SHOCK: CBS Understands Biden Is President, Actually Responsible for Afghanistan

May 5th, 2021 12:10 PM

In a stark contrast to the Biden decision making  blackout at NBC, CBS This Morning on Wednesday repeatedly brought up Joe Biden's role while talking about the perilous state of Afghanistan as U.S. troops prepare to leave. In an interview with Robert Gates, co-host Anthony Mason even quoted his epic slam of Biden. 

Talking to the former Secretary of Defense, Mason brought up Biden’s decision to remove all U.S. troops. He reminded, “You famously said in your memoir, sir, that Mr. Biden has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the last four decades. Is he wrong on this one, too?” 

 

 

Earlier in the show, reporter Charlie D’Agata talked to one of Afghanistan’s vice presidents and again singled out Biden: 

CHARLIE D’AGATA: He said it was a mistake for America to negotiate with the Taliban in the first place and President Biden's justification for the pull-out — 

JOE BIDEN: We degraded the terrorist threat of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.  

D’AGATA:  — he says that was misguided, too. 

AMRULLAH SALEH (Afghanistan First Vice President): The whole idea of coming to Afghanistan was to teach a lesson to terrorists, their allies, don't do it again. Have we taught them that lesson? No. 

All of this, at least acknowledging that Biden is president and responsible for decisions, is a welcome contrast to NBC. As the MRC’s Kyle Drennen wrote on Monday, Today reporter Richard Engel sounded the alarm about Afghanistan: 

All U.S. troops are supposed to be out of this country by September 11th, but here in Kabul, I can tell you there are deep concerns that the withdrawal of American forces could lead to a civil war or even the return of the Taliban, which would be disastrous for women.

But missing from the NBC report? The man making the decisions, Joe Biden, was never mentioned. There’s a lot of use of the passive voice now that Biden is president. According to the media, things just seem to happen now. 

Partial transcripts from CBS are below. Click “expand” to read more. 

CBS This Morning
5/5/2021
7:16

TONY DOKOUPIL: Taliban fighters reportedly captured a district in northern Afghanistan this morning. It's part of happen offensive against Afghan forces in more than 20 provinces as U.S. troops start to leave for good. Charlie D’Agata spoke to Afghanistan's number two leader who says the U.S. Made fundamental errors ahead of the pull-out. 

CHARLIE D’AGATA: Huge surge in violence across the country has proved Taliban militants were never going to honor U.S. Assurances to hold back attacks. First Vice President Amrullah Saleh it's self-evident. 

AMRULLAH SALEH (Afghanistan First Vice President): Taliban are not terrorists simple. 

D’AGATA: Do you trust the Taliban at all? 

SALEH: No, no. 

D’AGATA: He said it was a mistake for America to negotiate with the Taliban in the first place and President Biden's justification for the pull-out — 

JOE BIDEN: We degraded the terrorist threat of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.  

D’AGATA:  — He says that was misguided, too. 

SALEH: The whole idea of coming to Afghanistan was to teach a lesson to terrorists, their allies, don't do it again. Have we taught them that lesson? No. 

...

8:04

ANTHONY MASON: You famously said in your memoir, sir, that Mr. Biden has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the last four decades. Is he wrong on this one, too? 

ROBERT GATES: Not necessarily. I think I would have probably agreed with Secretary Austin and the Joint Chiefs in recommending keeping a small group of 2,500 or so U.S. forces just to bolster the Afghan forces. But the truth is even with those forces there, as you've just pointed out, the Taliban are making increasing gains in Afghanistan. They control more and more of the countryside with each passing day. You know, of all the possible endings in this situation, a happy one is probably the least likely. I think right now the decision that has to be made and is 
critical is to continue economic and military assistance, meaning security assistance to the Afghan government.