US Reported before The Taliban intercepted several aircraft in Mazar-i-Sharif. 19 Americans and hundreds of Afghans should have taken off by plane. Rep. Michael McCall (R-TX) described it as a hostage situation, indicating that the Taliban were trying to get something from the United States before letting the flight leave. The deadlock has lasted for about six days. People are not on the plane, but stay near the airport and wait to leave.
But now there are new reports about continuing the story.
First, there are not only 19 Americans, but also at least 142 Americans and hundreds of SIVs on multiple charter flights. According to NewsweekSix of these flights are chartered by charities associated with Glenn Baker, and the other three are chartered by other entities.
This means that the Biden administration’s assessment of how many Americans are currently in Afghanistan far exceeds the 100 people they talked about yesterday. It was obvious from the beginning that they did not know how many Americans there were outside the Kabul area. Obviously, they are not in contact with “everyone”, As Ron Klein claimed yesterday.
Local NGO officials did not describe it as a hostage situation, although if the Taliban would not let the plane leave and ask them to leave, it would be difficult to know what else to call it.
The State Department issued a stupid statement, “We have no ground personnel, we have no air assets in the country, and we do not control the airspace — either in Afghanistan or elsewhere in the region,” the spokesperson said, adding that it still “ Ready to help”.
But the report further indicated that the State Department’s failure to act quickly to help the aircraft evacuate has exacerbated the situation.
Reuters reported that the reason for the delay was that Biden administration officials did not tell the Taliban leaders that they had approved charter flights from an airport in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, 260 miles north of the Afghan capital Kabul.
An angry flight organizer lashed out at the State Department because of the fiasco, saying: “They need to take responsibility for putting these people’s lives at risk.” [….]
Two other organizers also broke into the department headed by Anthony Blinken. One of the organizers, who asked not to be named, told Fox: “This is a zero place for negotiations with American lives.” Those who are ours stand by. On the tarmac, all you need to do is make a phone call.
“If someone is killed because of this, the White House’s hands will be stained with blood. Their hands are stained with blood. It is not the Taliban that prevents this — although I feel sick by saying that — but the US government.
One of the organizers also claimed that any rescue charter that wishes to land at the Udeid Air Force Base in Doha, Qatar, must first obtain approval from the State Department, which exposes them to further bureaucratic delays.
According to reports, Secretary of State Anthony Brinken flew to Qatar to talk to leaders there to see if the situation could be resolved.
We have seen time and time again in the Biden administration: they are considered “adults”, but they are just some of the most incompetent people on almost all the issues they should deal with. Now, this incompetence and inaction has once again plunged hundreds of people into the abyss.
