He could have evacuated Americans via the Bagram Air Base which was defensible, instead he chose to abandon it, and make our evacuation, including that of the military, dependent on Kabul’s airport.
This is a massive disaster. And there’s no plan.
National Sec Adviser Jake Sullivan and Biden spokeswoman Jen Psaki both refused to commit to getting every American out or to have the military remain there until every American is out. Sullivan claims that the Taliban are going to allow foreigners to go to the airport.
What the price for Biden’s deal with the devil is, we don’t know. And probably won’t know for a while.
American forces are on the ground in the airport, but Kabul is in the hands of the Taliban and anywhere upward of 15,000 Americans, including missionaries and reporters, are on their own as far as making it to the airport goes.
The official statement is that, “The United States cannot guarantee your security as you make this trip.”
Neither will Sullivan and Psaki commit to having the military there until all the Americans have been evacuated.
Biden’s press secretary for the State Department, Ned Price, urged Americans to “shelter in place” and not to travel if they didn’t feel safe.
The solution is that there’s no solution.
The Taliban are all around the airport. They’re on the ground and in charge.
The military is stating that they will hold the airport as long as they’re ordered to and that the Taliban have been warned not to interfere with the evacuation. But that extends to the airport, not to the area surrounding it. Military personnel have been ordered not to engage the Taliban unless they enter and interfere with operations in the airport.
This is what Biden has done.
Steve says
Let the beheadings of Americans begin !!! Yes let us see what Biden has really done. Let American women be taken as sex slaves and see what the freckless feminists in America say let alone do anything about it. Yes let America suffer to the fullest extent of having voted for Biden. Let Americans understand why Obama and former Sec Def Gates called Biden a disaster on foreign policy.
Steve says
Oh I forgot to add that Biden is the same person that voted with other Democrats to suspend funding to South Vietnam giving us the images of helicopters lifting people off the roof of the Embassy in Saigon. Just like now in Kabul. Thanks Joe. Hate to see what a third one will look like.
Kepha says
After being cut off in 1972, the RVN held on for two more years against an NVA backed to the hilt by both the Soviets and Communist China. Maybe our Cold War Far Eastern allies were feckless and incompetent, but not quite as much as they were made out to be.
However, it is more than likely that the Afghan debacle will tell Xi Jinping that he can take Taiwan with impunity (I dread saying this: I have relatives there), after which Xi will give Li’l Kim anything he needs to make all of Korea Communist. Then–Vietnam and Communist Korea better understand that they are vassal states and get the tribute flowin; while it will be the turn of Arunachal Pradesh, Mongolia, Tuva, the Greater Northeast (including Sakhalin), and Central Asia east of Lake Balkash next; and perhaps a showdown over the Ryukyus after that.
As for US relations with the Islamic world, we probably need to brace for a terrorist victory lap next.
roberta says
Certainly looks like this Taliban party will end as you say. Headless Americans and sex slaves.
I still cant come to grips that so many Americans were over there working and living.
Maybe Afghani Americans?
Do they have no self preservation mode?
The house is on fire, break a window and jump for crying out loud.
Im on the outside looking in, so what do I know?
Kepha says
I’m sure that if any American women are made sex slaves by the Talebs, American feminists will raise a few International Brigades called the Monstrous Regiments of Women to take the Hindu Kush and Pamir, holding the 外卵 of every Afghan male with a beard longer than two inches hostage until those sex slaves are released.
Uncle Kepha’s sons are grown, but he prays that they will have the sense not to join such a crusade.
gravenimage says
I don’t actually think that contemplating American women as Islamic sex slaves is an occasion for mirth–clearly you disagree.
abad says
During Biden’s campaign, he promised he would import more Moslems. It is very true that he did not say from what nation he would import more Moslems, but he is doing just that, nevertheless.
I have been praying very hard to the Lord Jesus Christ to watch over us Americans since Biden has proven he is incapable of doing even that.
Kepha says
I’m also praying that God will be merciful to our sadly misled country. May a spirit of repentance fall on us, and drive many of us to the Jesus Christ who bore our sins in his body on the tree and who rose from the dead, showing himself the Son of God (sorry, Muslim lurkers, your Qur’an does Jesus the Messiah no honor in denying his crucifixion, but rather blasphemes against the grace of the Almighty in doing so).
But, having just read the prophets through the book of Zephaniah (and I’ll be through the whole Bible in less than a month, should God grant me breath), as well as being on my second read of the New Testament for the year, I am painfully aware that God is under no obligation to a land and civilization that has heard His Word for centuries, yet chooses to despise the Gospel at every opportunity and regard the seat of the scornful (Ps. 1:1) as the fountain of wisdom. For me, knowing that God is just and therefor trebling for my country is no mere rhetorical flourish.
