Antony Blinken | Sep. 6, 2021

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​Neither Antony Blinken nor Lloyd Austin are expected to meet with the Taliban, US officials said
After Messy Pullout, Antony Blinken To Intensify Afghanistan Diplomacy

In a trip to Qatar and Germany, Antony Blinken will be overlapping with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who went for a wider Gulf visit covering Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait

Sep. 6 - A week after declaring America's "new chapter" of engagement with Afghanistan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will aim to form a united front with allies this week on how to tackle the Taliban and ensure continued support for U.S. bid to help evacuate Americans and at-risk Afghans who remained behind.

​In a trip to Qatar and Germany, Blinken will be overlapping with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who is also departing on Sunday for a wider Gulf visit covering Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

​The visit by top two U.S. national security officials comes as the Biden administration still grapples with the fallout from what is widely seen as a messy U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, criticized by President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats, as well as Republicans.

Dubbed as a "thank you" tour to the Gulf countries and Germany, who were instrumental in helping Washington evacuate thousands of people out of Kabul, Blinken will meet with senior Qatari officials in Doha and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas at Ramstein air base, where he will also co-host a ministerial meeting on Afghanistan.

Neither Blinken nor Austin are expected to meet with members of the Taliban, U.S. officials said...     more

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SEPTEMBER 3, 2021
Secretary of State Blinken on Afghanistan
​Secretary of State Antony Blinken provided an update on U.S. efforts to vet and resettle Afghans who evacuated the country after the United States announced its withdrawal and the Taliban seized control.

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Afghanistan crisis: US Secretary of State Blinken says investigation needed into 20-year war​
Sep 4, 2021
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that the country needs to “look back” at the 20-year war in Afghanistan, and that an investigation should include the State Department. He said the government needs to “ask the right questions and to learn the right lessons” from its deployment in Afghanistan. The secretary of state declined to comment on specific reports about a new Taliban-led government, but said the U.S. “has an expectation” that a new Afghan government will include non-Taliban representatives. He said the U.S. will watch any new government closely to “ensure it makes good on the commitments the Taliban have made.” Blinken also said Friday that he has “remarkable pride” in the U.S. service members who participated in the evacuation effort, stating that, especially in the case of the 13 service members killed in the attack at the Kabul airport, they “did a life’s work of service in a very short period of time.” For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/8164854/ta...

After messy pullout, Blinken to intensify Afghanistan diplomacy in Qatar, Germany

Sep. 5 - A week after declaring America's "new chapter" of engagement with Afghanistan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will aim to form a united front with allies this week on how to tackle the Taliban and ensure continued support for U.S. bid to help evacuate Americans and at-risk Afghans who remained behind.

​In a trip to Qatar and Germany, Blinken will be overlapping with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who is also departing on Sunday for a wider Gulf visit covering Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

The visit by top two U.S. national security officials comes as the Biden administration still grapples with the fallout from what is widely seen as a messy U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, criticized by President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats, as well as Republicans.

Dubbed as a "thank you" tour to the Gulf countries and Germany, who were instrumental in helping Washington evacuate thousands of people out of Kabul, Blinken will meet with senior Qatari officials in Doha and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas at Ramstein air base, where he will also co-host a ministerial meeting on Afghanistan...     more

Caldor Fire | Sep. 2, 2021

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White House says no rush to recognise Taliban

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
​White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held a briefing on the administration’s policy priorities. She responded to a variety of questions regarding the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan including reports President Biden pressured Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to misrepresent the security situation in Afghanistan. She also answered questions about evacuation efforts from the country and vetting Afghan evacuees in the United States. She spoke on other topics including a newly passed Texas abortion law, Hurricane Ida recovery efforts, and COVID-19 booster shots.

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, September 1, 2021

SEPTEMBER 01, 2021•PRESS BRIEFINGS
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
 
MS. PSAKI:  Hi, everyone.
 
Q    Good afternoon.
 
MS. PSAKI:  Good afternoon.  Okay, just a couple items for you all at the top. 
 
Another update on the hurricane.  The continuing focus on the ground is on power restoration, as nearly 1 million customers in Louisiana — more than 40 percent of the state — remain without power in the middle of a heat advisory.
 
