Secretary of State Antony Blinken listens as President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the evacuation of American citizens and their families, SIV applicants and their families, and vulnerable Afghans in the East Room of The White House in Washington, DC on August 20, 2021. (Photo by Oliver Contreras/Sipa USA)
President Biden delivers remarks on Afghanistan
New York, NY (77WABC)- With the chaotic evacuation of Americans and Allies in Afghanistan, the government doesn’t seem to be on the same page when addressing the American people. Just yesterday Representative Michael McCaul stated that certain planes could not leave Afghanistan because the Taliban had taken them hostage; not because of a state department delay.
“(The Taliban) are not clearing the airplanes to depart. They’ve sat at the airport for the last couple of days,” McCaul told Fox News in an interview. “We know the reason why is because the Taliban want something in exchange. This is really turning into a hostage situation where they’re not going to allow American citizens leave until they get full recognition from the United States of America.”
On the contrary, this morning at a press conference in Qatar, Secretary of State Blinken stated, “We are not aware of anyone being held on an aircraft or any hostage like situation at Mazar-i-Sharif. So, we have to work through the different requirements and that’s exactly what we are doing.” Blinken also didn’t seem to have any idea about the exact amount of Americans left behind.
Blinken is also making headlines for trying to ‘take credit’ for the rescue of the family of 4, (who flew by overland route yesterday) when in fact, a group of privately funded military veterans were actually responsible for their safe evacuation from Afghanistan.
On Sunday, White House chief of staff Ron Klain dodged the question of how many Americans had been allowed to leave the country since the U.S. forces departed. When will the President get everyone on the same page?
During a visit to a housing complex where Qatar hosted hundreds of evacuees, I expressed gratitude to Asst FM @Lolwah_Alkhater for her leadership. I was honored to meet several remarkable women & girls of the Afghan Robotics Team. Their journeys & STEM aspirations are inspiring. pic.twitter.com/wkv9a2ulV5
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 7, 2021
