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AUGUST 12, 2021
State Department Briefing | C-SPAN.org
Spokesperson Ned Price announced the State Department would reduce its civilian footprint at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul over the coming weeks. He added that the Defense Department will send three thousand troops to Afghanistan temporarily to facilitate the drawdown of personnel
State Department Briefing | C-SPAN.org
Spokesperson Ned Price announced the State Department would reduce its civilian footprint at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul over the coming weeks. He added that the Defense Department will send three thousand troops to Afghanistan temporarily to facilitate the drawdown of personnel
Taliban advances in Afghanistan, U.S. and Britain to evacuate embassies
Aug. 13 - The Taliban claimed control over two of Afghanistan's biggest cities on Thursday, according to media reports, as the United States and Britain said they would send thousands of troops to help evacuate their embassy staff.
The capture of Kandahar and Herat - the country's second and third largest cities - would represent the Taliban's two biggest military victories since they began a broad offensive in May.
The fall of major cities was a sign that Afghans welcome the Taliban, a spokesperson for the group said, according to Al Jazeera TV.
The U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday and told him the United States "remains invested in the security and stability of Afghanistan". They also said the United States was committed to supporting a political solution to the conflict.
In response to the Taliban's swift and violent advances, the Pentagon said it would send about 3,000 extra troops within 48 hours to help evacuate embassy staff.
"We expect to draw down to a core diplomatic presence in Afghanistan in the coming weeks," said State Department spokesperson Ned Price, adding the embassy was not closed. A person familiar with the matter said there were no guarantees the embassy would remain open.
The State Department said it would also increase the tempo of Special Immigration Visa flights for Afghans who helped the U.S. effort in the country... more
Aug. 13 - The Taliban claimed control over two of Afghanistan's biggest cities on Thursday, according to media reports, as the United States and Britain said they would send thousands of troops to help evacuate their embassy staff.
The capture of Kandahar and Herat - the country's second and third largest cities - would represent the Taliban's two biggest military victories since they began a broad offensive in May.
The fall of major cities was a sign that Afghans welcome the Taliban, a spokesperson for the group said, according to Al Jazeera TV.
The U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday and told him the United States "remains invested in the security and stability of Afghanistan". They also said the United States was committed to supporting a political solution to the conflict.
In response to the Taliban's swift and violent advances, the Pentagon said it would send about 3,000 extra troops within 48 hours to help evacuate embassy staff.
"We expect to draw down to a core diplomatic presence in Afghanistan in the coming weeks," said State Department spokesperson Ned Price, adding the embassy was not closed. A person familiar with the matter said there were no guarantees the embassy would remain open.
The State Department said it would also increase the tempo of Special Immigration Visa flights for Afghans who helped the U.S. effort in the country... more
AUGUST 12, 2021
Defense Department Briefing
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby announced the Defense Department would send 3 thousand troops to Afghanistan temporarily to aid in the removal of U.S. civilians and Afghan refugees from the country.
Defense Department Briefing
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby announced the Defense Department would send 3 thousand troops to Afghanistan temporarily to aid in the removal of U.S. civilians and Afghan refugees from the country.
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds a Press Briefing on Afghanistan
AUG. 12, 2021
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby
PRESS SECRETARY JOHN F. KIRBY: Afternoon, everybody. Just a couple of things at the top here. As you know, and I'm sure you heard from my colleague over at the State Department, the president has ordered the reduction of civilian personnel at our embassy in Kabul and the acceleration of the evacuation of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicants from the country.
To enable this safe, orderly reduction, the Secretary of Defense has directed the department to position temporary enabling capabilities to ensure the safety and security of U.S. and partner civilian personnel. I'm going to break this down for you just real quick.
The first movement will consist of three infantry battalions that are currently in the Central Command area of responsibility. They will move to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul within the next 24 to 48 hours. Two of those battalions are United States Marines and one is a U.S. Army battalion.
The next movement will consist of a joint U.S. Army-Air Force support element of around 1,000 personnel to facilitate the processing of SIV applicants. Initial elements of this movement -- of this element will arrive in Qatar in the coming days.
The third movement is to alert and to deploy one infantry brigade combat team out of Fort Bragg to Kuwait, where they will be postured and prepared, if needed, to provide additional security at the airport. We anticipate those forces will reach Kuwait sometime within the next week.
Now, I want to stress that these forces are being deployed to support the orderly and safe reduction of civilian personnel at the request of the State Department and to help facilitate an accelerated process of -- of working through SIV applicants. This is a temporary mission with a narrow focus. As with all deployments of our troops into harm's way, our commanders have the inherent right of self defense and any attack on them can and will be met with a forceful and an appropriate response.
As Ned Price, my colleague at the State Department, highlighted earlier, Secretary Austin did join Secretary Blinken in a phone call this morning with President Ghani. These conversations with allies and partners will continue to ensure close coordination going forward... more
AUG. 12, 2021
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby
PRESS SECRETARY JOHN F. KIRBY: Afternoon, everybody. Just a couple of things at the top here. As you know, and I'm sure you heard from my colleague over at the State Department, the president has ordered the reduction of civilian personnel at our embassy in Kabul and the acceleration of the evacuation of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicants from the country.
