Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday that President Joe “Biden surrendered Afghanistan to terrorists and left thousands of Americans for dead” upon the administration’s decision to not extend the August 31 evacuation deadline at the Taliban’s guidance.
“Biden surrendered Afghanistan to terrorists and left thousands of Americans for dead by pulling out the Military before our citizens. Now we are learning that out of the 26,000 people who have been evacuated, only 4,000 are Americans,” Trump stated. “You can be sure the Taliban, who are now in complete control, didn’t allow the best and the brightest to board these evacuation flights.”
Afghan citizens pack inside a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, as they are transported from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. The Taliban on Sunday swept into Kabul, the Afghan capital, after capturing most of Afghanistan. (Capt. Chris Herbert/U.S. Air Force via AP)
“Instead, we can only imagine how many thousands of terrorists have been airlifted out of Afghanistan and into neighborhoods around the world,” Trump added. “What a terrible failure.”
“NO VETTING. How many terrorists will Joe Biden bring to America?” Trump asked. “We don’t know.”
Reuters reported Monday that a person on a no-fly list was flown to the U.K. from Afghanistan amid Joe Biden’s evacuation effort from the Kabul airport. The U.K. said the individual, however, “is no longer considered a risk.”
Trump’s comments come after President Joe Biden on Tuesday submitted to the Taliban’s demand to honor August 31 withdrawal deadline. The decision followed Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying Tuesday the group will accept “no extensions” to the deadline.
The Taliban reportedly met Monday with CIA Director William Burns who negotiated face-to-face with Taliban leader and co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar. Neither the Taliban nor the CIA confirmed the meeting, which evidently did not bear fruit.
As thousands of Americans and thousands of Afghan remain stranded in Afghanistan only 6 days away from the deadline, Biden and Vice President Harris’s original deadline was May 1, which was extended to September 11 before being pulled back to August 31.
If the withdrawal was completed at the original date in May, the evacuation would have been accomplished before the Afghan fighting season that occurs in the summer, avoiding warmer months. But it seems politics played a part in the Biden and Harris administration’s decision to extend the war until late August or September.
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