As evacuation efforts in Afghanistan are reaching its end, US President Joe Biden and his administration are under fire from Republicans and even Democrats over the process. Following reports that the insurgent group Taliban was handed a list of allies used as a “kill list,” Biden’s national security adviser pushed back on CNN.
Speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, pushed back on the report by Politico that the insurgent group was given a list of Afghan and American allies that the group now uses as a “kill list.” Sullivan explained that the administration was doing what it could to evacuate everyone before saying that the report of the said list was inaccurate but noted that there have been people that were turned away at checkpoints. Tapper pressed Sullivan if he was disputing the information given or if he was disputing the list’s accuracy.
“There have been people turned away at Taliban checkpoints,” said Sullivan. “We are now working to try and resolve all of those cases so if there is anyone eligible to come to the United States, we’re able to get them here. The idea of what you just quoted from a Pentagon official is flat out not correct. There is no such, quote, unquote, kill list. It is not — it is irresponsible and unfounded reporting.”
Biden has received a lot of backlash during the evacuation efforts despite getting support from a majority of military veterans, a portion of whom have served in Afghanistan. Many Republicans, including disgraced former President Trump and his allies, sought to pin the blame of the 20-year conflict on Biden even as the former president himself oversaw negotiations and Afghan surrender to the extremist group during his presidency.
Meanwhile, Fox News’s Chris Wallace questioned Senate Majority’s Leader Mitch McConnell’s desire for the US to remain in Afghanistan indefinitely. During an appearance on the show, McConnell said that the Afghanistan mission, started by George W. Bush, was successful. McConnell then explained that the US could be able to build a sustainable presence in the war-torn country with only 2,500 soldiers for an indefinite period.
Wallace pointed out that Biden’s Pentagon advisers have said that at least 10,000 more soldiers would be needed on the ground for that to happen. McConnell, however, did not explain how the Afghan army and government could not support itself after 20 years of assistance from the US.