International
Blinken Utterly Denies Hostage Situation Despite Reports by Congress, Multiple Media Outlets
As has become the norm under the Biden Administration, Americans are being lied to about the state of affairs for our own citizens stranded in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is flat-out denying the situation which many congressional representatives and news outlets are calling a “hostage” crisis.
Veterans groups have said many Americans are stranded in Afghanistan; certainly a number that far surpasses the “about 100” given by Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a visit to Qatar. CBS News reported Sunday that a congressional source said, “The Taliban is basically holding them hostage to get more out of the Americans.”
The reference is to six planes holding American citizens said to have been stranded at the Mazar-i-Sharif international airport as the Taliban attempts to extract concessions from the United States government before the airplanes are allowed to leave.
The State Department sent a document to Congress over the weekend saying flights have been cleared to depart for Doha, Qatar, and will do so “if and when the Taliban agrees to takeoff.” Texas Republican Congressman Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Fox News Sunday the same thing.
“We have hundreds of American citizens left behind enemy lines in Afghanistan as I speak.” He added of the hostage situation, “we have six airplanes at Mazar Sharif Airport, six airplanes with American citizens on them as I speak, also with these interpreters, and the Taliban is holding them hostage for demands right now. They – we – the state has cleared these flights and the Taliban will not let them leave the airport.”
Despite the clear reporting from multiple outlets, Blinken utterly ignores the dire hostage situation and said Tuesday the Taliban has been reminded they are to let anyone with valid travel papers leave Afghanistan if they choose. According to Reuters, Blinken said, “we are not aware of anyone being held on an aircraft or any hostage like situation at Mazar-i-Sharif. So, we have to work through the different requirements and that’s exactly what we are doing.”
On Sunday, Iran’s state television announced that the country had launched a solid-fueled rocket into space, drawing criticism from the United States ahead of plans for continued negotiations over the Iranian nuclear deal.
“It’s unclear when or where the rocket was launched, but the announcement came after satellite photos showed preparations at Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Iran’s rural Semnan province, the site of Iran’s frequent failed attempts to put a satellite into orbit,” the Associated Press reported. “Iran had previously acknowledged that it planned more tests for the satellite-carrying rocket, which it first launched in February of last year.”
“Ahmad Hosseini, spokesman for Iran’s Defense Ministry, said Zuljanah, a 25.5 meter-long rocket, was capable of carrying a satellite of 220 kilograms (485 pounds) that would ultimately gather data in low-earth orbit and promote Iran’s space industry. Zuljanah is named for the horse of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad,” the Associated Press added.
According to the report, the White House is aware of Iran’s announcement and said the move was “unhelpful and destabilizing.”
Iran’s state-run media aired dramatic footage of the missile launch amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, which has accelerated as President Biden’s administration has failed to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran.
According to a report earlier this year, three Biden administration negotiators working on a renewed nuclear deal with Iran gave up and left the team because they thought that President Biden was being too weak in dealing with Iran during negotiations.
“U.S. officials confirmed over the weekend that Richard Nephew, the deputy special envoy for Iran, has left the team. Mr. Nephew, an architect of previous economic sanctions on Iran, had advocated a tougher posture in the current negotiations, and he hasn’t attended the talks in Vienna since early December,” The Wall Street Journal reported. “Two other members of the team, which is led by State Department veteran Robert Malley, have stepped back from the talks, the people familiar said, because they also wanted a harder negotiating stance.”
On Wednesday, President Biden suggested that the only solution to high gas prices is to allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade parts of Europe.
“For all those Republicans in Congress criticizing me today for high gas prices in America, are you now saying we were wrong to support Ukraine?” Biden said. “Are you saying we were wrong to stand up to Putin? Are you saying that we would rather have lower gas prices in America and Putin’s iron fist in Europe?”
“I don’t believe that,” he continued. “Look, I get the easy politics of the attack. I get that. But the simple truth is gas prices are up almost $2.00 a gallon because of Vladimir Putin’s ruthless attack on Ukraine, and we wouldn’t let him get away with it. And we’re doing everything we can to reduce this pain at the pump now.”
However, the increase in gas prices since Russia invaded Ukraine is closer to $1 than it is to $2. On February 24, the day Russia invaded Ukraine, national gas prices were at $3.54 per gallon, and on June 22, the day of Biden’s speech, gas prices were at $4.95 per gallon – which is an increase of $1.41.
Gas prices began rising shortly after Biden took office. From January 20, 2021, to February 24, 2022, gas prices soared from $2.40 per gallon to $3.54 per gallon – an increase of nearly 50 percent.
Biden: "For all Republicans criticizing me for high gas prices in America, are you now saying we were wrong to support Ukraine and stand up to Putin? Are you saying that we'd rather have lower gas prices in America than Putin's iron fist in Europe?" pic.twitter.com/Z7U8YIFgnM
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 22, 2022
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