While progress has been made in Mississippi since yesterday, 30,000 customers there still do not have electricity and power restoration.  And parts of Louisi- — and parts of Louisiana could take weeks as crews assess the full extent of power system damage.
 
To help accelerate these efforts, the President spoke with CEOs of the largest energy companies in the Gulf Coast yesterday and committed the full weight of the federal government to providing resources wherever they are needed. 
 
As part of that, the federal government is sharing aerial and satellite imagery to support damage assessments, helping with debris removal and traffic control so restoration workers and equipment can get access to downed wires and poles, and expediting permitting for rerunning of transmission cable across the Mississippi River and for standing up transmission towers.
 
Federal personnel from DOE, the Army Corps of Engineers, and across government are on the ground assisting efforts along with, as I’ve noted previously, 25,000 linemen.
 
Lack of power and damage to the health — healthcare facilities in Louisiana remains a significant problem.  We are prioritizing the deployment of generators to locations most in need, and about 1,800 patients, as of today, have been evacuated from healthcare facilities with the help of additional ambulances that were pre-staged by FEMA...     more

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SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
Defense Secretary Austin and Joint Chiefs Chair General Milley on Afghanistan
​Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Mark Milley held a briefing at the Pentagon to discuss the end of the military mission in Afghanistan. After saying that “America’s longest war has come to a close,” Defense Secretary Austin said, “my thoughts have been with the brave Americans who stood up to serve after al-Qaida attacked us on September 11, 2001. And my heart is with their families and loved ones.” General Milley said that even though the military mission has concluded in Afghanistan, they will continue to evacuate American citizens under the direction of the State Department as “this mission has now transitioned from a military mission to a diplomatic mission.” During their remarks, they announced that there have been approximately 6,000 Americans and 124,334 civilians evacuated from Afghanist

Secretary of Defense Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Milley Press Briefing

SEPT. 1, 2021

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley; Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby

​SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Good afternoon, and thanks for being here.
It's been a busy time for all of us in this department, a proud one and a solemn one, too. We have concluded our historic evacuation operation and ended the last mission of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. America's longest war has come to a close.

Now, both as secretary and as a veteran of our Afghan war, my thoughts have been with the brave Americans who stood up to serve after Al Qaida attacked us on September 11th, 2001, and my heart is with their families and loved ones, and with our friends and allies, and with our fellow citizens whose lives were lost or changed forever over 20 years of war. We remember 2,461 American service members and personnel who paid the ultimate price in this war, and more than 20,000 wounded Americans, some still carrying the scars that you can't see on the outside.

We also remember the thousands of American contractors who lost their lives, and hundreds of our allies and partners from NATO and beyond, and tens of thousands of Afghan soldiers and police officers and tens of thousands more Afghan civilians.
Now, we have just concluded the largest air evacuation of civilians in American history. It was heroic, it was historic, and I hope that all Americans will unite to thank our service members for their courage and their compassion. They were operating in an immensely dangerous and dynamic environment but our troops were tireless, fearless and selfless. Our commanders never flinched and our allies and partners were extraordinary.

The United States evacuated some 6,000 American citizens and a total of more than 124,000 civilians and we did it all in the midst of a pandemic and in the face of grave and growing threats. I am incredibly proud of those who made it happen, and they made it happen with grit and skill and humanity...     more

US–Afghanistan Relations Enter Next Phase
​Sep. 2, 2021

Now that America’s longest war is over, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and General Mark Milley announce that America’s role in Afghanistan will transition from a military mission to a diplomatic one. They also showed their respect for the service members who died in the 20-year-long war.

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SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
President Biden Meets with Ukrainian President Zelensky
​President Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss relations between the two nations at the White House. The Ukrainian leader raised a number of issues, including national security and accession to NATO and the ongoing pandemic response.

Remarks by President Biden and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine Before Bilateral Meeting
​
SEPTEMBER 01, 2021•SPEECHES AND REMARKS

Oval Office
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  It’s an honor and a pleasure to welcome President Zelenskyy to the White House, to the Oval Office.

