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Hundreds of Americans have been evacuated from Afghanistan and thousands of Afghan allies remain since President Biden broke his promise – made a year ago today – to leave military boots on the ground until we “get them all out.”
On Aug. 18, 2021, three days after the Taliban captured the capital Kabul and forced the evacuation of the US embassy there, Biden told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that, despite numerous reports to the contrary, intelligence agencies failed to indicate that a takeover by the Taliban likely. The President also said the US military will “stay” in Afghanistan until all Americans and Afghan allies are evacuated.
“If there are any American citizens left, we will stay to get them all out,” Biden said at the time.
“Are you obliged to make sure the troops stay until all the Americans who want to be out are out?” Stephanopoulos asked the President.
“Yes,” Biden replied.
BIDEN BREAKS PROMISE TO ‘STAY’ IN AFGHANISTAN UNTIL EVERY AMERICAN IS Evacuated
President Joe Biden pauses while delivering remarks at the White House Aug. 16, 2021 on the deepening crisis in Afghanistan. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Stephanopoulos also questioned whether the President’s commitment applies to US Afghan allies and their families.
“The obligation is to get everyone out that we can actually let out and everyone that should come out,” Biden replied. “And that’s the goal. That’s what we’re doing now, that’s the path we’re on. And I think we’re going to get there.”
Eight days later, during the mass evacuation of US military forces at Kabul Airport on August 26, 2021, suicide bombers killed 183 people, including 13 US soldiers. The US retaliated by launching two drone strikes against suspected ISIS-K terrorists, one of which ended up killing 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children.
The evacuation, which required thousands of additional US troops on the ground and significant cooperation from the Taliban to complete, ended a day before the August 30, 2021 deadline, with hundreds of US citizens and tens of thousands of Afghan allies standing by.
President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken watch as the remains of 13 service members killed in Afghanistan arrive at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, August 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
After the evacuation, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that there were only 100 American citizens in Afghanistan who wanted to leave the country. However, the State Department confirmed to Politico this week that more than 800 American citizens and at least 600 legal US permanent residents have been evacuated since the withdrawal.
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When asked by Fox News Digital, the State Department did not provide a figure for how many Americans who want to leave the country and Afghans who have applied for special immigrant visas remain in Afghanistan.
“We continue to work with US citizens who have expressed a desire to leave Afghanistan and have the necessary travel documents to do so,” a spokesman said Wednesday. “This number fluctuates regularly as US citizens change their minds about exiting or some continue to return to Afghanistan for various reasons.”
Jessica Chasmar is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @JessicaChasmar.