9.11.21

“Biden’s Afghanistan Hostage Crisis: Part 2 of 3”

A person holding two bats in front of smoke.

https://www.educationviews.org/bidens-afghanistan-hostage-crisis-part-2/

By Henry W. Burke

Out of 15,000 Americans in Afghanistan, roughly 6,000 Americans have been evacuated. This means 9,000 Americans are stranded in this Taliban-controlled country! These 9,000 Americans could easily become Taliban hostages! Because private rescue operations are being thwarted by the U.S. State Department and the Taliban, the future of the stranded Americans is very urgent!
 

Part 1 of “Biden’s Afghanistan Hostage Crisis” is found here:
 

https://www.educationviews.org/bidens-afghanistan-hostage-crisis/

Major Blunders

Major mistakes committed by the Biden Administration during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan include the following:

1. Announcing that August 31, 2021 was the self-imposed date for the U. S. withdrawal from Afghanistan: More than being concerned about protecting U. S. citizens, Biden wanted a September 11 photo-op.

2. Withdrawing in the totally wrong order. Biden pulled out the U.S. Armed Forces, then evacuated the U.S. Embassy personnel, and then attempted to evacuate the Americans from Afghanistan. He should have removed the Americans, the Embassy people, and finally the U.S. troops -- in that order.

3. Closing Bagram Air Base (the largest base in Afghanistan). Bagram Air Base (43 miles north of Kabul) is a well-fortified base with two long runways. With Bagram closed, this forced all evacuation efforts into the Kabul International Airport, an airport surrounded by millions of Afghans and thousands of terrorists.

4. Not permanently retaining Bagram Air Base: Biden should have retained Bagram Air Base for evacuation efforts and for future military staging purposes in the region.

5. Handing control of the evacuation effort over to the State Department: Should have given evacuation effort to the Defense Department.

6. The mistake of assuming the Taliban are friends of America and working with the Taliban to evacuate Americans: The Taliban are deadly terrorists!

7. Terrible idea – providing a “Kill List” to the Taliban: Biden basically is a traitor to American citizens, green card holders, and Afghan allies.

8. Allowing the Taliban to release thousands of prisoners from various facilities, including the prison at Bagram Base: Five of the former Guantanamo Bay detainees from the Bagram prison are now in positions of authority in the new Taliban “government.”

9. Foolishly giving up control of important places: The whole city of Kabul was handed over to the Taliban along with control of the Kabul Airport.

10. Using poor vetting of thousands of Afghans being flown to America: Any Afghans who made it to the Kabul Airport were invariably allowed to board the planes. Undoubtedly, many Taliban terrorists have slipped into the C-17 evacuation planes.

11. Allowing a huge inventory of valuable military equipment to fall into the hands of Taliban terrorists: (Please refer to the companion article.)

 

The Biden Administration has been very vague about the number of Americans in Afghanistan. The White House said about 11,000 Americans remain in Afghanistan; Joe Biden stated that 15,000 Americans were in Afghanistan when the evacuation started. The 15,000 Americans figure will be used here.

The number of people evacuated from Afghanistan is shown in

Table 1 -- Evacuees from Afghanistan.

 

Dates Citizens Country Number of Evacuees Percent
Aug. 14-23Ten Days, Since Began
Americans4,40717 %
Afghans21,53381 %
Third Country6422 %
Totals26,582100 %
Aug. 24One Day
Americans36993 %
Afghans5,04893 %
Third Country8--
Totals5,425100 %
Aug. 25-27Three Days
Americans3240.4 %
Afghans and Third C.78,66999.6 %
Totals78,993100 %
Aug. 28-31Four Days
Americans9003 %
Afghans and Third C.11,10097 %
Totals12,000100 %
Aug. 14-31Since Operation Began
Americans6,0005 %
Afghans and Third C.117,00095 %
Totals for Aug. 14-31123,000100 %
Aug. 14-31Total for Entire Evac.123,000100 %

Source:
Leaked U. S. State Department Cables
https://thefederalist.com/2021/08/24/leaked-numbers-reveal-most-u-s-evacuees-are-afghan-nationals-not-u-s-citizens/
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily/2021/08/23/what-leaked-cables-say-about-the-afghanistan-evacuation-effort-494091

The White House said about 12,500 people were evacuated from Kabul in the 24 hours ending at 3 a.m. ET Friday, bringing the total number evacuated from Afghanistan to 111,000, including 5,100 US. citizens.
https://www.npr.org/2021/08/27/1031649747/kabul-airport-explosions-afghanistan-dead-evacuations

As this ongoing evacuation and relocation operation continues, to date, as you know, 123,000 people have been enabled to leave Afghanistan, including 6,000 American citizens and tens of thousands of at-risk Afghans.
https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-september-1-2021/

From Table 1, please notice that only 5 % of the evacuees are Americans! This is basically an airlift for Afghans and not for Americans!

