On Tuesday, the State Department released new figures on how many Americans were still trapped in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and how many more Americans and lawful citizens were rescued post-U.S. withdrawal than originally disclosed to the American people. But that evening, it was a subject that was of no interest to the liberal broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) who combined for over four minutes (4:06) of coverage on holiday shipping and carrier deadlines.
Of course, it was left up to Fox News to get the word out despite the story being a major topic of discussion during the press briefing.
“The Biden administration now says there are fewer than a dozen Americans remaining in Afghanistan who wanted to leave,” announced Special Report anchor Bret Baier to kick off the newscast. “But there is confusion over how many were initially stranded after the U.S. military withdrawal as opposed to what was said publicly by administration officials at the time.”
State Department correspondent Benjamin Hall was all over the story, calling out the discrepancies between what President Biden said after the withdrawal and what the State Department had done since:
HALL: The White House today was again forced to defend itself against discrepancies in the number of Americans left stranded in Afghanistan, after the State Department released figures showing the number was far higher than President Biden claimed in August.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: We believe that about 100 to 200 Americans remain in Afghanistan. With some intention to leave.
“But according to the State Department, since August the 31st, the U.S. has directly assisted 929 lawful residents leaving Afghanistan. 479 citizens and 450 permanent residents,” he reported.
Hall also reminded viewers of Biden’s now-broken promise to keep troops in Afghanistan until all Americans were brought home:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Are you committed to making sure that troops stay until every American who wants to be out --
BIDEN: Yes.
STEPHANOPOULOS: -- is out.
BIDEN: Yes.
“The State Department now says there are fewer than 12 Americans still left in Afghanistan who want to leave. But today, Senator Mitch McConnell believes it could be far higher,” Hall noted.
And to make things worse, a large percentage of the people evacuated from Afghanistan were not eligible for U.S. visas. “[W]hat we’ve also learned is of the 82,000 Afghans who were evacuated to the U.S. in August and September, only 30,000 of them were eligible for SIV visas, that's around 40 percent. And that also just sheds a light on how poor some of the vetting was,” Hall concluded on the subject.
The refusal to report that President Biden still has not gotten all Americans out of Afghanistan was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships Ensure on ABC, Prevagen 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
December 14, 2021
6:00:47 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: But, first, shifting numbers on Americans left on the ground in Afghanistan. Let alone the thousands of Afghan allies still there.
The Biden administration now says there are fewer than a dozen Americans remaining in Afghanistan who wanted to leave. But there is confusion over how many were initially stranded after the U.S. military withdrawal as opposed to what was said publicly by administration officials at the time.
State Department correspondent Benjamin Hall has the story tonight. Good evening, Benjamin.
BENJAMIN HALL: Yeah. Good evening, Bret. And so much about that withdrawal back in August and September revolved around how many Americans were stranded in Afghanistan and what was being done to save them? What we now know, that the figures we were given at the time they were simply not accurate.
[Cuts to video]
PRESS SECRETARY JEN PSAKI: I would just reiterate that the United States does not track or put a tracker on American citizens traveling overseas.
HALL: The White House today was again forced to defend itself against discrepancies in the number of Americans left stranded in Afghanistan, after the State Department released figures showing the number was far higher than President Biden claimed in August.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: We believe that about 100 to 200 Americans remain in Afghanistan. With some intention to leave.
HALL: Instead, today, Jen Psaki suggested the discrepancy was because some had merely changed their minds about wanting to leave.
PSAKI: There were people who determined they wanted to leave since then and it is our responsibility to help them depart.
HALL: But according to the State Department, since August the 31st, the U.S. has directly assisted 929 lawful residents leaving Afghanistan. 479 citizens and 450 permanent residents. People Biden said he wouldn't leave behind.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Are you committed to making sure that troops stay until every American who wants to be out --
BIDEN: -- Yes.
STEPHANOPOULOS: -- is out.
BIDEN: Yes.
ANTONY BLINKEN: Let me be crystal clear about this, there is no deadline on our work to help any remaining American citizens.
HALL: The State Department now says there are fewer than 12 Americans still left in Afghanistan who want to leave. But today, Senator Mitch McConnell believes it could be far higher.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): We also know that more American citizens and permitted residents remain stranded under Taliban rule than the Biden administration is willing to admit.
HALL: Meanwhile, the conditions on the ground get worse. An estimated 22.8 million people, more than half the country's population are expected to face life-threatening famine this winter. Many are already on the brink of catastrophe and the security situation is also deteriorating as ISIS-K continues to carry out attacks.
[Cuts back to live]
And Bret, what we’ve also learned is of the 82,000 Afghans who were evacuated to the U.S. in August and September, only 30,000 of them were eligible for SIV visas, that's around 40 percent. And that also just sheds a light on how poor some of the vetting was.
(…)
