President Biden Only Now Asks For Contingency Plans on Afghanistan

As President Biden is being forced to answer questions about his failed exit strategy, it is clear that he is completely disconnected from reality. The rhetoric coming out of the White House is not aligned with what is actually happening on the ground in Afghanistan.

In addressing the Nation, President Biden announced his contingency plans on the deadline the Taliban gave:

In addition, I’ve asked the Pentagon and the State Department for contingency plans to adjust the timetable, should that become necessary. I’m determined to ensure that we complete our mission – this mission. I’m also mindful of the increasing risks that I’ve been briefed on and the need to factor those risks in. There are real and significant challenges that we also have to take into consideration the longer we stay. Starting with the acute and growing risk of an attack by a terrorist group known as ISIS-K, an ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, which is a sworn enemy of the Taliban as well.

How in the world is the Commander-in-Chief only now getting around to asking for contingency plans? This should have been done months in advance, not for the first time at the very end of the war.

Meanwhile at the Pentagon, Press Secretary John Kirby is admitting that the Taliban has control over the situation:

The Taliban have set up checkpoints. We have talked about this before. And we are in daily communication with Taliban commanders about who we want to see get in, and what the credentials are, what they look like, and what is valid. That communication happens literally every day. We have been nothing but open with the Taliban about who we expect them to let in. Again, fully recognize not every step of this process is in our firm control and that there are going to be instances where it doesn’t work as advertised.

We had control for the better part of the last 20 years in Afghanistan. The Afghan government and military were not perfect, but it was relatively calm and under control. Why are we putting our faith in the Taliban when American lives are at stake?

ACLJ Director of Policy Harry Hutchison discusses the policy motives behind the Biden Administration’s dealings with Afghanistan:

The policy basically means that we have decided unilaterally to cave to the Taliban. Joe Biden attempts to project calm while Jake Sullivan, his National Security Advisor, claims that we are actually overperforming in terms of the evacuation numbers. It is clear that the stench from Biden’s foreign policy disaster mounts among the dead bodies of Afghan security forces, amid the chaos and lack of sanitation at the airport, and among the Americans who are stranded at the airport with no way out. Meanwhile, Joe Biden has zero answers. And when he issues an answer, guess what Admiral Kirby and the Defense Department and perhaps the State Department – they are contradicting what President Biden said less than an hour or so ago. So, what we have is children running the asylum.

ACLJ Senior Military Analyst, Ret. Colonel, Wes Smith details the situation in his new article and adds what it looks like from a military standpoint:

You talk about a target rich environment – that airport with thousands of people crowded into a small space is an attack waiting to happen for a group like al-Qaeda or ISIS. . . . There is a real disconnect at the White House between their rhetoric and with what they are trying to reassure the American people for the reality on the ground as the Taliban tightens their grip and actually orders and tries to direct U.S. policies and actions. Americans are unable to find their way to the airport at times, some people with U.S. passports are turned away or told to go to a different gate to find that gate closed. There’s reported tension between our troops and the State Department. There is disorganization and bureaucratic infighting and delays with ISIS threats looming large. Meanwhile, the White House is reassuring us everything is going according to plan. . . . It’s divorced from reality. This is a real crisis, and the White House has said repeatedly that it was unavoidable, but that is not true. This was avoidable but they really mismanaged this exit from a military perspective.

We told you how Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are demanding action from this Administration. In a press conference, Congressman Michael Waltz summed it up best:

Well, this Congress is going to lead. Our offices right now are operation centers, calling gate guards, calling the Kabul Airport, guiding people through, telling them how to avoid Taliban checkpoints, our own Congress. It’s unbelievable the lack of leadership. So I 100% agree that blood is and will be on Joe Biden’s hands. And this Congress will hold him accountable.

At the end of the day, this was avoidable. This is not a game – American lives are at stake. The ACLJ is not just analyzing, we are preparing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to get answers. We will hold the Biden Administration accountable for this failed exit.

Today’s full Sekulow broadcast is complete with even more analysis of President Biden’s rhetoric regarding the chaos in Afghanistan.

Watch the full broadcast below.