To enable this safe, orderly reduction, the Secretary of Defense has directed the department to position temporary enabling capabilities to ensure the safety and security of U.S. and partner civilian personnel. I'm going to break this down for you just real quick.
The first movement will consist of three infantry battalions that are currently in the Central Command area of responsibility. They will move to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul within the next 24 to 48 hours. Two of those battalions are United States Marines and one is a U.S. Army battalion.
The next movement will consist of a joint U.S. Army-Air Force support element of around 1,000 personnel to facilitate the processing of SIV applicants. Initial elements of this movement -- of this element will arrive in Qatar in the coming days.
The third movement is to alert and to deploy one infantry brigade combat team out of Fort Bragg to Kuwait, where they will be postured and prepared, if needed, to provide additional security at the airport. We anticipate those forces will reach Kuwait sometime within the next week.
Now, I want to stress that these forces are being deployed to support the orderly and safe reduction of civilian personnel at the request of the State Department and to help facilitate an accelerated process of -- of working through SIV applicants. This is a temporary mission with a narrow focus. As with all deployments of our troops into harm's way, our commanders have the inherent right of self defense and any attack on them can and will be met with a forceful and an appropriate response.
As Ned Price, my colleague at the State Department, highlighted earlier, Secretary Austin did join Secretary Blinken in a phone call this morning with President Ghani. These conversations with allies and partners will continue to ensure close coordination going forward... more
After US, UK; Canada to send troops to Afghanistan
Aug. 13 - Canada decided to send an unknown number of Special Forces to Afghanistan before closing its embassy in the war-ravaged country.
Sources on the condition of anonymity told associated press that the country wants to evacuate all staff in the Kabul-based embassy.
The decision comes a day after United States announced to send 3 thousand troops back to Afghanistan to assist the evacuation of personnel from the US embassy in Kabul.
Pentagon on Thursday announced that two infantry battalions will be deployed to Kabul in two days to assist Hamid Karzai International airport with the partial embassy evacuation.
Pentagon’s spokesperson John Kirby also said that additional one thousand members of the Army-Air Force will be sent to Qatar to help with visa processing of the current vacation of Afghan translators.
America currently has 650 men in uniform who are securing Hamid Karzai Airport and will leave the country after handing over the responsibility to Turkish troops.
On the same move, Britain has also decided to send 600 troops to Afghanistan for the same purpose the US and Canada aim to do.
Afghanistan is currently experiencing the worst security situation in the past twenty years as the Taliban has taken 14 provinces in the past 8 days. source from
Aug. 13 - Canada decided to send an unknown number of Special Forces to Afghanistan before closing its embassy in the war-ravaged country.
Sources on the condition of anonymity told associated press that the country wants to evacuate all staff in the Kabul-based embassy.
The decision comes a day after United States announced to send 3 thousand troops back to Afghanistan to assist the evacuation of personnel from the US embassy in Kabul.
Pentagon on Thursday announced that two infantry battalions will be deployed to Kabul in two days to assist Hamid Karzai International airport with the partial embassy evacuation.
Pentagon’s spokesperson John Kirby also said that additional one thousand members of the Army-Air Force will be sent to Qatar to help with visa processing of the current vacation of Afghan translators.
America currently has 650 men in uniform who are securing Hamid Karzai Airport and will leave the country after handing over the responsibility to Turkish troops.
On the same move, Britain has also decided to send 600 troops to Afghanistan for the same purpose the US and Canada aim to do.
Afghanistan is currently experiencing the worst security situation in the past twenty years as the Taliban has taken 14 provinces in the past 8 days. source from
Peter Dutton says the government is working to extract remaining Australians in Afghanistan.
Allies to help Australia on Afghan rescues
Aug. 13 - Australia will work with allied forces to extract citizens and visa holders from Afghanistan where the Taliban is making rapid battlefield gains.
Insurgents have taken control of 12 of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals with the United States and Australia ending a 20-year presence in the war-torn country.
The UK is deploying about 600 troops to help British citizens leave the country, while the US plans to send in 3000 to help evacuate some personnel from its embassy in Kabul.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia was working closely with the US and other nations engaged in getting people out of Afghanistan.
"We'll be working closely with them including when necessary using Australian Defence Force personnel to assist in securing that outcome," he told reporters in Canberra on Friday.
"Both for the safe passage of people who we are taking out of Afghanistan to Australia and also the remaining people who may still be there.
"It is a very serious issue and it is one the government has been progressing very carefully now for many, many months."
Since April about 400 Afghans who helped Australia's military efforts have been resettled through a special visa program for locally engaged employees.
"We have made a lot of ground on this issue in the last few months. We'll continue to do that," Mr Morrison said... more
Allies to help Australia on Afghan rescues
Aug. 13 - Australia will work with allied forces to extract citizens and visa holders from Afghanistan where the Taliban is making rapid battlefield gains.
Insurgents have taken control of 12 of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals with the United States and Australia ending a 20-year presence in the war-torn country.
