Biden Doesn’t Know Which Afghans Are Actually Our Allies: Report
The Biden administration doesn’t know exactly which Afghans are U.S. allies even as it evacuates thousands of them from the country, according to a Politico report.
SO WHAT
Republicans have warned that Afghans coming to the United States are not being properly vetted.
WHAT HAPPENED
Here’s the key passage from Politico’s Friday tick-tock about the White House’s chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal:
Politico went on to note: “That was despite repeated warnings, including a bipartisan plea to [President Joe] Biden in early June expressing growing concern ‘that you have not yet directed the Department of Defense be mobilized as part of a concrete and workable whole-of-government plan to protect our Afghan partners.'”
WHAT THE’RE SAYING
Leading conservatives have since last week been beating the drum against the arrival of Afghan refugees.
- Tucker Carlson, Fox News host: “As many refugees as we can. How many refugees is that? And is it really a good idea to do that for us? Don’t ask.”
- Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont.: “The chaos we’re see is not an excuse to flood our country with refugees from Afghanistan,” said Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont.
- Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wisc.: “Afghanistan is a dangerous country that is home to many dangerous people.”
- J.D. Vance, Ohio U.S. Senate candidate: “Now, the same failed leaders who just weeks ago falsely assured us that, after 20 years and billions of dollars from American taxpayers that the Afghanistan national army would be able to hold their country, want the American people to accept thousands of unvetted people from Afghanistan into our country.
- Donald Trump, former president: “Can anyone even imagine taking out our Military before evacuating civilians and others who have been good to our Country and who should be allowed to seek refuge.”
WHAT BIDEN’S SAYING
The Biden administration — rushing to meet its Aug. 31 deadline for full troop withdrawal — said Tuesday that roughly 58,700 people were evacuated from Afghanistan in the past week, including 4,000 American passport holders.
- The president has promised to grant asylum to Afghan interpreters and other U.S. allies because that’s “who we are” even as he has pushed back on concerns about a lack of screening.
Once screened and cleared, we will welcome Afghans who helped us in the war effort to their new home in the United States of America.
Because that's who we are. That's what America is.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 23, 2021