Hannity blasts Joe Biden over Afghanistan 'hostage situation'

‘This is a hostage situation on a massive scale’: Hannity blasts Joe Biden for capitulating to Taliban and warns that ‘many of our fellow Americans are behind enemy lines’

  • Hannity criticized Biden’s hard August 31 deadline for US withdrawal from Kabul
  • He spoke about Americans who still remain in the country ‘behind enemy lines’
  • The Fox News host also mentioned how the US summary of a call between Biden and France’s Emmanuel Macron omitted a warning not to ‘abandon’ allies 
  • The Taliban are opposed to an extension for withdrawal, calling it a ‘red line’ 
  • ‘If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations – the answer is no,’ a Taliban spokesman said Monday in an interview with Sky News
  • The US has evacuated 48,000 people from Afghanistan since August 14, including close to 11,000 just on Monday 

Sean Hannity condemned President Joe Biden for creating ‘a hostage situation on a massive scale’ over plans to withdraw from Afghanistan by August 31 despite warnings that not all Americans will be rescued.

‘Our fellow Americans are behind enemy lines and the hard Taliban deadline is approaching in eight days. A horrific crisis, no end in sight,’ the Fox News host said on his show Monday night.

The US says it’s difficult to count the number of US citizens still in Afghanistan, since not all of them registered with the embassy. Meanwhile, Taliban leaders have also indicated they’ll run out of patience with evacuation efforts if they continue beyond August 31. 

‘Now, it’s our responsibility to find them,’ National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Monday.

Hannity’s comments came after US House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff revealed it was ‘unlikely’ that everyone who needed to be rescued would leave the Taliban-run country before Biden’s deadline.

Fox News’ Sean Hannity slammed Biden’s decision not to extend withdrawal from Afghanistan

He criticized the Biden administration for scrubbing the contents of a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, in which Macron called on the US not to ‘abandon’ allies

They include Afghans who helped the US and the Afghan military, along with their families, activists, journalists, and others.

According to the White House, 10,900 people were evacuated from Kabul between 3am and 3pm on Monday. 

They got out on 15 US military flights carrying 6,660 evacuees, plus 34 coalition flights carrying 4,300 people – that puts the number of people evacuated from Afghanistan since August 14 at 48,000.

The US evacuated close to 11,000 people on Monday, and 48,000 since August 14. President Biden has said he is negotiating with the Taliban to extend the perimeter around the airport

Hannity says the speed of the rescue efforts is falling short.

‘Every American who wants to get home can get home, but then Joe Biden said last week I can’t guarantee the outcome,’ Hannity said.

‘You know it’s irresponsible? Abandoning the Air Force base leaving thousands of unarmed fellow citizens helpless to the whims of the radical terrorist group and the Taliban. The only way any American can even make it to the airport is if, and only if, the Taliban allows them and they’re not allowing everybody.’

He continued: ‘You know what else is irresponsible? Abandoning interpreters and translators and drivers, each one that put their necks on the line to help US troops over the 20-year period of time. Now the French President Emmanuel Macron is now lecturing and accusing him of moral cowardice that reminded Mr. Biden of the collective moral responsibility towards the Afghan men and women, we cannot abandon them.’

Hannity called the Taliban ‘evil killers.’ Above, Taliban patrol the streets of Kabul on Sunday

Taliban forces, above in a vehicle, patrol the streets of Kabul and man checkpoints, some of which lead to the airport, which is the center of US evacuation efforts

Hannity referenced an August 19 call between Biden and Macron.

The French president spoke about the two countries’ ‘collective responsibility’ to not ‘abandon’ the Afghans who ‘share our values,’ according to an official summary of the call written by Macron’s office.

The US readout did not include the remarks about abandonment, instead focusing on the ‘importance of continued close coordination among allies.’

‘In the White House, how did they respond? They alter the conversations of Americans couldn’t see that part,’ Hannity said.

‘Make no mistake, they are evil killers. A few days ago, one woman was being to death for refusing to cook for Taliban fighters. One local Afghan police chief was executed after surrendering to the Taliban. Religious and ethnic minorities are frequently killed and tortured. Don’t forget ISIS and Al Qaeda now reemerged in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,’ Hannity added, referencing the new name of the Afghan state under Taliban rule.

Speaking outside the US Capitol after an intelligence briefing on Monday evening, Schiff said some people may stay behind if Biden doesn’t extend the deadline to evacuate the country after 20 years of US occupation. 

‘Given the number of Americans who still need to be evacuated, the number of SIVs (special interest visas), the number of others who are members of the Afghan press, civil society leaders women leaders, it’s hard for me to imagine all of that can be accomplished between now and the end of the month,’ Schiff said. 

The fate of evacuees also likes in the hands of the Taliban, who remain opposed to an extension.

‘You can say it’s a red line,’ Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Sky News in an interview Monday about US forces staying after the 31st.

‘If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations – the answer is no,’ Shaheen said. ‘Or there would be consequences.’

Biden began talks about evacuation efforts outside of the airport last week, though the US has declined to reveal specific sites out of security concerns.

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