The UK is deploying about 600 troops to help British citizens leave the country, while the US plans to send in 3000 to help evacuate some personnel from its embassy in Kabul.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia was working closely with the US and other nations engaged in getting people out of Afghanistan.
"We'll be working closely with them including when necessary using Australian Defence Force personnel to assist in securing that outcome," he told reporters in Canberra on Friday.
"Both for the safe passage of people who we are taking out of Afghanistan to Australia and also the remaining people who may still be there.
"It is a very serious issue and it is one the government has been progressing very carefully now for many, many months."
Since April about 400 Afghans who helped Australia's military efforts have been resettled through a special visa program for locally engaged employees.
"We have made a lot of ground on this issue in the last few months. We'll continue to do that," Mr Morrison said... more
Staying in Afghanistan wasn’t an option
Cities are falling to the Taliban at a rapid pace, but the conditions for failure were set long before the US troop withdrawal this summer.
Aug. 13 - Since 2002, the United States has spent nearly $145 billion on reconstruction activities in Afghanistan. Of that sum, $88 billion (or roughly 61 percent of the entire total) was earmarked for building, arming, equipping, and training a professional Afghan national army and police force. Supported by the most capable air force in the world and backstopped by U.S. intelligence assistance and unconditional diplomatic support from the international community, the Afghan government was, until now, in reasonably decent shape against the Taliban.
For the political elite in Kabul, having the U.S. respond whenever their troops came under fire was a pretty good arrangement. But for Washington, maintaining this kind of status-quo indefinitely was a drag on resources and bureaucratic attention (not to mention costly for the thousands of U.S. troops who were ordered to ensure Kabul didn’t collapse).
Indeed, while the vast majority of the American public supported using U.S. military force in Afghanistan to retaliate against Al-Qaeda and its Taliban enablers for the 9/11 attacks, Americans were never particularly enthralled with using their military to construct an Afghan state from scratch (even the late Donald Rumsfeld wasn’t gushing to get into the state-building business). Successive U.S. administrations, however, gradually shifted the mission in this direction —and U.S. officials couldn’t have picked a tougher place to do it. When President Biden announced in April that U.S. forces would depart Afghanistan by September, the nation breathed a sigh of relief. Three months after Biden’s speech in the White House, 70 percent of Americans remained supportive of the withdrawal.
Of course, just because a decision is popular doesn’t mean it’s necessarily right... more
Cities are falling to the Taliban at a rapid pace, but the conditions for failure were set long before the US troop withdrawal this summer.
Aug. 13 - Since 2002, the United States has spent nearly $145 billion on reconstruction activities in Afghanistan. Of that sum, $88 billion (or roughly 61 percent of the entire total) was earmarked for building, arming, equipping, and training a professional Afghan national army and police force. Supported by the most capable air force in the world and backstopped by U.S. intelligence assistance and unconditional diplomatic support from the international community, the Afghan government was, until now, in reasonably decent shape against the Taliban.
For the political elite in Kabul, having the U.S. respond whenever their troops came under fire was a pretty good arrangement. But for Washington, maintaining this kind of status-quo indefinitely was a drag on resources and bureaucratic attention (not to mention costly for the thousands of U.S. troops who were ordered to ensure Kabul didn’t collapse).
Indeed, while the vast majority of the American public supported using U.S. military force in Afghanistan to retaliate against Al-Qaeda and its Taliban enablers for the 9/11 attacks, Americans were never particularly enthralled with using their military to construct an Afghan state from scratch (even the late Donald Rumsfeld wasn’t gushing to get into the state-building business). Successive U.S. administrations, however, gradually shifted the mission in this direction —and U.S. officials couldn’t have picked a tougher place to do it. When President Biden announced in April that U.S. forces would depart Afghanistan by September, the nation breathed a sigh of relief. Three months after Biden’s speech in the White House, 70 percent of Americans remained supportive of the withdrawal.
Of course, just because a decision is popular doesn’t mean it’s necessarily right... more
NBC Nightly News Broadcast (Full) - August 12th, 2021
Aug 13, 2021
U.S. troops to assist in American evacuations in Afghanistan, FDA expected to authorize third vaccine dose for immunocompromised people, and companies telling work-from-home employees to expect pay cut.
00:00 Intro
02:07 Americans Ordered To Evacuate Afghanistan
05:45 Alarming Delta Variant Surge
11:30 Double Threat For Children
13:02 Work From Home Pay Cuts?
14:55 Justice For All: Manhattan DA
17:48 Rising Back To School Costs
19:35 Inspiring America: Field Of Dreams
Aug 13, 2021
U.S. troops to assist in American evacuations in Afghanistan, FDA expected to authorize third vaccine dose for immunocompromised people, and companies telling work-from-home employees to expect pay cut.
00:00 Intro
02:07 Americans Ordered To Evacuate Afghanistan
05:45 Alarming Delta Variant Surge
11:30 Double Threat For Children
13:02 Work From Home Pay Cuts?
14:55 Justice For All: Manhattan DA
17:48 Rising Back To School Costs
19:35 Inspiring America: Field Of Dreams
