WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday insisted that the Biden government had prepared the worst scenario in Afghanistan when lawmaker Irate accused the White House to lead the historic disaster.
The famous US diplomat has even faced two days of grill by the Congress Committee, the first opportunity by parliamentarians to directly challenge the administration of President Joe Biden for the expiration of the 20-year war that brought a quick victory for the Taliban.
Blinken told the DPR Foreign Affairs Committee that the Biden government was “very focused” on the safety of Americans and had “constantly assessing the” Western-supported government lives.
“Even the most pessimistic assessment does not predict that government forces in Kabul will collapse when US forces remain,” Blinken said.
“Even so, we plan and use various kinds of contingencies,” he said.
“The evacuation itself is an extraordinary effort – with the most difficult conditions that can be imagined – by our diplomats, by our military, by our intelligence professionals.” Blinken said that previous planning allowed to postpone embassies within 48 hours, and secure the airport and start evacuation within 72 hours.
The United States and its allies finally evacuated 124,000 people from Afghanistan, one of the biggest airlift in history.
Administration said only around 100 US residents were left and that all had been contacted repeatedly by US diplomats, with some leaving after withdrawal in line with the promises by the Taliban.
Republican lawmakers rivals, seeing vulnerability for Biden, has portrayed the operation was chaotic and accused the President to leave Americans to the fate of the Taliban.
“This is an unmatched epic proportion disaster,” said Representative Mike McCaul, the top of the Republic.
“I never thought of my life that I would see an unconditional surrender to the Taliban,” he said.
Former President Donald Trump has agreed on February 2020 for the withdrawal and predecessor of Blinken Mike Pompeo to meet the Taliban to complete the agreement, which regulates US conditions to go.
“We inherit deadlines; we do not inherit plans,” said Blinken.
But McCaul accused the administration of Biden ignoring General and US intelligence and accusing the United States of “betrayal” allied Afghanistan.
He showed that the Taliban caregivers included the numbers sought by the United States including the New Interim Interim Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, whose arrest was sought after by Washington about accusations of terrorism.
“We are now being forgiven from the Taliban government,” said McCaul, warned “dark hijab of sharia law” when the Taliban returned their cruel treatment of women.
Blinken said the Taliban had violated the terms of Trump’s agreement but Biden faced the choice to carry out withdrawals or send “substantially more” US forces into a dangerous way, perpetuating the longest war of America.
“There is no evidence that a longer stay will make Afghan security forces or a more resilient or independent Afghan government,” Blinken said.
“If 20 years and hundreds of billions of dollars in support, equipment and training is not enough, why is it another year, five others, 10 others?” Gregory Meeks representatives, Democrats who led the committee, accused the Republican because they were silent when Trump and Pompeo pursued the same policy in Afghanistan.
“Telling himself from Afghanistan will never be easy,” Meeks said.
“I will receive hearing what is actually a smooth withdrawal from a messy and chaotic 20-year war,” he said.
“I don’t believe there.”