Biden speech: Pentagon contradicts president and reveals Taliban beating Americans en route to airport
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Your support makes all the difference.US President Joe Biden delivered an address to the nation for the second time this week, as the evacuation of Americans and allies from Afghanistan continues.
Mr Biden, who said this week “chaos” was unavoidable with his country's withdrawal from Afghanistan, addressed concerns about the evacuation of Americans, allies, and Afghan refugees, amid reports that the effort is falling behind.
The president vowed to Americans in Kabul “we will get you home”, but is being criticised for saying that there were no reports of people being stopped from reaching the airport by the Taliban who took control of the city on Sunday.
Reporters on the ground have many examples of people held back from accessing the airport by Taliban fighters and there are reports of physical violence and intimidation. The Pentagon then appeared to contradict the president’s statement.
Senator Lindsey Graham has threatened the president with impeachment if one American or Afghan ally is left behind in Kabul.
It remains unclear exactly how many people are awaiting airlifts from the country before an agreed deadline of 31 August, after Afghanistan fell into the hands of the Taliban last weekend.
The US military has evacuated 13,000 people since 14 August, and 18,000 since late July. In the past 24 hours 5,700 people have been airlifted as the operation begins to meet capacity levels of 5,000 to 9,000 per day as detailed by the Pentagon.
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Baby handed over fence at Kabul airport reunited with father
“I can confirm the baby was reunited with their father and is safe at the airport. This is a true example of the professionalism of the Marines on site,” says Marine Corps spokesperson Major Jim Stenger.
Biden now speaking
President Biden with his top advisers in the East Room, to update on Afghanistan. “Since I spoke to you on Monday, we’ve made significant progress,” he says at the start.
'This is one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history’
“The United States stands by its commitment that we’ve made to these people,” says Mr Biden.
13,000 people have been evacuated over the past six days.
“This is one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history. And the only country in the world capable of projecting this much power on the far side of the world with this degree of precision is the United States of America.”
Mr Biden says the US flew out 5,700 evacuees yesterday from Kabul. Flights paused this morning to ensure processing of arriving evacuees, he said, but have now resumed.
President Biden: “Let me be clear: Any American who wants to come home, we will get you home.”
“I will mobilise every resource necessary,” he says.
President Biden: “We’ve made clear to the Taliban that any attack on our forces or disruptions... will be met with a swift and forceful response.”
The US is keeping watch on potential terrorist threats at the airport
President Biden says the US “stands by its commitment” to Afghan translators and allies.
“We’re going to do everything, everything that we can to provide safe evacuation for Afghan allies, partners, and Afghans who might be targeted because of their association with the United States.”
“The past week has been heartbreaking,” President Biden says.
“We’ve seen gut-wrenching images of panicked people acting out of sheer desperation ... I don’t think of any one of us can see these pictures and not feel that pain on a human level.”
Commentators have noticed that the trademark Biden empathy has been absent until now.
President Biden: “There will be plenty of time to criticise and second guess when this operation is over,” President Biden says. “But now – now – I’m focused on getting this job done.”
Biden takes questions after receiving much criticism for not doing so of late
White House communications director Kate Bedingfield has insisted that President Joe Biden “never shies away from taking questions” after days of avoiding the White House press corps about the chaos unravelling in Afghanistan.
Gustaf Kilander reports from Washington, DC.
White House insists Biden is not avoiding questions after days of avoiding questions
‘Biden doesn’t shy away from questions as much as his team shields him from them,’ former RNC spokesman says
President Biden insists that he has seen “no question of our credibility from our allies around the world” in response to a question from the AP.
When asked about the way the US withdrawal was executed he pivots to the rationale for the withdrawal, not how it was carried out.
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