never be able to maintain those bumper cars now.
I ventured this on another blog, just to cast some perspective: Chomsky and Herrmann's schtick was consistent-- what were termed "failures of US foreign policy" were actually intended to fail all along. They called the conventional establishment line ironic, "Despite all our best intentions and efforts, ironically we got the very result we wanted to avoid."
Perhaps they erred on the culprits, but as an explanation of the pattern, it is worth considering.
Well Shufflin Senescent Joe said that he won't extend the deadline past August 31st. That actually means that the Taliban won't let him extend the deadline past August 31st.
Joe Biden has zip all and doodly squat ability to control events on the ground at the Kabul airport and even less stroke insofar as the rest of Afghanistan is concerned. That's what happens when you say "I quit" and walk off the field, and the other players take you at your word. You stay quit.
Per the DoD spokesperson today, we are already pulling out troops out of the airport.
Also. Trump made the Afghan government release 5000 prisoners including 400 hard-core Taliban terrorists. Pompeo requested and secured the release of Taliban leader Abdul Baradar from Pakistan. But it must have been a great deal because, hey, it’s Do No Wrong Trump.
"Too bad trump didn’t negotiate for free passage. Then we would have received something tangible in exchange for our surrender."
Too bad Biden is actually the president in this situation and not Trump. The choices made here were Joe's to make. The f*ck is Joe's to own.
58,000 people have been evacuated, which means all the hysteria about "US Citizens stranded" is horse dung. There aren't 50,000 US citizens in the Afghanistan. Nor were there 50,000 "translators". If it was up to Liberals and Mitt Romney, Mitch McConnell, and Miss Lindsey we'd airlift 5 million Afghans here. SO if the Taliban stopped the emigration - that's great.
Lets stop the hysteria and start doing things in a regular, business like fashion. we don't need to load unvetted people in Cargo planes and fly them out. The "Horrible" taliban aren't shooting people. People aren't getting shot in soccer stadiums ala Castro/Che, nor is there mass rape looting. BLM has caused more damage.
I'm all in favor of criticizing Biden for his sloppy planning, but he hasn't done that bad a job, and the R's are shooting themselves in the foot by overdoing it.
The P in Psaki is silent
The P in President is silent
In Saigon, they got out 7,000 in 19 hours. In Kabul, 2,000 in a week.
The buck and blame stop with Biden.
My understanding is that the far more serious "mean tweets" crisis is well in hand.
Biden has also knocked over NATO and set up Taiwan for absorption by the CCP. He has empowered Russia to squeeze Germany. He has made sure that the US is not energy independent. He has encouraged us to borrow from tomorrow to live in luxury today.
It is going to get a lot worse.
What I don't understand is how it's the Taliban's decision to make in the first place. They are not, and never have been, the recognized sovereign government of Afghanistan. Any deal they make is entirely at the pleasure of the people they're dealing with. There is no moral or legal reason why the US should abdicate its privilege of deciding for itself how long to stay, or who to bring out with them when they leave.
Regarding the press address: main concerns are the economy, infrastructure, climate change, raising taxes for those who don't pay their fair share, and oh, and that side issue of Afghanistan. No questions of course, time for a 'lid', and then a choice of ice cream and maybe a 'Matlock' episode, or if he did well, perhaps a 'Murder She Wrote'. Pathetic.
From Joe Biden's 'press' conference:
1) Build Back Better.
2) Voting Rights
You are all screwed.
"And, oh yeah. We've got Afghanistan in hand. Now...I have to run. I have a baked potato waiting for me. With sour cream! Umm...I love sour cream."
Joe & Kamala are as dumb as they come, and a clear and present danger to us all. I've never seen anything like this. We are in large trouble. They are about to leave thousands of Americans to the Taliban. And thousands of Afghans who helped us. The Dems hope that no one will know how many Americans are left behind because...unless the Taliban holds them out for show, we won't know. But...I suspect we will see a show. A terrible show.
The agreement to withdrawal was with the Afghan government. So why are we sticking to any agreement now that the government has fallen and the Taliban, the fanatics who harbored Sept11 terrorists are taking over the country?
Is the United States incapable of defeating terrorists who harbored Bin Laden if we desired?
