President Joe Biden infamously promised to get every American out of Afghanistan following the summer evacuation fiasco.
But instead, his administration has claimed incorrect numbers for more than two months as the real number of Americans trapped behind enemy lines keeps growing.
The Biden administration long insisted the number of Americans stuck in Afghanistan was “around 100,” and the RNC provides a stellar list of the inconsistency.
As even CNN reported, last week the State Department said 363 U.S. citizens remained, about half of whom are ready to leave.
This week, radical Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl told Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) there are now 439 U.S. citizens stranded in Afghanistan, with about 200 ready to depart.
The fluctuating degree of these numbers makes one wonder if Washington ever had an accurate count before the chaotic evacuation, or they are they lying to cover themselves politically.
Either way, it’s a dangerous combination of incompetence and dishonesty.
Related: American Children Are Still Trapped in Afghanistan
This is not to say the issues aren’t complex.
People with a U.S. passport or green card can leave the country, but if their family members — spouse, parents, and children — do not have one, they must stay behind.
I am certain that there are precious few Americans who prefer to remain in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan but also plenty who don’t want to leave without their loved ones.
Since the catastrophic surrender in Afghanistan and ultimate withdrawal 60 days ago, 580 American citizens and legal permanent residents have departed the country.
When you add up the Americans who managed to depart and those still in the country hoping to leave, the administration’s estimates were at most 20% of the original total.
Families of American hostages being held are impatient and have begun questioning the Biden team’s actual commitment to bringing people home.
They complained to the Associated Press that the administration is getting “bogged down in burdensome processes or policy debates that keep our loved ones from coming home and keep us uninformed of what you can and cannot do to help us.”
“We need to be shown that the promises of your administration to prioritize the return of our family members are not empty. Now is the time for action. Now we need you to bring our fellow Americans home,” a letter obtained this week by the news agency said.
While story after story shows that the abandonment of civilians behind enemy lines continues, Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s staff says evacuation flights from Kabul will resume sometime soon, as our enemies await.
Some clarification would help; however, Biden hasn’t held a press conference in the last 105 days.
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