It was a week ago when Jen Psaki said she’d have to circle back to a reporter who’d asked if the deadline for getting U.S. troops out of Afghanistan was midnight on August 30 or August 31. It’s midnight in Kabul, and reports are that the last American planes have left the airport. Depending on whom you check with, you’ll either be deluged with sighs of relief that America’s longest war is finally over or outraged that there are still Americans who couldn’t get to the airport on time.
With the last US planes having left Afghanistan, the Pentagon announces the end of America's longest war.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 30, 2021
BREAKING: Last plane carrying American troops has departed Kabul; United States ends presence in Afghanistan after nearly 20 years: U.S. officials
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) August 30, 2021
JUST IN — The Pentagon confirms that the final plane carrying American troops has left Hamid Karzai International Airport.
The evacuation effort is over.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 30, 2021
The last American military plane just left Afghanistan, stranding hundreds of Americans behind.
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) August 30, 2021
#breaking US official to me: “final plane is wheels up. War is over.”
— Naveed Jamali (@NaveedAJamali) August 30, 2021
Half right https://t.co/tQub0Gv5P4
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) August 30, 2021
Note it is officially Aug 31st in Afghanistan. So the flight has left by the agreed date.
— Naveed Jamali (@NaveedAJamali) August 30, 2021
All fixed
— Laurie Kilmartin- Flappers Burbank Oct 1-2 (@anylaurie16) August 30, 2021
Gen. Kenneth McKenzie says that “the vast majority” of those who wanted to leave have been evacuated:
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Gen. McKenzie says more than 6,000 U.S. civilians were evacuated from Afghanistan, "which we believe represents the vast majority of those who wanted to leave at this time" https://t.co/iVyRSHED1J pic.twitter.com/dK2nT9w4MP
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 30, 2021
He also noted that the last five military planes to leave Afghanistan didn’t have any Americans on them:
Gen. McKenzie says of the last 5 military planes that left Afghanistan: "We were not able to bring any Americans out… none of them made it to the airport and were able to be accommodated."
— Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) August 30, 2021
So, how many Americans are “trapped” in Afghanistan? (Psaki will certainly call it “irresponsible” to say they’re trapped.)
CENTCOM Commander says there are "hundreds" of American citizens still in Afghanistan after the last C-17 departed Kabul.
— Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) August 30, 2021
State Dept official tells @rafsanchez: there are a bit fewer than 250 Americans still trapped in Afghanistan.
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) August 30, 2021
But not "stranded". Just trapped, right?
— Sandy 〽️ (@RightGlockMom) August 30, 2021
Multiply anything they say by 10.
— John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt (@debeehr) August 30, 2021
Normal people refer to statements like this as, “A lie."
— Will Collier (@willcollier) August 30, 2021
Some say thousands
— 🇨🇺 Woke Rasputin 🇨🇺 (@MrJames55905855) August 30, 2021
Even ONE trapped American is too many
— SkimMilk945 (@SMilk945) August 30, 2021
"a bit fewer"? Is that supposed to be a win, somehow?
— Caffeinated American (@LynnRichterBlog) August 30, 2021
Biden’s first hostage crisis.
— idle worshiper (@comicaltheories) August 30, 2021
President Biden just said those responsible for the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members would be hunted down and made to pay. Did that drone strike on a car bomb count as paid in full? We’re done?
God help those left behind.
— Susan Marie (@salsanbluechips) August 30, 2021
Now, the hostage crisis
— John C. Barry (@ShrinkGov) August 30, 2021
Make Americans Hostages Again.
— 1956TheMick (@1956The) August 30, 2021
Can anyone ask @PressSec if the words “stranded” or “abandoned” apply now?
— Dennis (Down 11lbs 👍🏻) (@FormallySomeone) August 30, 2021
It is irresponsible to call them stranded. More like left for dead.
— Still Here (@NotReallyGone) August 30, 2021
They’re not stranded, they’re just left with no way to get out.
— Flyover Country (@FlyoverStateKS) August 30, 2021
I was told there would be no one stranded.
— Andrew Wooddell (@AndrewWooddell) August 30, 2021
They wanted to stay, Michael.
— Ian Haworth (@ighaworth) August 30, 2021
We’re taking that as satire.
Put this war in the L column 🤦♂️
— (Pace) (@PW_Mpls) August 30, 2021
Horrible.
— Father Josh faces the East (@FatherJosh6) August 30, 2021
No words for how livid I am!
— Nettie (@Nettie13521954) August 30, 2021
This just in from Biden…..
"It was a resounding success!!!!"🙄
— Painfully Bemused #DearDemocrats_WE_TOLD_YOU_SO (@bjones306) August 30, 2021
Coming soon: Biden administration revokes citizenship of all those left in Afghanistan and announces no Americans left behind.
— TShirts Designs (@DigiScribeMerch) August 30, 2021
In any case, Biden has made it clear that his focus was on ending a 20-year war, not evacuating Americans and military equipment, so he’ll declare this a rousing victory and take a victory lap on 9/11 that we’re out of Afghanistan.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban proclaim 'full independence' of Afghanistan after last U.S. troops fly out.
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) August 30, 2021
Folks are all ginned up for 'war is over' headlines and trying to make this about forever war but the catastrophic withdrawal is not over, Americans remain stranded, our allies remain threatened and the White House is not being transparent about any of it.
— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) August 30, 2021
Related:
‘You’re not’! Sean Parnell isn’t buying what Biden’s selling about doing ‘everything we can’ to rescue stranded Americans https://t.co/wjsFfAu32r
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 26, 2021
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