Biden issued dozens of EO's canceling Trump policies and accomplishments. If he didn't like Trump's plan for evacuation, he could have changed it. After all, biden is the current select President. Biden owns this, and no amount of deflection will change that fact. The only one's who will pretend to believe him are diehard dems.
@Elliott A: "If as many as ONE American that wanted to leave doesn't get out, Biden, Harris, most of the cabinet and several generals won't be in their jobs in October."
Really? And by what mechanism would that occur?
I'm just here to read all the idiotic posts from Bidenites who are twisting in the wind trying to blame everything Joe Delusion is doing on Trump who isn't the President. hahahhahhahahah hahahhahahhah hahahhahhahaahh...next up is giggling Kamala. Wonderful. Got lots of popcorn!!! This is incredible to watch.
What are you missing Steve? You left out the part where Trump stopped the drawdown at 2500 troops to keep Bagram functioning and maintain peace. All Biden had to do was slowly rotate everyone else home and not exit Bagram like he promised our G7 buddies he’d do JUST LAST MONTH. Trump’s plan had contingencies in effect. Joe has no contingencies and his big promise to send “no more” soldiers is moot too. He’s now sent more in than he took out. Helluva drawdown Uhr!
But the big issue is your inability to let go of Trump. He’s gone. He’s not in charge. His plan was dismissed by Joe day 1. Your pathological need to blame Trump for other people’s actions is weird and unhealthy. See a doctor if your mania persists.
It’s up to you Biden-loving idiots to explain how THIS is Trump's plan. Just saying so don’t make it so. Show your work. I’m especially interested in where the current clusterfuck deviates from Trump’s plan. For example was Bill Burns’ last-minute in-person meet with Taliban in Trump’s plan as announced January 2020?
It should at least be an either/or situation: Either they let people get to the airport OR there is no valid deadline.
.....
good on ya Professora sounds almost Ayn Randian / at least Aristotelean
Li'l steve uhr: "Also. Trump made the Afghan government release 5000 prisoners including 400 hard-core Taliban terrorists. Pompeo requested and secured the release of Taliban leader Abdul Baradar from Pakistan. But it must have been a great deal because, hey, it’s Do No Wrong Trump."
And there is the old switcheroo from Li'l stevie who knows his long running pack of lies have been obliterated by world wide recognition of reality.
Nice try stevie.
Where’s that modern day Rambo, Bearclaw Vindman, when he’s needed!?!?
"What I don't understand is how it's the Taliban's decision to make in the first place."
They control the situation on the ground. The administration needs them to behave in order for this to not become an even worst shit show than it is. So they'll accept any humiliation leading up to 8/31. Then they will declare job done and hope it's over. Unfortunately, the Taliban gets a vote on that one.
Biden’s over-the-Lid intel capability sounds promising, no?
The looming question is what Biden will do under the circumstances that exist when he is presented with a plan to take back Bagram airfield.
If you Trump-hating trolls can stand the truth Neo has a nice post in which Gen. Keith Kellogg catalogs the differences between Trump’s Afghan Plan and the ongoing clusterfuck. He knows the details.
https://www.thenewneo.com/2021/08/23/this-is-important-to-watch-colonel-richard-kemp-speaks-on-the-afghanistan-debacle/
stutefish said...
What I don't understand is how it's the Taliban's decision to make in the first place. They are not, and never have been, the recognized sovereign government of Afghanistan
Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun
- Mao
it works for the Taliban, particularly if Biden refuses to use his power
When Biden said "the buck stops here," he meant bribes and graft, not responsibility for his policies and actions (or lack of action).
Biden's skill set has always been limited. Senator-for-life from a small state that's mostly a convenient p.o. box for some of our majorest corporations, member of a small club of yammerers and declaimers, responsible to advise and consent but little else, hanging around for decades without any discernable mastery, catching the escalator at just the right moment.
Harris made her bones (see what I did there?) as a lawyer-bureaucrat. That's a very narrow field and position. Maybe she was good at it, but at best it's a structured enterprise with predictable workings.
International politics is fluid and dynamic, and neither Kabullshit Biden nor his sidekick have ever been tested by the real thing.