As we celebrate 30 years of Ukrainian independence, the partnership between our nations grows stronger, and it’s going to even become stronger than it has been.

Ukraine and the United States have a similar value system and the strong commitment to the fil- — the fulfillment of a promise that we hope all will come forward, and that is a Europe whole, free, and at peace.

And the United States remains firmly committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression and — and — our support for Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

Today, we’re going to discuss how the U.S. can continue to support Ukraine as it advances its democratic reforms, agenda, and movement toward being completely integrated in Europe.

We’re revitalizing the Strategic Partnership Commission between our nations.  And we’re also creating a new strategic defense framework and a new $60 million security assistance package, as well as a new energy and climate dialogue to help Ukraine diversify its energy supplies while supporting our climate goals relating to global warming.

And, of course, we’ll talk about our ongoing fight against COVID-19.  And the United States has donated 2.2 million vaccines to — through — to Ukraine through COVAX.  And we’re going to continue to work to provide more as well.

​We have much to talk about.  And I still remember the opportunity that I had to speak to the Rada years ago, and I look forward to being able to come back some day to see you...     more

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Biden promises US support against 'Russian aggression' in meeting with Ukraine's Zelensky

Sep. 2, 2021

Plea to join NATO 

​...The hard reality facing Zelensky, however, is that his most ambitious goals for the US-Ukrainian relationship face slow going.

In the Oval Office, he raised his government's top strategic dream -- membership in the NATO military alliance.

"I would like to discuss with President Biden his vision, his government's vision of Ukraine's chances to join NATO and the timeframe," he said.

But Biden has made clear he considers Ukraine far from ready to join -- and the United States far from ready to step over what Russia sees as a bright red line.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki insisted the White House continues "to support and we continue to call for ensuring that NATO's door remains open to aspirants."

However, she then enumerated the daunting conditions for membership: rule of law reforms, defense sector modernization and a vibrant economy.

"There are steps that Ukraine needs to take. They're very familiar with these," she said.

Zelensky has also been hugely disappointed by Biden's decision to waive US sanctions intended to block completion of Russian state energy behemoth Gazprom's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.

But Zelensky later told reporters Biden had assured him the United States would impose sanctions on the pipeline if there were "violations" from Russia after the start of Nord Stream 2 operations that would create problems for Ukraine's energy security.

The White House says it remains concerned by the geostrategic implications of the pipeline, which will funnel energy directly from Russia to Germany, bypassing the previous route through Ukraine. 

However, Biden argued the project had already been nearly finished by the time he got into office and could not be stopped.

The limitations on the relationship were neatly illustrated in June, when Zelensky's bid to meet with Biden first before the US leader held a June summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva was rejected...     quoted from

NBC Nightly News Full Broadcast - September 1st, 2021
Sep 2, 2021
Ida unleashes tornadoes and flooding in Maryland as the storm hammers the East Coast, inside the race to restore power in Louisiana, and crews brace for Caldor Fire a few miles from South Lake Tahoe.
00:00 Intro
02:14 Ida Slams East Coast
08:04 Explosive California Wildfire
09:39 Elijah McClain Death Charges
12:09 Americans Trapped In Afghanistan
13:56 Texas Abortion Law
​16:26 Kids Returning To Class

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FEMA | Aug. 29, 2021

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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Mississippi Emergency Declaration

AUGUST 28, 2021•STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
​Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the State of Mississippi and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State, Tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Ida beginning on August 28, 2021, and continuing.

The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Adams, Amite, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Stone, Walthall, Wayne, and Wilkinson and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.  Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding. 

​Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Thomas J. McCool as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

AUGUST 28, 2021
​Defense Department Briefing on Afghanistan Evacuations
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby and Army Major General Hank Taylor held a news conference on U.S. efforts to evacuate Americans and Afghans after the fall of the country to the Taliban. They responded to questions about Kabul airport security, the counterterrorism operation conducted against ISIS-K, and the current threat assessment in Afghanistan. While providing an overview of the counterterrorism operation conducted against ISIS-K for the attack outside of the Kabul airport, Major General Hank Taylor announced that two high profile ISIS targets were killed and one wounded, and that there were no known civilian casualties. He also announced that to date, there have been approximately 117,000 evacuated from Afghanistan, with a vast majority of the evacuees being Afghans.