Malcolm (South Afric) says
Apparently Bagram Air Base which the Afghan were to take over was deserted during the night with the electricity turned off and the Americans and technicians gone.
That Air base was key to the Afghan Air force in support of its fight Against the Taliban. It was key in protecting the USA people evacuating..
Who ever is responsible needs to be held to account. Biden boasted, he has many international presidential friends, that he is the most experienced in foreign policy. No he has none of those friends, he is held in disdain.
gravenimage says
Yes–that Bagram was entrusted to the Afghan army (such as it was) was madness.
Jim says
Biden and the democrats handling him seem unable to think ahead or think through the consequences of their actions. Apparently the main thing is to do the opposite of what Trump would have done. Or to act in the face of common sense. Or is he in such a cloud of confusing ideas that he simply starts the plane with no traffic controllers and no radar warning system. That is how airliners crash and burn. Is that his ideal, to act foolishly and impulsively, like the pilots who crash their planes and kill everyone on board.
abad says
I will say the obvious here.
It really does take a business mind to run a nation.
In the past 100 years, at least, the only President we have had thus far who has a business mind is Donald Trump.
Biden, Obama, et al with all their law degrees and whatever else they think “qualifies” them to be president have been a major failure.
Moving forward, a business qualification is what should be required for future leaders of the United States of America.
Infidel says
Hey, I totally agree w/ this. Even though I never got the vote until last year, this is who I’ve rooted for over the years in general elections or GOP primaries
1992 Ross Perot
1996, 2000 Steve Forbes
2008 Tom Tancredo
2012 Michele Bachmann/Herman Cain
2016 Ben Carson initially, then Donald Trump after San Bernardino massacre
I do think we should look for business experience in future candidates
Rarely says
Inconceivable to say the least. How could the US Administration have been so stupid?
Winning back credibility will be a massive task.
roberta says
This administration will never be able to win credibility. Stick a fork in that.
We need a special presidential election and we need it fast.
Kepha says
@rarely and Roberta: I understand where you’re coming from. However, I believe that this administration will regain credibility in no time It has a thoroughly servile media and the entire media cultural, legal, cultural, and academic elite of the Western world is in its corner.
We have become a complete and utter nation of sheep. Someone near and dear, who was a fiercely conscientious opponent of the Vietnam War, spoke of Afghanistan (the ultimate in unwinnable wars, unless you ape Chinghiz Khan) as the “war that had to be won”. How’s that? A war fought in a place inaccessible by sea, where the logistical tail runs through a very duplicitous “ally”? And, on the home front, people more interested in defeating their own countrymen of a different political party than in defeating the Taliban.
gravenimage says
+1
Malcolm (South Afric) says
The program of withdrawal of American troops, the hand over of military equipment, including jets, helicopters, vehicles, heavy weaponry, happened to be Biden,s program..
The safety of USA citizens, Afghan interpretors happens to be in in the hand of the inept President Biden.
What a dereliction of duty is Biden and his administration responsible for.
Biden his administration was not prepared for this task. Stop making excuses.
Malcolm (South Afric) says
Biden anounced to the world that America is back. Possibly this is part of his dumb policy of Build back Better.
Just watch Biden on this link and express what you think. Possibly someone will bring it to his attention.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYuQekIL_CI
Wellington says
The puppet Biden and his handlers will never take responsibility for this clearly avoidable debacle. Trump through Pompeo let the Taliban know that if one American is harmed, deal’s off and the retribution would be severe. Trump would also not have let all that military equipment behind.
America is presently led by a doofus. Biden has always been a doofus and anyone knowing his record as Senator, including many idiotic gaffes by him, knows this full well. Now he is a doofus with dementia.
How selfish of the Biden family to let this man run for President and, by extension, how selfish and deceitful of the entire Democratic Party to put forward this compromised man as a moderate and a person of integrity. Biden is a joke but he is a very cruel and dangerous joke.
abad says
+1
Malcolm (South Afric) says
Good post Wellington.
James Lincoln says
Agree, Wellington.
Sleepy Joe’s handlers are actually committing elder abuse…
Infidel says
Maybe it’s good that they’re being honest. Hopefully, fewer Americans will in future volunteer to go to muslim countries as a result
Yohanan says
Trump released the Taliban chief and made that withdrawal agreement.
gravenimage says
Yohanan, you are mistaken that the Taliban chief was released by President Trump:
“Taliban Leader Obama/Biden Released from GITMO in Swap for Deserter Bergdahl Just Resurfaced”
https://jihadwatch.org/2021/08/taliban-leader-obama-biden-released-from-gitmo-in-swap-for-deserter-bergdahl-just-resurfaced#comment-2366484
He was exchanged for Bowe Bergdahl in 2014. You may not realize it, but Trump was not elected until 2016, and he took office the following year.
