Fire Blinken

Blinken Spearheaded Biden’s Botched Afghanistan Withdrawal And Put American Lives At Risk

BLINKEN SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

• Today and tomorrow, Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken is testifying before Congress on the Biden administration’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• Blinken’s disastrous handling of Afghanistan and weak leadership put American lives in danger, including the lives of Americans still trapped in Afghanistan.
  • Biden refused to personally take responsibility or hold any member of his team accountable for the widespread consequences of this withdrawal.

BLINKEN PROMISED “A RESPONSIBLE END” TO AFGHANISTAN; HE FAILED

• In March, Blinken said the administration would bring “a responsible end to the conflict, to remove our troops from harm’s way, and to ensure that Afghanistan can never again become a haven for terrorists.”
  • In August, 13 American service members were killed by a suicide bomber in an act of terror. 
  • Biden’s withdrawal has emboldened Islamic terrorist organizations, armed the Taliban, and will give Al Qaeda a safe haven and allow them to rebuild.
• In April, Blinken reassured our allies in Afghanistan of America’s commitment: “we have a commitment, especially to those who worked with us, who helped us…”
  • After the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, America’s allies slammed the Biden administration. 
  • Thousands of Afghans who put their lives on the line to assist the U.S. have been left behind. 
  • The Biden administration reportedly gave the Taliban what is essentially a kill list with names of U.S. citizens and our allies.
• In June, Blinken stated: “We are staying, the embassy is staying . . . I would not necessarily equate the departure of forces in July, August, or by early September with some immediate deterioration in the situation.”
  • In August, the United States Embassy in Kabul was evacuated after the capital fell to the Taliban. 
• In July, Blinken assured that the Afghanistan government wouldn’t fall “from a Friday to a Monday.” 
  • In early August, the Biden administration said it would take three months for Kabul to potentially fall; it took less than 10 days. 
  • Less than 48 hours before the fall of Kabul, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said: “The situation in Kabul is calm right now.”
• In August, Blinken said the U.S. would “hold the Taliban to its pledge to let people freely depart Afghanistan.”
  • On August 30th, the last U.S. military flight left Afghanistan to meet the Taliban-imposed withdrawal deadline despite Biden’s promise that no Americans would be left behind.
  • Americans – including children – continue to be trapped behind terrorist lines.
  • The Taliban blocked multiple charter flights carrying American citizens from leaving Afghanistan in what is akin to a hostage situation.

BLINKEN LIED TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

• Just last week, Blinken said he was not aware of any hostage situation in Afghanistan, but the next day admitted Americans were being held hostage: “As of now, the Taliban are not permitting the charter flights to depart.” 
• Blinken downplayed the hostage situation, saying there is a “fair amount of confusion” surrounding charter flights trying to leave Afghanistan with Americans. 

BLINKEN HAS BEEN WEAK ON THE TALIBAN 

• Blinken downplayed FBI-wanted and ex-Guantanamo terrorists in the Taliban government as people with “very challenging track records.” 
• Blinken moved the goalposts on recognizing the Taliban, leaving the door open to recognizing these terrorists as the legitimate government of Afghanistan after they took over the country by force.
  • In April, Blinken said it is “very important that the Taliban recognize that it will never be legitimate and it will never be durable if it rejects a political process and tries to take the country by force.”
  • In August, Blinken said the government would be willing to engage with a “Taliban-led government.”
  • In September, Blinken said suggested that “legitimacy” and “support” could “be earned” by the Taliban even as they blocked Americans from leaving the country.

BLINKEN FAILED TO KEEP AMERICANS SAFE

• Blinken failed to evacuate all Americans before U.S. troops were withdrawn. 
  • In August, Blinken said, “the best way” for stranded Americans to get to the Kabul airport is on their own. 
  • Blinken failed to evacuate all Afghan allies, including Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders.
  • Blinken failed to get more than 2,000 U.S. embassy contractors and their immediate family members out of Kabul before the Taliban took over. 
• Blinken failed to protect American citizens from becoming hostages to the Taliban.