The Taliban have taken control of the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. Fox reports that the commander of CENTCOM, Gen. Frank McKenzie, has met with Taliban leaders in Doha, Qatar, “to warn them to not attack Americans evacuating Kabul or else the U.S. military would ‘strike back’.” Despite that warning, Taliban forces have reportedly fired on the international airport in Kabul where the evacuations were being carried out.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement Saturday as Afghanistan fell, commending Joe Biden for “the clarity of purpose of his statement.” Pelosi stopped short of commending Biden on the decision itself. Another Democrat, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, tweeted Sunday that the collapse of Afghanistan is a “shame on this administration” and that “it didn’t need to come to this.”
The President is to be commended for the clarity of purpose of his statement on Afghanistan and his action. The Taliban must know the world is watching its actions. We are concerned about reports regarding the Taliban’s brutal treatment of all Afghans, especially women and girls.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 15, 2021
Biden’s statement, which he issued Saturday, did nothing to alleviate the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. It blamed Trump. Biden may be counting on retaining support from his left flank and from the fact that the midterm elections are still more than a year away.
Pelosi’s full statement:
“The President is to be commended for the clarity of purpose of his statement on Afghanistan and the actions he has taken.
“The Taliban must know that the world is watching its actions. We are deeply concerned about reports regarding the Taliban’s brutal treatment of all Afghans, especially women and girls. The U.S., the international community and the Afghan government must do everything we can to protect women and girls from inhumane treatment by the Taliban.
“Any political settlement that the Afghans pursue to avert bloodshed must include having women at the table. The fate of women and girls in Afghanistan is critical to the future of Afghanistan. As we strive to assist women, we must recognize that their voices are important, and all must listen to them for solutions, respectful of their culture. There is bipartisan support to assist the women and girls of Afghanistan. One of the successes of U.S.- NATO cooperation in Afghanistan was the progress made by women and girls. We must all continue to work together to ensure that is not eroded.
“Once again, I want to acknowledge the clarity of purpose of President Biden’s statement and the wisdom of his actions. Congress shares the President’s concern for Afghans who have assisted U.S. efforts in country, and we passed Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) legislation to provide for their relocation on a strong, bipartisan basis.
“Most of all, we join the President in acknowledging the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and their families.”
That progress is already being destroyed. The Taliban is reportedly already forcing women from their jobs and forcing them into marriages and sex slavery, even before they formally take over the reins of government.
Pelosi’s statement is worth memorializing as the Taliban take total and totalitarian control of Afghanistan. So is Kamala Harris’ claim in March that she played a key role in Biden’s decision to withdraw.
Vice President Kamala Harris confirmed Sunday that she was the last person in the room before President Joe Biden made the decision to pull all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan.
In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union,” Harris was asked about being the last person in the room regarding major decisions, something that Biden has said is important to him in his working relationship with the vice president. Harris confirmed that was the case regarding the move to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11.
That date and decision have handed the Taliban the most significant victory in its history and America one of the most humiliating defeats in its.
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