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Leaked Phone Call Shows Biden Instructed Ghani To ‘Change Perception’ In Afghanistan

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


Joe Biden is facing more calls for him to resign now that transcripts of his phone call with former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani have been discovered.

The two men spoke for around 14 minutes on July 23 and the audio and transcript were given to Reuters on the condition of anonymity by a source, Reuters reported.

In the call Biden presses Ghani to “change the perception” that the Taliban was winning the war even if it was not true.

“I need not tell you the perception around the world and in parts of Afghanistan, I believe, is that things are not going well in terms of the fight against the Taliban,” Biden said to Ghani. “And there is a need, whether it is true or not, there is a need to project a different picture.

“If you empower Bismillah to execute a strategy focused on key parts of the population centers, and I’m not a military guy, so I’m not telling you what that plan should precisely look like, you’re going to get not only more help, but you’re going to get a perception that is going to change in terms of how our allies and folks here in the States and other places think you’re doing,” he said.

In the call, Biden offered aid if Ghani could publicly project he had a plan to control the spiraling situation in Afghanistan. “We will continue to provide close air support, if we know what the plan is,” Biden said. Days before the call, the U.S. carried out air strikes to support Afghan security forces, a move the Taliban said was in violation of the Doha peace agreement.

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The U.S. president also advised Ghani to get buy-in from powerful Afghans for a military strategy going forward, and then to put a “warrior” in charge of the effort, a reference to Defense Minister General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi.

Biden lauded the Afghan armed forces, which were trained and funded by the U.S. government. “You clearly have the best military,” he told Ghani. “You have 300,000 well-armed forces versus 70-80,000 and they’re clearly capable of fighting well.” Days later, the Afghan military started folding across provincial capitals in the country with little fight against the Taliban.

Biden told Ghani that if Afghanistan’s major political figures would give a press conference supporting a new military strategy “that will change perception, and that will change an awful lot I think.”

“We are going to continue to fight hard, diplomatically, politically, economically, to make sure your government not only survives but is sustained and grows,” he said 23 days before that government ceased to exist.

Ghani said that he believed peace could be achieved if he could “rebalance the military solution.” But he said, “We need to move with speed.”

“We are facing a full-scale invasion, composed of Taliban, full Pakistani planning and logistical support, and at least 10-15,000 international terrorists, predominantly Pakistanis thrown into this,” he said.

The leaked transcripts of the call had Republicans furious and calling for his resignation.

“On a call with Afghan President Ghani in July, Biden told him to LIE “to project a different picture” of the war. At the same time, Biden was repeatedly LYING to the American public. The result of Biden’s LIES was 13 brave Americans losing their lives. HE NEEDS TO RESIGN!” Rep. Ronny Jackson said.

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“According to a phone call with Afghan President Ghani, President Biden KNEW the Taliban would take over. In spite of knowing the outcome, he withdrew our troops… destroying a nation and abandoning US citizens. Why is this not criminal?” Rep. Jody Hice said.

“Here’s Joe Biden asking a foreign leader to lie for him in exchange for US support – to be clear, to lie to the world and the American people. Biden went on to abandon hundreds of Americans behind enemy lines. There must be a full congressional inquiry,” Sen. Josh Hawley said.

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