Afghanistan, Biden on the corner tries to defend himself: “Away after we got rid of Al Qaeda”. But the Pentagon: “The terrorists are still there”

Joe Biden – strongly criticized for handling the withdrawal from Afghanistan – appears in front of the cameras to explain to the Americans and the world what role the United States will have in the evacuation of civilians who have been pouring into the airport of the capital of Afghanistan since the fall of Kabul into the hands – armed with machine guns – of the Taliban. A tense press conference ended with some reporters continuing to ask questions as the White House tenant left the station. “Let’s put things in perspective. What interests do we have at this point in Afghanistan with Al Qaeda that is no more? We went to Afghanistan with the aim of getting rid of Al Qaeda Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden, and we did – Biden said – You have known my position for a long time. It was time to put an end to this war ”. But in a matter of minutes, the agencies broke out a terse statement from the Pentagon spokesman John Kirby: “We know that al Qaeda and Isis are still present in Afghanistan”. Confirming the great difficulty that the Democrat is facing at home.

Biden’s promise – The president – surrounded by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinkin, Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan – have promised that any American who wants to return home will be brought home, even if in a thousand. difficulty. “Since August 14, the US has evacuated about 13,000 people from Afghanistan, as well as facilitating other charter flights,” he said speaking to the White House, reporting that the United States has nearly 6000 soldiers on the ground. The United States is the only country in the world that can organize such an evacuation and will honor their commitments“.Biden admitted that the United States doesn’t know exactly how many Americans are left in Afghanistan or where they are. And that the final outcome of the operations cannot be guaranteed. The president, as already stated in recent days, also said that if the Taliban attack, force will be used. The response will then be armed. “The Taliban checkpoints allow those with an American passport to pass. But another problem is for who is in the crowd: yesterday and the day before yesterday we left the airport and brought in 69 Americans. The question now is how to handle the crowd. There are so many Afghans who have helped us and now want to come to America, and we will do everything to help them. We have an agreement with the Taliban and they will let the Americans pass at the checkpoints ”.

“This week has been heartbreaking. We have seen shocking images of panicked people acting in desperation. It is comprensible. They are scared. They are sad. They don’t know what will happen. I feel this pain on a human level “said Biden who explained that in order for the Taliban to have international recognition they will have to respect”harsh conditions and will depend on how they treat women and girls and how they treat their citizens“.

“Our allies agreed” – The evacuation operations from Kabul airport “they will continue in the next few days, we will do everything we can to give a safe evacuation to the Americans and Afghans who are in danger because they have cooperated with foreign forces. I assure you that I will mobilize all the necessary resources. We are in constant contact with the Taliban, to ensure the safety of Americans and civilians. And I was clear: any attack on airport operations will have an immediate response ”. The president, answering a question, reiterated that the United States no longer has any national interest in Afghanistan after the defeat of Al Qaeda, also listing the various spending chapters of the stars and stripes presence. “Let’s put things in perspective. What interests do we have at this point in Afghanistan with Al Qaeda which is no longer there? We went to Afghanistan with the goal of getting rid of Al Qaeda Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden, and we did. You have known my position for a long time. It was time to end this war. This is America leading the world. And our allies agreed. Before making this decision, I was at the G7 and met with our NATO partners. I told them everything, everyone knew and agreed with the decision I made to put an end, to put an end together, to our involvement in Afghanistan ”.

US allies are not raising “the question of our credibility”. While at home the climate is very different. After all, the Biden line seems to be wavering, between the images coming from the hell of Kabul and the rumors that reinforce the thesis of a US administration aware of what was happening, with the rapid and unstoppable advance of the Talibanthe. Thesis that casts a shadow over the White House, and feeds more than a suspicion that the president has not told the whole truth. The official version of the facts – repeated several times also by the Pentagon, the State Department and the leaders of the armed forces – is that no one foresaw such a devastating epilogue, with the Taliban conquering Kabul in just eleven days.

The cable published by the WSJ. Biden: “My responsibility” – But a scoop from the Wall Street Journal also disproves this narrative, which pulled out a dramatic cable sent on July 13 directly to the secretary of state. Antony Blink by about twenty diplomats from the US embassy in Kabul. And it is precisely on the memo that the president takes all responsibility. “We’ve had all kinds of cables, all kinds of warnings – he said at a press conference – I made the decision, the responsibility ends with me“. Biden changed plans today and, instead of suffering from his family residence in Delaware, has decided to stay the entire weekend at the White House to be constantly updated in the Oval Office and follow the developments in person from the Situation Room. Joe Biden said this at a press conference at the White House. “There will be time to criticize, but now I am focused on completing this work – said Biden -. We will use every resource to rescue our fellow citizens and Afghan allies and when we have done so we will complete the withdrawal”. After the press conference, the Pentagon release.

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