As we observed earlier this week, the exception that proves the rule of CNN's slavish support for all things Biden is the network's surprisingly critical take on President Biden's accelerated withdrawal of all combat troops from Afghanistan.
CNN's skeptical approach to the subject continued today, as New Day co-host Brianna Keilar gave Pentagon spokesman John Kirby a pretty good grilling on two subjects related to Afghanistan.
Keilar first put to Kirby the Taliban's claim that it now controls 85% of Afghanistan's territory, asking if that were true. Kirby acknowledged "a deteriorating security situation," in which "the Taliban continues to take district centers."
But when Kirby declined "to quantify or to validate [the Taliban's 85%] assessment," Keilar shot back: "I think it’s key, though, that you’re not shooting this down. You’re not saying that the 85% here is wrong."
Ouch!
Here's part of the exchange:
BRIANNA KEILAR: Let’s talk now with Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. Sir, thank you so much for being with us. And can you comment on that. The Taliban saying that it now controls 85% of Afghanistan’s territory. Is that true?
JOHN KIRBY: Well, what we have seen is a deteriorating security situation on the ground, no question about that. That the Taliban continues to take district centers. I’m not in a position to quantify or to validate their — what their assessment is. But we are seeing them continue to advance on district centers around the country. And it is concerning.
Note: Kirby added something that would appear nonsensical. He said that the Taliban's rapid advance is "all the more reason . . . for the Taliban to come to the negotiating table." Biden might hope the Taliban would negotiate, but what pressure is on the insurgents to negotiate given that they've been so quickly able to take such large chunks of the country?
Keilar then turned to Biden's claim of yesterday that there would be no "fall of Saigon" moment [see photo below] in which people would be lifted off the roof of the US embassy in Kabul. She quizzed Kirby: "How can [Biden] be so sure of that?"
Kirby's answer was less than reassuring: "We don’t think that the situation is going to devolve into that right now."
Right now??
We can only speculate as to why CNN has unexpectedly parted from the Biden party line when it comes to Afghanistan. We'll take it while it lasts, but won't count on the trend extending to other subjects!
CNN's Brianna Keilar's close questioning of Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on the subject of Biden's accelerated withdrawal of combat troops from Afghanistan was sponsored in part by Sleep Number, General Motors, makers of OnStar, and Clear Choice.
Here's the transcript. Click "expand" to read more.
CNN
New Day
7/9/21
7:04 amBRIANNA KEILAR: Breaking overnight, the Taliban is now claiming to control 85% of territory in Afghanistan, as insurgent fighters advance across the country
. . .
Let’s talk now with Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. Sir, thank you so much for being with us. And can you comment on that. The Taliban saying that it now controls 85% of Afghanistan’s territory. Is that true?
JOHN KIRBY: Well, what we have seen is a deteriorating security situation on the ground, no question about that. That the Taliban continues to take district centers. I’m not in a position to quantify or to validate their — what their assessment is. But we are seeing them continue to advance on district centers around the country. And it is concerning.
And it’s all the more reason, as the president said yesterday, for us to want to see a political solution and end to this fighting. And for the Taliban to come to the negotiating table and try to come together on a settlement that’s good for the Afghan people and Afghan security going forward.
. . .
KEILAR: I think it’s key, though, that you’re not shooting this down. You’re not saying that the 85% here is wrong.
. . .
There is, we should note, a small force of American forces that will remain behind in order to protect U.S. diplomatic efforts, the U.S. embassy in Kabul there.
KIRBY: Right.
KEILAR: But the president yesterday said, when asked if this is going to be something akin to the fall of Saigon, he said there will be no circumstance where you see people lifted off the roof of the embassy in Kabul. How can he be so sure of that?
KIRBY: We don’t think that the situation is going to devolve into that right now. And I will tell you that the forces that we’re going to have in the country will be robust enough to help defend the work of our diplomats. That’s going to be the focus.
