Biden promised in interview: 'If there's American citizens left, we're gonna stay to get them all out'
President Biden appears to have broken his promise to stay in Afghanistan until every American is evacuated.
Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. announced
Monday evening that the last of the U.S. troops stationed
at the Kabul airport had left, completing the military’s drawdown in the
country, even though hundreds of Americans likely remain.
McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, said
some American citizens who wanted to leave Afghanistan remained in the
country.
"We did not get everybody out that we wanted to get
out," he said.
President Biden told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos
during an interview on Aug. 18 that the U.S. military objective in Afghanistan
was to get "everyone" out, including Americans and Afghan allies and
their families.
"That's what we're doing now, that's the path we're
on. And I think we'll get there," he said. "If there's American
citizens left, we're gonna stay to get them all out."
A senior State Department official told Fox News on
Monday that there remained a "small number" of Americans inside
Afghanistan.
That official put the number of Americans at "below
250," adding that some additional Americans have departed Afghanistan in
recent hours. The official added that the State Department also was committed
to evacuating "those who worked with us," referring to Afghan
"partners."
The announced end of the withdrawal came less than a day
before the official deadline agreed to by the Taliban, which was 3:29 p.m. ET
Tuesday – 11:59 p.m. local time in Kabul, U.S. defense officials told Fox News.
The Taliban have said they will allow normal travel after
the U.S. withdrawal, once they assume control of the airport.
Fox News' Brooke Singman and Nick Kalman
contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-breaks-promise-stay-afghanistan-every-american-evacuated
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RELATED
ARTICLE
Almost 90 Retired Flag Officers Demand Mark Milley, Lloyd
Austin Resign After Afghanistan Debacle
By Jordan Davidson | The Federalist
Photo
YouTube/Photo
Nearly 90 retired U.S. generals and admirals penned
an open
letter asking Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and the Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley to resign from their positions
following their “negligence in performing their duties primarily involving
events surrounding the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.”
“As principal military advisors to the CINC
[Commander-in-Chief]/President, the SECDEF and CJCS should have recommended
against this dangerous withdrawal in the strongest possible terms,” the letter
states. “If they did not do everything within their authority to stop the hasty
withdrawal, they should resign. Conversely, if they did do everything within
their ability to persuade the CINC/President to not hastily exit the country
without ensuring the safety of our citizens and Afghans loyal to America, then
they should have resigned in protest as a matter of conscience and public
statement.”
This “hasty retreat,” the letter continues, not only left
thousands of vulnerable Americans and Afghan allies stranded at the hands of
the Taliban but also contributed to the “catastrophic” loss of “billions of
dollars in advanced military equipment and supplies falling into the hands of
our enemies.”
“The consequences of this disaster are enormous and will
reverberate for decades beginning with the safety of Americans and Afghans who
are unable to move safely to evacuation points; therefore, being de facto
hostages of the Taliban at this time. The death and torture of Afghans has
already begun and will result in a human tragedy of major proportions,” the
letter says. “The damage to the reputation of the United States is
indescribable. We are now seen, and will be seen for many years, as an
unreliable partner in any multinational agreement or operation. Trust in the
United States is irreparably damaged.”
This damaged trust, the retired generals and admirals
argue, gives confidence to U.S. enemies who “are emboldened to move against
America due to the weakness displayed in Afghanistan.”
“China benefits the most followed by Russia, Pakistan,
Iran, North Korea and others. Terrorists around the world are emboldened and
able to pass freely into our country through our open border with Mexico,” the
letter states.
The letter also points out how military leadership’s
focus on “wokeness” is hurting the viability of U.S. troops and the military as
an institution.
“In interviews, congressional testimony, and public
statements it has become clear that top leaders in our military are placing
mandatory emphasis on PC ‘wokeness’ related training which is extremely
divisive and harmful to unit cohesion, readiness, and war fighting capability,”
the letter says. “Our military exists to fight and win our Nation’s wars and
that must be the sole focus of our top military leaders.”
“For these reasons we call on the SECDEF Austin and the
CJCS General Milley to resign,” it concludes. “A fundamental principle in the
military is holding those in charge responsible and accountable for their
actions or inactions. There must be accountability at all levels for this
tragic and avoidable debacle.”
“Simply stated, the letter is all about accountability.
One of the things that makes our great military unique as an institution is the
fundamental principle of holding each other accountable for our actions, or
inactions. Regarding the tragic and avoidable situation in Afghanistan,
accountability begins at the top of the chain,” Retired Maj. Gen. Joe Arbuckle
told The Federalist in a statement.
Over the last week, multiple GOP lawmakers called
on President Joe Biden to resign for “dereliction of duty that has
left Americans dead at the hands of terrorists.”
Jordan Davidson is a staff writer at The
Federalist. She graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political
science and minored in journalism.
