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Originally published on ZeroHedge.
Update (1540ET): Late into the speech, Biden addressed critics who ask why the US couldn’t have started the evacuation sooner. Biden insisted, with no evidence to back it up, that no matter when the evacuation started, there still would have been a “rush to the airport.”
And while Biden waxes poetic about the Bin Laden raid, it’s important to remember that he was actually against the raid as Vice President.
And also served as vice president for 8 of those years, and served in some elected capacity for at least 16 of the 20 years.
Bottom line: the Afghanistan pullout was a success, but any of the unsuccessful bits were President Trump’s fault.
And it doesn’t matter anyway, because the important thing is that this horrible money-wasting war is over: “I refuse to send another generation to Afghanistan…300 million dollars a day for two decades…I refuse to continue a war no longer in the national interest of our country.”
We are hardly surprised that Biden won’t be taking questions tonight.
* * *
Update (1534ET): President Biden confirms that 200 Americans remain in Afghanistan, almost all of whom are dual citizens. “The bottom line: 90% of Americans in Afghanistan, who wanted to leave, we’re able to leave,” Biden says. For those Americans remaining in Afghanistan, “there is no deadline.”
Some were incredulous that Biden, who shouted and slurred through most of the speech, would brag about this. And yet he declared that “no nation, no nation has ever done anything like it in all the history,” he said.
Others still can’t get over Biden calling the airlift a “success” as Biden insisted the US will continue to help those who want to leave.
Biden also seemed incapable of modulating his tone, even when asking his audience to join him in prayer.
Several twitter users pointed out that Biden couldn’t even lie coherently.
The Taliban have made “commitments” to provide everybody safe passage, even those who worked for the other side, and the US has “leverage” (ie money) to help hold the Taliban to their word.
But whatever happens, the bottom line is this:
* * *
Update (1528ET): Nearly 50 minutes late, President Biden finally took to the podium to read a prepared statement where he declared the withdrawal from Afghanistan an “extraordinary success.”
- BIDEN: U.S. COMPLETED ONE OF BIGGEST AIRLIFTS IN HISTORY
- BIDEN CALLS EVACUATION FROM AFGHANISTAN AN EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS
Then explained why everything went so horribly wrong.
* * *
Update (1520ET): President Biden is once again running inexplicably late. There’s still no hint at when he will start speaking.
* * *
Now that the last American soldier (though not the last American citizen) has left Kabul, President Biden has apparently gotten permission from his handlers to address the American people and remind us all that the disastrous final moments of the nearly 20-year-long war weren’t his fault.
With 90 retired generals signing a letter calling on Biden’s defense secretary and leader of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to quit and take responsibility for the disastrous pullout, the messiest pullout in US history, according to President Trump, it’s hardly a surprise that President Biden feels another face-to-face with the American people is necessary.
He is slated to begin speaking at 1445 (though he has been notably late recently):
As we noted earlier, now that the Taliban have taken control over every province in Afghanistan except for 1 (the rebel bastion of Panjshir), it’s up to them to govern effectively. To try and accomplish that, they’re seeking help from one of the most unlikely places: the US (along with Russia and China).
There are still at least 100 to 200 American citizens trapped in Afghanistan after being unable to reach the airport. Right now, it’s unclear when commercial flight will restart; Turkey has reportedly offered to assist the Taliban in getting the airport up and running against.
Ahead of Biden’s speech, Republican lawmakers held a press conference criticizing Biden’s “bungled” removal of troops from the country. Meanwhile, the MSM has taken every opportunity to point out that the timeline for the withdrawal was set by President Trump in negotiations with the Taliban.
But whatever happens next in Afghanistan – it’s not America’s problem. Or at least, not yet.
Just listen to Biden on Afghanistan over the last 20 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x5BI_qccI8
Who will save the six gorillion Afghan interpreters???!
“Update (1540ET): Late into the speech, Biden addressed critics who ask why the US couldn’t have started the evacuation sooner. Biden insisted, with no evidence to back it up, that no matter when the evacuation started, there still would have been a “rush to the airport.””
That is absolute B.S.. This whole debacle was conducted just this way for a reason.
Despite the B.S. surrounding all of this, pulling the troops out is the only smart thing I’ve seen a president do in a long time.
Why does the sign language chick look so mean?
Trump was what he was, but can anybody imagine the US MSM’s hysteria is this disaster had unfolded under Trump?! The hyperbole would have been off the charts. But now, the US MSM are quietly tolerating total incompetence, and just pretending that there isn’t a crazy old fool standing in front of the room.
I recall watching the final Soviet column withdrawing across bridge on tv reports. The western MSM was crowing over event. But yeah, in retrospect, it actually it was a very dignified and memorable exercise. With image of officers saluting each other atop their BTR’s and flags flying high off backs of last vehicles. They were veteran officers and were proudly saying we did our job and we remember our sacrifices.