Biden decides to keep August 31 deadline to withdraw from Afghanistan

@thedarkside [quote]Actually, it was trump that made the final date. Everything would have been fine if Biden didn't fuck everything up.[/quote]
You people keep saying that without backing it up with actual documentation.

@LordShadowfire Maybe they figure the Taliban would be dazzled by his spray on orange glow.

@soar2newhighs [quote]Well that will be fine if in the next week all Americans who are still there and want to leave and those Afghanis who aided us and are expected to be evacuated are.
Hopefully - we’ll see.
The issue will be if those to be evacuated, are by that date. Let’s see what happens next Tuesday.[/quote]

[quote]It came on 8 July ‘21, not “ months” ago.[/quote]

During the G7 meeting, earlier today, the President notified the other leaders he intends to stick to the August 31st deadline. He also indicated that there is a contingency plan in place, to go beyond that date, in case something unexpected happened, and the US and NATO allies are dealing with a rag tag group, where the leadership does not always manage to communicate properly with everyone.

Earlier this year, several months ago, the President said that our Troops will be withdrawn BY September 11, and made it clear that it might be sooner, depending on how fast we can dismantle our bases.

On July 8th, he updated the nation and the world that an August 31 withdrawal is now achievable, given that the military was ahead of schedule.

The original date was set for May 1st. No one could be taken seriously if they said that they had no advance notice.

The Director of the CIA was meeting in Kabul with the Taliban leadership to coordinate, and yesterday, nearly 20K people were evacuated, mostly Afghans and Afghan-Americans. With 5,200 US troops on the ground facilitating the evacuations, they will set the last couple of days to booby trap what can't be taken aboard the C-17s, and load up the last of the troops, along with the Afghan National Army troops currently standing by NATO's side at the Kabul airport, maintaining order.

The US has no interest in blowing up the Kabul airport, as it's going to be managed by Turkey, but that's a last resort option, in case something happens.

At 20K evacuees per day, there is plenty of time to get all that done.

@LordShadowfire was that the original date? If so, it should not have been.

@Carla The original photo was as much a threat to Japan that Iwo Jima was going to be the launching point for the invasion of the home islands.

My guess is it was not just to inspire their people but also a threat that time is running out for the people at the airport.

@soar2newhighs So you think temper tantrums is leadership? Interesting.

@LordShadowfire press deserves it, they lie.

@Stopmakingsense Wasn’t America’s “pivot to Asia”generated under The Obama administration?

@soar2newhighs yes. It's bipartisan, eternal, invisible and unstoppable. Jobs.

@Stopmakingsense My guess is the announcement was to tell Americans who they are supposed to hate and fear next. Nevermind that as you pointed out the US has decided to pick a fight with China over a decade ago. Stupid and idiotic move either way.

@soar2newhighs A war, even a cold war with China would be stupid and pointless.