The number of Americans evacuated is shown in Table 2 -- Americans Evacuated and Stranded in Afghanistan.

Table 2 – Americans Evacuated and Stranded in Afghanistan

Dates Americans Evacuated Americans Stranded
Before Evacuation15,000
Aug. 14-234,40710,593
Aug. 2436910,224
Aug. 25-273249,900
Aug. 28-319009,000
Aug. 14-31 Evac.Totals 6,0009,000

American Evacuees

 

Other sources have stated that 5,400 Americans have been evacuated from Afghanistan. The U.S. State Department and the White House have indicated that 6,000 Americans were evacuated. The figure of 6,000 Americans evacuated is utilized here.

The White House and State Department attempted to revise the number of Americans in Afghanistan when the evacuation started -- downward from 15,000 to 10,000. Even if the White House and State Department use the lower figure of 10,000 Americans, simple subtraction yields 4,000 Americans stranded in Afghanistan (10,000 – 6,000 = 4,000). Unbelievably, the White House and State Department are saying that only around 100-200 Americans are left in Afghanistan. Obviously, they are using Common Core Math or some other bogus math method to obtain their bogus figures!

 

A group of GOP Senators has demanded that the Biden Administration provide the exact number of Americans stranded in Afghanistan. The Senators are also demanding that the Biden Administration take the necessary steps to bring the trapped Americans home.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/biden-admin-must-provide-detailed-info-about-americans-left-in-afghanistan-gop-senators_3978417.html

Should we really want Afghan evacuees to settle in the United States? Afghanistan is a fundamentalist Muslim country. Most Afghans believe that a Muslim who converts to another faith must be killed. They follow Sharia Law, where husbands can beat their wives and even kill them in so-called “Honor Killings.” Because Muslims believe in Sharia Law, they think the U.S. should be ruled by Sharia Law, instead of following the U.S. Constitution.

Evacuation Efforts by Other Organizations

When the Biden Administration left thousands of Americans stranded in Afghanistan, NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) and other groups started working tirelessly to evacuate Americans from this hostile country. Many of these groups are operating behind the scenes to free Americans from Afghanistan

Some of these groups are led by retired members of Special Operations Forces (e.g., Navy Seals, Army Green Berets, Army Rangers, Marine Recon, etc.). These dedicated and skilled American patriots believe strongly in “no man left behind.” A few of the rescue groups include: Ark Salus, Allied Airlift 21, Digital Dunkirk, and Project Archangel.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/situation-in-afghanistan-a-high-tension-high-panic-anne-frank-like-environment-rescue-mission-leader_3973180.html

https://www.theepochtimes.com/exclusive-ex-special-forces-michael-brewer-on-heroic-rescue-efforts-airlifting-americans-afghans-out-of-afghanistan_3969786.html

The State Department is actually preventing evacuation flights from leaving Afghanistan! Additionally, the State Department is not allowing any private charter flights carrying Afghanistan evacuees to land in nearby countries!

Rick Clay runs a private rescue group called Plan B. He has a manifest of 4,500 names of U.S. citizens, green card holders, SIV’s, and refugees trying to get to America. (SIV’s or Special Immigrant Visas are often given to Afghan Translators.) Rick Clay’s group has given the State Department a list of 800 names for the first round of flights, but the group is being thwarted by the Biden officials. The State Department and White House have forbidden those planes from private U. S. groups to land at any of our government-owned airports.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/state-department-blocking-private-evacuation-flights-afghanistan

One evacuation group is funded by a Glenn Beck-founded charity (the Nazarene Fund). The Taliban has prevented this group from leaving Afghanistan with the passengers. The group chartered six planes from Mercury One at $750,000 for each plane. Currently, the six planes are sitting empty at the Mazar-i-Sharif Airport. More than 1,600 people, including 123 Americans are expected to evacuate the country on the planes. Until the Taliban clears the planes for departure, the people cannot leave the terrorist-controlled country. “The Taliban is basically holding them hostage to get more out of the Americans.”
https://nypost.com/2021/09/06/taliban-grounds-glenn-beck-group-funded-planes-being-used-for-evacuations/

https://nypost.com/2021/09/05/taliban-holding-6-us-flights-hostage-in-afghanistan-rep-mccaul/

Henry W. Burke
hwburke@cox.net