General Says Despite Attack, 'Noble Mission' of Evacuation Will Continue
AUG. 27, 2021 | BY DAVID VERGUN

Despite a suicide attack near the entrance to Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai International Airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and injured others, the "noble mission" to evacuate American and eligible Afghans out of the country will continue, said the Joint Staff deputy director for regional operations.

At a press briefing this morning, Army Maj. Gen. William D. "Hank" Taylor and Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby expressed heartfelt condolences on behalf of the Defense Department to the families of those killed or injured, Afghans as well as Americans.
 
"This is a devastating time for these Gold Star families, a title no one wants to hold,
but we absolutely hold in the utmost respect," said Taylor.

"Force protection remains paramount with the continued threat," he said.

Taylor said two flights carrying the wounded landed today at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Those service members were then transferred to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for care. Afghans injured in the attack are being treated in Kabul, Afghanistan.

In the last 24 hours, 35 U.S. military aircraft consisting of 29 C-17 and six C-130s departed the Kabul airport with about 8,500 personnel. There were also 54 coalition aircraft departures, he said.

A total of 12,500 people were evacuated from Afghanistan in a 24-hour period yesterday, he added. Also in the past 24 hours, over 300 U.S. citizens were evacuated, bringing the total number of American evacuees to about 5,100.

​There are still about 5,400 people at the airport awaiting flights out of Afghanistan, Taylor said. "We have the ability to include evacuees on U.S. military air airlift out of Afghanistan until the very end."

A number of nations in the region and in Europe have allowed evacuees to land for further screening en route to the U.S. Taylor said "I cannot say enough how important the contribution of our allies and our partners has been in this massive global operation."

Once the evacuees land in the U.S., they move on to one of several locations set to receive them.  
Those locations, Kirby said, now include Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia; Fort Pickett, Virginia; and Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey; Fort McCoy, Wisconsin; Fort Bliss, Texas; and Fort Lee, Virginia, were already receiving evacuees and continue to do so.

Spotlight: Afghanistan Evacuation: DOD Response 

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Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby and Major General Hank Taylor, Deputy Director of the Joint Staff For Regional Operations Press Briefing

AUG. 28, 2021

Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby; Major General Hank Taylor, Deputy Director of the Joint Staff For Regional Operations, J-35

MAJOR GENERAL HANK TAYLOR: Good morning, everyone. I'll get right into our operational update for today. Yesterday U.S. military forces conducted an Over-the-Horizon counterterrorism operation against an ISIS-K planner and facilitator. The air strike occurred in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan. I can confirm that as more information has come in that two high
profile ISIS targets were killed and one was wounded and we know of zero civilian casualties.

​Without specifying any future plans, I will say that we will continue to have the ability to defend ourselves and to leverage Over-the-Horizon capability to conduct counterterrorism operations as needed. 

We continue to evacuate American citizens and vulnerable Afghans out of Kabul. In fact, there are approximately 1,400 individuals at the Kabul airport who have been screened and manifested for flights today.

As I said yesterday, we have the ability to include evacuees on military airlift out of Afghanistan until the very end. This is a massive military, diplomatic, security and humanitarian undertaking for the United States and our allies. And so I'll give you a specific update of the last 24. 

Yesterday 32 U.S. military aircraft, 27 C-17s and five C-130s departed with approximately 4,000 personnel. Combined with 34 coalition aircraft and departures, an additional 2,800 personnel left Kabul for various intermediate staging bases. Sixty-six flights left out of Kabul yesterday in that 24-hour period with 6,800 evacuees. Today I can report an updated total evacuation that is more than 117,000. The vast majority of which are Afghans. Of this total number, approximately 5,400 are American citizens. 

This is an incredible number of people who are now safer thanks to the heroism of the young men and women who are putting their lives on the line each day to evacuate American and vulnerable Afghans out of Kabul. Threats to our forces and to this operation remain real and significant. I'm sure you can appreciate that...     more