(TheRedWire.com) – On Monday, August 23, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the US government would not strand Americans in Afghanistan. But, unfortunately, it appears that promise might not be one the administration can keep.
With the deadline quickly approaching, the US military is already reducing its presence in the country. That could spell disaster for those stuck behind enemy lines, unable to make it to the evacuation point. In addition, some in Congress are openly questioning how the administration plans to get everyone out safely.
BREAKING: Internal govt figures show the Biden admin is poised to leave several thousand Americans behind enemy lines once the military exits Aug 31.@ShelbyTalcott reportinghttps://t.co/8ZEGU9Sw4f
— Geoffrey Ingersoll (@GPIngersoll) August 24, 2021
The Pentagon appears to be implementing a no-numbers policy. When asked how many Americans are still in Afghanistan, the administration will only provide vague references. On Tuesday, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) stated the Pentagon told him they have successfully evacuated 4,000 Americans from the war-torn country.
Unofficial estimates based on numbers from February suggest as many as 8,000 Americans may remain in the country. Based on that information, if the US military evacuates 350 Americans per day, as many as 5,550 Americans could be stranded in Afghanistan. Who knows what the Taliban might do to them?
Numbers relayed by the White House on Tuesday indicated Allied forces evacuated 21,600 people in 24 hours, including 350 US citizens. Despite doubts from lawmakers that the Biden administration will extract all US citizens out of the country, Psaki continues to believe the military is on track to finish by the deadline.
Numbers to date don’t reinforce her belief. We’ll update you on this volatile, changing story as new information becomes available.
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