Iman: "Where’s that modern day Rambo, Bearclaw Vindman, when he’s needed!?!?"
Cinnabon, working on his 3rd tray.....
NY Post 2:46pm
Biden asks for 'contingency plans' to extend Afghanistan withdrawal in stunning reversal
'...President Joe Biden announced that he has asked defense officials to put together “contingency plans” for keeping American forces on the ground in Afghanistan beyond the end of this month — despite claiming earlier Tuesday that the White House would abide by the Taliban’s “red line” of a full withdrawal by Aug. 31.
Biden said Tuesday that the completion of US forces’ evacuation operation at Kabul’s international airport by the end of this month “depends on the Taliban continuing to cooperate,” and confirmed that he had asked the Pentagon and the State Department for “contingency plans to adjust the timetable, should that become necessary.”'
'...“Every day we’re on the ground is another day we know that ISIS-K is seeking to target the airport and attack both US and Allied forces and innocent civilians,” Biden said.'
Earlier Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki admitted to reporters that the evacuations of Americans, Europeans and their Afghan allies would have to stop sometime before the 31st in order to buy time for US forces to leave the country safely along with their equipment.
https://nypost.com/2021/08/24/biden-to-speak-about-afghanistan-evacuation-amid-criticism/
Wikipedia:
"The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province is a self-proclaimed branch of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant active in South Asia and Central Asia, though ISIL denies any connection. Some media sources also use the terms ISK, ISISK, IS-KP, ISIS-K or Daesh-Khorasan in referring to the group."
Just like the Corona Virus, it mutates.
Just like the policy mutations that emanate from Biden's mouth.
The nutters now hold all the cards. Any escalation by the US will trigger a final solution on and around the airport. The evacuation stops when the place is overrun with people and vehicles, and what happens next will be epic.
The nutters understand the Propaganda of the Deed.
So, clearly the Taliban are enjoying jerking the Great Satan around
And the Biden* Administration consists of those who have no balls (metaphorically or otherwise) and those who hate the US and want to "see the US humiliated", so the Taliban don't believe they have to worry about paying a price for doing so.
I expect their 20 year anniversary Sept 11 celebrations should be quite the thing.
Happily, I'm going to be home that weekend, with full refrigerators, freezers, pantry, and gas tanks.
Do stay safe, everyone
The Taliban, if they wanted to, could kill everyone in the airport within a day or two- that is how tenuous our hold on the airport is right now. The airport is indefensible and completely surrounded. What really needed to be done was to hold a much larger perimeter around the airstrips- but that wasn't done and would cost a lot blood to enlarge now.
Unless Joe Biden is prepared to send 20,000 new troops to find inside Kabul itself, we are depend on the Taliban to not attack after the 31st if we decide to stay longer. We might be able to pay them off, and that might be what the CIA director's job was today- to find out a price.
ALL this talk (from EXPERTS!), about "Trump's Plan"
Serious Question:
Was it President Trump's PLAN, to abandon Bagram Air Base; without even Telling the Afghans?
If it WASN'T . . . Then why all this talk of "Trump's Plan"?
Help me out folks! I'm (literally) Brain Damaged, and a little slow...
I didn't Even realize that Trump was STILL President
Greg: "I expect their 20 year anniversary Sept 11 celebrations should be quite the thing."
The Taliban were gifted quite an arsenal by Dementia Boy, surely by "accident" (wink wink) so they will have quite the parade of military armaments.
"We might be able to pay them off, and that might be what the CIA director's job was today- to find out a price."
There is nothing stopping them from taking the money and doing whatever they please anyway. Biden doesn't have any clean moves left. It's humiliation or lots of bloodshed. And it's possible they'll get both. That's how "successful" the administration has been.
I lived through who I thought was the worse President ever, Carter.
This demented clown is making Carter seem almost Lincoln-esque in comparison.
Gonna be a long three and a half years.
Maybe you trumpsplanopaloozas can get your shit together overnight and post something that makes sense. Even your hero Biden has broken down and asked SecDef for contingency plans. It’s a glimmer of hope.
