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Biden, the “Human Rights” President, Must Evacuate Our Afghan Allies and Secure Afghan Women’s Safety — Now

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Hold off on the “Who lost Afghanistan?” debates and “End of the American era” commentary.

Right now, there is life-saving work to be done — launching a Kabul Airlift, like the famous Berlin Airlift, and mobilizing the international community to protect Afghan women and girls — and precious little time to do it after the utter fiasco of a U.S. departure from Afghanistan just days ago.

To counter this “Kabul moment,” etched for the world in shocking images of desperate Afghans overrunning the airport runway and clinging to U.S. military aircraft as they took off, all in mortal fear of the brutal Taliban, President Joe Biden — who on the campaign trail touted human rights as central to his foreign policy — needs to mount a mammoth rescue operation, ASAP.

Biden has since gone into tight defensive crouch: While he admits the collapse of the Afghan government and military came “faster” than expected, he is expending too much time — and moral capital — insisting his decision to leave Afghanistan is correct. Most Americans agree with him (as do I), but our departure was executed so apallingly ineptly that the costs — the peril posed to our Afghan allies and Afghan women and girls — are intolerable and bound to permanently scar America’s name. But humanity, even for someone as humane as Mr. Biden, gets lost sight of in a tight defensive crouch. Stay in that couch, Mr. Biden, and you will own your Kabul moment.

ASAP, the Biden administration must turn to and go full-throttle into rescue mode. No need for mea culpa or “Sorry we didn’t understand the urgency” — though advocacy groups have pleaded with the administration for months to evacuate our Afghan allies. Just — for crying humanity’s sake — do it: Go to humanitarian rescue mode — now.

About the evacuation of our Afghan allies — the interpreters, drivers, fixers, security guards, staff at the U.S. embassy, all of whom we promised to protect: Only some 2,000 such allies and their families have been evacuated to date, while the vast bulk — 18,000 interpreters and 53,000 family members, for just one group — remain in Afghanistan, stuck and marked for death for aiding the Infidel. Advocates were furious

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Published in GEN

A former publication from Medium about politics, power, and culture. Currently inactive and not taking submissions.

Carla Seaquist
Carla Seaquist

Written by Carla Seaquist

Carla (1944-2024) examined life at the crossroads of politics, culture and the American character. New book "Across the Kitchen Table." www.carlaseaquist.com.

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