Republicans say they’ll demand to know exactly how many Americans and allies remain stranded in Afghanistan, following the latest evacuations and persistent obstacles — and how specifically the U.S. plans to get them out.
They want to know the specific breakdown of those who have gotten out (special visa holders, “at risk” individuals, etc.) and the vetting process for the crush of evacuees who were airlifted.
Expect them to raise concerns about convicted criminals or members of terrorist watch lists among the evacuees — and to cite a particularly harrowing AP story about “child brides” trafficked to the U.S. during the chaos.
They’ll use viral images of Taliban fighters donning U.S. military gear and flying Black Hawk helicopters to hammer Blinken on how the U.S. will deal with an arsenal now controlled by the Taliban. The Pentagon insists equipment left at Kabul airport was “demilitarized” and “unusable,” but it’s clear that’s not the case across the country.
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