According to a disturbing Politico report from Thursday, “U.S. officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies” so they could be allowed through Taliban checkpoints. And President Biden admitted in a press conference that evening that the report could very well be accurate. But none of the broadcast networks cared to mention how the Biden administration’s further incompetence meant they handed terrorists what amounted to a “kill list.”
Politico wrote: “U.S. officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the militant-controlled outer perimeter of the city’s airport, a choice that's prompted outrage behind the scenes from lawmakers and military officials.”
Officials familiar with the details suggest the list of names “was designed to expedite the evacuation of tens of thousands of people,” and “came as the Biden administration has been relying on the Taliban for security outside the airport.”
But according to one anonymous critic in the report who was furious at the decision, it was a “kill list”:
“Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list,” said one defense official, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. “It’s just appalling and shocking and makes you feel unclean.”
Biden was pressed on the story by Real Clear Politics’s Philip Wegmann during his press conference and gave the unsettling answer that the chances weren’t zero that the Taliban had been given a list of names:
There have been occasions when our military has contacted their military counterparts in the Taliban and said this, for example, this bus is coming through with X number of people on it, made up of the following group of people. We want you to let that bus or that group through. So, yes there have been occasions like that. To the best of my knowledge, in those cases, the bulk of that has occurred and they have been let through.
I can't tell you with any certitude that there's actually been a list of names. There may have been. But I know of no circumstance. It doesn't mean that it doesn't exist, that here's the names of 12 people, they're coming, let them through. It could very well have happened.
And while ABC, CBS, and NBC chose to ignore that part of the story, it was the first thing Fox News White House Correspondent Peter Doocy mentioned when giving his live report from the Briefing Room during Special Report.
“The President said that it's possible but he can say with any sense of certitude that American forces who are in Afghanistan right now trying to evacuate people did share names or information about U.S. citizens and Afghans try to get out with the Taliban,” he said. Adding: “He said that is something that could have happened.”
It was also a topic of discussion during the panel segment later in the program. And after anchor Bret Baier read the outrage from the Politico report, he directed viewers to this bizarre argument Biden made for working closely with Taliban terrorists:
There is no evidence thus far that I've given consequence by any of our commanders in the field that there has been collusion between the Taliban and ISIS. [Transition] They’re not good guys, the Taliban. I'm not suggesting that at all. But they have keen interests.
“Well, you know, he said that he didn't know about it and it might exist. And he said so far there is no evidence that they’ve done anything wrong with this list. Okay. Well, he’s been wrong on so many other things,” cautioned NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson.
She also noted that we’re now forced to “wait and see if anybody on that list, if it can be proven that the Taliban went out and took reprisal against those people.”
The blackout of the Biden administration providing out enemies with a kill list was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Allstate on ABC, Aleve on CBS, and Liberty Mutual on NBC. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
August 26, 2021
6:04:09 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: Let's go to White House correspondent Peter Doocy in the White House briefing room, good evening, Peter. You were just in there, we did get to see your question to President Biden, your thoughts on the news headlines out of that and what you took from your exchange?
PETER DOOCY: Bret, the President said that it's possible but he can say with any sense of certitude that American forces who are in Afghanistan right now trying to evacuate people did share names or information about U.S. citizens and Afghans try to get out with the Taliban. He said that is something that could have happened.
(…)
6:52:28 p.m. Eastern
BRET BAIER: The President, Mara, was asked about this Politico report, in which it says, “U.S. Officials provided Taliban with names of Americans, Afghan allies to evacuate.” Quote, “Basically, they just put all those Afghans on the kill list,’ said one defense official” condition of being anonymous. “It's just appalling and shocking and makes you feel unclean.”
Here's what the President said about the Taliban.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: There is no evidence thus far that I've given consequence by any of our commanders in the field that there has been collusion between the Taliban and ISIS. [Transition] They’re not good guys, the Taliban. I'm not suggesting that at all. But they have keen interests.
BAIER: While he said, Mara, that the lists may have been given to get people through a checkpoint. We do know that General McKenzie said today that they are sharing intel with the Taliban. Your thoughts?
MARA LIASSON: Well, you know, he said that he didn't know about it and it might exist. And he said so far there is no evidence that they’ve done anything wrong with this list. Okay. Well, he’s been wrong on so many other things.
So, we’re going to have to wait and see if anybody on that list, if it can be proven that the Taliban went out and took reprisal against those people.
I think after today, the notion that you can trust the Taliban – whether they could or won't is unclear. But they certainly weren’t able to provide security around the airport. And I do not know why giving them a list of people that they should let through checkpoints is going to be helpful.
(…)
