The Biden administration heaped praise on the Taliban leadership this week after holding high-level and “professional” meetings with the terror network.
“State Department Spokesman Ned Price issued a readout on the meetings in Doha, Qatar, with ‘senior Taliban representatives.’ The statement said that the ‘U.S. delegation focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for U.S. citizens, other foreign nationals and our Afghan partners, as well as on human rights, including the meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of Afghan society,’” reports Fox News.
“The two sides also discussed the United States’ provision of robust humanitarian assistance, directly to the Afghan people,” Price added. “The discussions were candid and professional with the U.S. delegation reiterating that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words.”
“We are here to celebrate the return of American citizens who wanted to leave Afghanistan… In order to get those people out, we had to work with some members of the Taliban to press them and to work in a businesslike manner to get them out,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki in September.
Read the full report at Fox News.
BIDEN on ???: President Says Taliban ‘Going Through Sort of an Existential Crisis’
President Biden continued to deflect criticism of his disastrous Afghanistan exit plan this week; telling ABC News the Taliban is currently “going through sort of an existential crisis.”
“No. I think – let me put it this way,” Biden said. “I think they’re going through sort of an existential crisis about do they want to be recognized by the international community as being a legitimate government. I’m not sure they do.”
“They also care about whether they have food to eat, whether they have an income that they can provide for their – that they can make any money and run an economy,” Biden said. “They care about whether or not they can hold together the society that they in fact say they care so much about,” he added.
EXCLUSIVE: Asked about July comment that a Taliban takeover was “highly unlikely,” Pres. @JoeBiden tells @GStephanopoulos, “there was no consensus” in the intelligence. “They said it was more likely to be by the end of the year.” https://t.co/NmBEmVRw8M pic.twitter.com/LSXSC51ox8
— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 19, 2021
“As many as 15,000 American citizens may remain inside Afghanistan, struggling to get out, days after the Asian nation fell to control of Taliban terrorists, President Biden said Wednesday,” reports Fox News.
“Also looking to flee are tens of thousands of Afghan citizens who fought alongside or aided U.S. troops over the past two decades – and now fear retribution from the terrorist organization now wielding power in the country, The Associated Press reported,” adds Fox.
EXCLUSIVE: Pres. Biden tells @GStephanopoulos that U.S. troops will stay until all Americans are out of Afghanistan, even if past Aug 31 deadline. https://t.co/iEDJSzuSLI pic.twitter.com/JHTAWCWAPO
— ABC News (@ABC) August 19, 2021
U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also denied earlier reports that the US Intelligence Community had warned the Taliban could seize control faster than Americans could be removed from the region.
“There was nothing that I, or anybody else, saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days,” Milley told reporters at a news briefing in Washington.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
BLINKEN: The Taliban Has ‘Assured People in Afghanistan’ They Can Leave After August 31st
Secretary of State Antony Blinken doubled-down on the Biden administration’s reliance on the Taliban over the weekend; saying a senior member of the group has “assured” people they can leave Afghanistan after the US military departs on August 31st.
“Just yesterday, a very senior Taliban official went on television and radio across the country and repeatedly assured people in Afghanistan they will have freedom to travel after August 31st,” said Blinken.
“We don’t take the Taliban at their word, we take them by their deed,” he added. “
Blinken’s comments days after Press Secretary Jen Psaki admitted the United States could not “guarantee” safe passage going forward.
“After August 31st, for people still on the ground in Afghanistan who want to get out, does the US right now have a vision of a process that they will use to get them out after August 31st . What’s the commitment? Is it absolute? If you want to get out… Is the US guaranteeing you will be able to get out?” asked one reporter.
“I don’t think we can guarantee,” said Psaki.
Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki: “I don’t think we can guarantee” Americans who want to get out will get out of Afghanistan after August 31 pic.twitter.com/pJn8m1fRZx
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 27, 2021
Watch Blinken’s comments above.
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