Afghans crowd outside Hamid Karzai International Airport as evacuation nears its August 31 deadline, Kabul, Afghanistan (Sky Exclusive)
As the evacuation from Afghanistan comes to a close, I joined a panel on BBC Radio 5 Live and also spoke with Monocle 24 on Wednesday to discuss the status of Afghans and whether the Biden Administration is accountable for the situation amid the Taliban takeover of power.
Listen to BBC 5 Live from 1:36.46
In a full-and-frank discussion, I set out the situation alongside Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross and former Republican communications director Tara Setmayer, both of whom offer reasons why the Administration should not be held to account.
The Biden Administration has calculated that if there are no Americans who die, if all Americans are out by Labor Day, then they pull victory from the jaws of defeat.
This was not a “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” decision. This withdrawal did not have to be this quick and did not have to be announced this spring.
Listen to Monocle 24 from 1:39
I chat with Daniel Bach about whether there is any prospect for an extension of the evacuation, and consider the consequences.
If you have foreign nationals in Afghanistan after August 31, at the very least they are leverage for the Taliban. In a worst-case scenario, you might call them hostages.
The Taliban can say there is no chance that these foreign nationals will ever be allowed to leave, or there will be strict conditions, if we don’t get assistance, if we don’t get recognition.
See also EA on BBC, Australia and China Radio: The Curtain Closes on Afghans
Sorry to see you controlling your anger. Go for it!