OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A new report has showcased precisely how horrific a job Joe Biden did in his withdrawal from Afghanistan, and it is far worse than we could have imagined.
The head of the Taliban met with US leaders before the fall of Kabul and offered to let the United States keep the city and the airport but the Biden administration declined, saying that it only needed the airport and only until August 31, The Washington Post reported.
In a hastily arranged in-person meeting, senior U.S. military leaders in Doha – including McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command – spoke with Abdul Ghani Baradar, head of the Taliban’s political wing.
“We have a problem,” Baradar said, according to the U.S. official. “We have two options to deal with it: You [the United States military] take responsibility for securing Kabul or you have to allow us to do it.”
Throughout the day, Biden had remained resolute in his decision to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan. The collapse of the Afghan government hadn’t changed his mind.
McKenzie, aware of those orders, told Baradar that the U.S. mission was only to evacuate American citizens, Afghan allies and others at risk. The United States, he told Baradar, needed the airport to do that.
On the spot, an understanding was reached, according to two other U.S. officials: The United States could have the airport until Aug. 31. But the Taliban would control the city.
After that decision 13 American military members and more than 160 Afghans died in a terrorist attack and the Taliban took control of the entire nation. The Taliban also obtained billions of dollars in United States military equipment and seized documents for a hastily evacuated US embassy.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn said that if the reporting from The Post was accurate it would mean that the Biden administration was complicit in a terrorist group taking over the nation.
“If the reports are true, and the Biden administration willfully gave control of Kabul to the Taliban, they have yet again shown their complicity for a terrorist takeover,” she said.
If the reports are true, and the Biden administration willfully gave control of Kabul to the Taliban, they have yet again shown their complicity for a terrorist takeover. https://t.co/qmrWSgJpmn
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) August 29, 2021
“This report alleges that the head of the Taliban political wing offered to all but cede Kabul to the US and Biden declined,” MSNBC contributor Noah Rothman said.
This report alleges that the head of the Taliban political wing offered to all but cede Kabul to the US and Biden declined. https://t.co/8jfs3fxNUr
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) August 29, 2021
“Want to know what incompetence looks like ? Read this? We could have kept Kabul..we only asked for airport, It was Austins decision to leave Embasey – not even a threat- all have to fired..Sec’y of state in Hamptons as war was lost!!” Fox News host Brian Kilmeade said.
Want to know what incompetence looks like ? Read this? We could have kept Kabul..we only asked for airport, It was Austins decision to leave Embasey – not even a threat- all have to fired..Sec’y of state in Hamptons as war was lost!! https://t.co/E4cfnoYOaN
— Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) August 29, 2021
In a statement on Tuesday, days before this story was reported, Donald Trump, a frequent critic of the Biden administration savaged the Commander-in-Chief for his inability to get a grasp of the situation, which is swiftly unfolding as the evacuation effort continues.
“Biden surrendered Afghanistan to the terrorists and left thousands of Americans for dead by pulling out the Military before our citizens,” stated Trump in the damning statement.
“Now we are learning that out of the 26,000 people who have been evacuated, only 4,000 are Americans,” added Trump. “You can be sure the Taliban, who are now in complete control, didn’t allow the best and brightest to board these evacuation flights.”
“Instead, we can only imagine how many thousands of terrorists have been airlifted out of Afghanistan and into neighborhoods around the world,” he continued. “What a terrible failure. NO VETTING. How many terrorists will Joe Biden bring to America? We don’t know!”
Trump’s remarks come amid reports that the US Department of Homeland Security and the State Department is admitting an untold number of unvetted Afghan refugees into the United States.