Phil Copson says
“Trump …… made that withdrawal agreement.”
———————————————————–
Wrong – Trump’s plan was to evacuate the civilians / remove the military equipment / put the bases beyond use / and then withdraw the military. He also made it plain that there would be heavy consequences if the Taliban broke the agreement.
Biden’s only “plan” was simply to say “Screw them!” * – and then run away and leave everyone to their fate.
Biden, Blinken, Harris, Milley etc are little different from war criminals – the difference is that they are complicit in whatever atrocities are carried out against their own citizens.
* “Screw them!” – According to an Obama-era official, that was VP Biden’s actual response when warned of the likely outcome of a sudden withdrawal some ten years ago….
gravenimage says
Agreed, Phil.
James Lincoln says
Seconded.
manalive says
From: billsharony [mailto:billsharony@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2021 4:11 PM
Subject: Fw: Urgent prayer request
I have no way to check accuracy of this, but it is so believable with all that is going on. Please hold these believers before the Lord. Sharon Y.
EMERGENCY PRAYER
From the mission org I’m part of with private missionary reports coming in from the Middle East. Calvary Chino Hills and pastor Jack Hibbs:
Please pray for the 229 Christian missionaries, who have been sentenced to death tomorrow afternoon by the Afghan Islamists. Please pass this message on as soon as possible so that many people will be able to pray. This message was sent by JUDITH CARMONA The missionary from Chihuahua who is in Africa. The whole planet united in prayer. If you can forward it please join us in urgent prayer, also because the radical Islamic group has just taken Quaragosh, the largest Christian city in Iraq. Where there are hundreds Christian men, women and children who are being beheaded. Prayer cover is being requested.
gravenimage says
manalive, this is *not* the case–I thought not, since there have not been Christian missionaries in the country since before the first takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in the late 1990s.
Agence France Press (AFP) debunks this here:
https://www.facebook.com/AFPFactCheck/posts/have-you-seen-posts-asking-you-to-pray-for-22-christian-missionaries-facing-a-de/1661898590621273/
gravenimage says
Biden Admin Won’t Guarantee Safety of Americans Trying to Get Out of Afghanistan
………….
Not exactly a vow to leave no American behind. I guess this is what Biden considers “building back better”…
owensgate says
I think the CCP, and or Russia, will guarantee their safety with collusion of the Taliban, and they will go in, extract perhaps 2/3rds of them them and take the Global honor and credit for it. The other 1/3rd will be held by the Taliban for extortion and ransom. If it’s China, which is most likely, the Chinese will get access to a Trillion Dollars worth of “Rare Earth” minerals, like Lithium, to make the batteries we’ll buy from China for our Electric vehicles.
gravenimage says
owensgate, what’s in it for the Taliban? I don’t see the Taliban working with the Russians or China, nor do I see the Russians or China even making a show of protecting Americans.
owensgate says
Well, it seems now that Job #1 for the Taliban is to humiliate the USA beyond reason in the short term. However, they now own a nation with the beginnings of modern technology, but no wherewithal to maintain it. They may or may not be aware of the volatility of American politics, and how fast Trump may or may not be “reinstated”, and don’t really want an accountability for 30,000 or so stranded Americans, being aware of Reagan v. Iran. China, on the other hand, has nothing to loose and much to gain (their Global “Belt and Road” project) by “relieving” them of their American burden, and Billions of Yuan in “Development” and “O&M” assistance, gladly developing Afghanistan’s mineral fortune. China wants to be seen as Top of the Food Chain by the World. I don’t see a downside for either the Taliban or China.
CogitoErgoSum says
Well, according to the Koran the Taliban can make slaves of their captives, kill them, let them go for a ransom or just be nice and let them go. I’m thinking they will use all their options except for the one to be nice. I would love for them to prove me wrong though.
Walter Sieruk says
That awful man, Joe Biden, really just “gave over” or “handed” Afghanistan to the Taliban.
OLD GUY says
Who planned this withdrawal? I know it wasn’t Biden. The Pentagon and the intelligence agencies had to put this together either as a proposal or at the request of the Administration. If this is their best work we should hire six graders to do these jobs part time.
Maybe we should do away with the collage degree requirements for these leadership positions, seems they lack common sense, and the ability to understand how to get a job done. We need some Blue collar guys up their that know how to actually work and adapt to changing conditions.