Secretary of State Antony Blinken spent time on Monday and Tuesday testifying before Congress regarding the catastrophic withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan and how the evacuation of Americans and allies was handled. Upon being questioned, Blinken admitted that citizens and legal U.S. residents are still stranded in war-torn countries.
Blinken said that the State Department is in “constant contact” with several citizens who remain in Afghanistan and are anxious to leave. He said that each citizen had been assigned a “case management team” to provide instructions and guidance on getting out of the country.
When pressed to testify about the number of Americans and residents still awaiting evacuation, Blinken said there are “about 100” citizens who want help leaving. He said that his department does not “track directly” how many permanent resident aliens holding U.S. green cards are still in Afghanistan. He did finally admit that there are likely “several thousand” such persons.
Blinken: "Several thousand green card holders are in Afghanistan." pic.twitter.com/MGUCVDINSY
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 13, 2021
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) told Blinken that the situation is a “national humiliation.” He added that issuing a green card to a legal resident amounts to a “promise that their permanent home is here in the United States.” Sasse said that President Biden “abandoned thousands” of residents behind Taliban lines and must bring every citizen and legal resident home.
Last week, the White House admitted that several flights with U.S. citizens and Afghan refugees on board were not under the government’s control and have been held and not permitted to leave by the Taliban.
Press Secretary Jen Psaki was questioned by Peter Doocy of Fox News about those stranded flights. Psaki admitted that the State Department did not have any remaining personnel in Afghanistan to assist the persons trying to leave. When Doocy asked about whose fault it was, Psaki said that it is not “about fault here.” She said that the decisions to be made were not simple “yes and no decisions.”