2003: Baghdad Bob
2021: Kabul Jen
It should at least be an either/or situation: Either they let people get to the airport OR there is no valid deadline....I'm not surprised that the Taliban have the gall to declare the deadline in force even as they obstruct access to the airport.
It's not gall. It's hardball politics. The Taliban are playing for keeps. And they mean to fight. They know that Biden is afraid to fight.
The Taliban will happily saw off the heads of Americans with dull rusty knives in the streets of Kabul live on Facebook and Twitter, knowing that Biden would not do a damn thing about it.
This is absolutely "free money" for Republicans. Immediately, they should loudly, adamantly and repeatedly insist that Biden chance this "cowardly and immoral decision" to leave Afghanistan on 8/31. Biden either makes the right call and changes the decision, providing R's with a victory, or he stands on 8/31 and creates a further disaster in rejecting the R's demands.
This is a logical extension of the Obama uears
George Bush could have saved us a lot of grief if he had turned the middle east into a glass parking lot 20 years ago.
Joe Biden should correct that mistake in 3 weeks, so we can properly "celebrate" the 20th anniversary. He might even gain some political supporters were he to do so.
"The Taliban were gifted quite an arsenal by Dementia Boy, surely by "accident" (wink wink) so they will have quite the parade of military armaments."
I'm with Drago on this one. Since destroy what you can't take with you is SOP for a retreating army, I have trouble imagining billions of dollars of equipment being left behind without positive orders to do just that. I can only imagine it as an official unofficial bribe to the Taliban in return for a promise that they'd not impede our exit. I'll let you decide whether for not we're getting our money's worth.
If you want to know what living in an alternate reality looks like, here's an example:
White House to media: We want our props on Afghanistan
"The president and his team have taken it on the chin for the past week. Now, amid a massive evacuation effort, they want kudos too."
They are going to leave a lot of Americans and allies behind and they want 'kudos'...
Read about the retreat from Kabul at the end of the First Afghan War in 1842 and then tell me what you think.
Afghanis know the history of their country.
I always leave my house unlocked - because it is a total mess
hopefully anybody breaking in will leave it better arranged while looking for something
Biden is therefore a man after my method -
I expect some IP reparations
Everyone in the Biden Administration keeps repeating the mantra "every American who wants to leave will be able to". Jen also says that the Administration has been/is in contact (via phone/text/email, etc) with Americans throughout Kabul and the country. Why hasn't someone in the press asked her have any of those Americans said they don't want to leave and if so, how many?
Bunkypotatohead.
My son asked, after 9-11, if he should enlist. Our family's paid some dues in various wars and I was against it. But I was about ninety percent sincere when I said it would be over before he finished his training.
Probably worth rereading Fernandez' The Three Conjectures.
Yet, while everybody's eyes are on Afghanistan, Nasty Nancy changed the rules and rammed the 3 trillion dollar bill down Americans throats. What the hell difference does it make that this administration is the downfall of the Republic at this point?? Let it fall. Damn the Democrats and the idiots who are ruling over us and killing America as we know it. Congratulations Illegals. You have a new country.
Bunkypotatohead said
George Bush could have saved us a lot of grief if he had turned the middle east into a glass parking lot 20 years ago.
Joe Biden should correct that mistake in 3 weeks, so we can properly "celebrate" the 20th anniversary. He might even gain some political supporters were he to do so.
Me thinks if the target was DC instead there would be millions of political supporters to be gained. (On a side note, why are there so many people referring to Afghanistan as 'the middle east'?)
Amadeus 48 said...
Read about the retreat from Kabul at the end of the First Afghan War in 1842 and then tell me what you think.
After that disaster, the brits changed their strategy for A-stan. No longer trying "Nation Building" they reverted to the 19th century version of "glass parking lots"
They called it "Butcher and Bolt" , the function equivalent of an old Roman Policy.
Raid if you dare, but we will come for your tribe and all its peoples.
Joe's an Organization Man.
https://www.openthebooks.com/forbes-staggering-costs--us-military-equipment-left-behind-in-afghanistan/
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/08/25/nbc-afghans-american-passports-u-s/
In addition, NBC News reports that vital biometric screening of Afghans looking to come to the U.S. is not being conducted at the airport in Kabul.
For Decades to come!
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