Former President Donald Trump slammed President Joe Biden for handing over a list of U.S.-approved American and Afghan evacuees to the Taliban, sparking fears that the extremists will use the list to torture and kill those named on it.
Calls for Biden’s resignation or impeachment have grown to a fever pitch after more than 100 people, including 13 U.S. service members, were murdered by an ISIS suicide attack at the gate of Kabul’s airport.
After the attack, Biden addressed the nation, vowing to “hunt down” and “make the terrorists pay.” He then spoke of the “selfless heroes” who gave their lives helping people evacuate.
Republicans, defense experts, and others lambasted Biden after the speech saying that the tragedy only underscores the president’s disastrous decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and hand power over to the Taliban.
Former President Trump did not hold back, calling the Afghanistan crisis the “most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to our country.”
After the explosion and investigation, flights resumed, evacuating more Americans and Afghans waiting to flee the country. However, time is rapidly running out for those looking to evacuate.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said that the “gates were closed and that the United Kingdom’s final evacuation flights have been completed.”
List of names
President Biden has pledged to “rescue the Americans, we will get our Afghan allies out, and our mission will continue.” Despite his pledge, it later came to light that U.S. officials in Kabul handed over a list of American citizens, Afghan allies, and U.S. green card holders to the Taliban.
Those familiar with the defense department have described the handover of names as a “gross security lapse.” The source continued, “Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list.”
Former President Trump spoke out quickly.
“Now, we’re giving lists of Americans to the Taliban, so now you just knock on the door and grab them and take them out… What you are watching now is only going to get worse; it can only go one way.
“We look like fools all over the world. We are weak, we are pathetic, we are being led by people that have no idea what they are doing.”
When later appearing on a news talk show, Trump elaborated” “I think they are in great danger … whether it’s interpreters or others, they were very loyal to our country.”
The list was reportedly given to the Taliban on August 15, after the fall of Kabul.
After August 25, Afghan names were not included on the list. However, for 10 days, the Taliban received documents with details and names of individuals who had worked with the United States.
The existence of the list came after the facts emerged that the Taliban had gained access to the biometric data of thousands of Afghans who have assisted the United States.
Representative Jim Banks, R-Ind., also attacked Biden over the voluminous amount of U.S. weapons that were left behind in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of troops.
Rep. Banks is also a Navy reservist who served in Afghanistan in 2014 and 2015 while still a state senator. Banks held a press conference where he told the press that the Taliban had received a massive cache of equipment and arms left behind by the U.S., which he learned of in intelligence briefings.
However, Rep. Banks said that the most ‘unfathomable to me and so many others were the biometric database, which was collected and stored on Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment (HIIDE) devices and is used to help I.D. locals working with the coalition of forces.
According to reports from inside Afghanistan, the Taliban has been going door-to-door, hunting down Afghans who worked with the fallen Afghan government or U.S.
When questioned, Biden said he was not aware of any specific list. “I can’t tell you with any certitude that there’s actually been a list of names.”
“Before, they would’ve gotten blown away. (Now) zero resistance,” said former President Trump. “This country has never seen stupidity like this, and our country is really in trouble.”
