Biden Administration Embraces Victim Blaming For Botched Evacuation Operation

Leah Barkoukis | August 26, 2021 8:30 AM

Ross Wilson, acting U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, claimed Wednesday that the State Department issued repeated warnings for Americans to leave Afghanistan but they “chose not to.”

His comments came during an interview with CBS’s Norah O’Donnell, who asked about criticism towards the Biden administration that evacuation efforts didn’t begin much sooner.

“We put out repeated warnings every three weeks to Americans, going back to March or April, each one in stronger terms—'leave now, leave immediately,’” he said.

"Never in my 40 years of working, since I began working at the State Department, have I seen such strong language used,” Wilson continued. “People chose not to leave. That's their business. That's their right."

"We regret now that many may find themselves in a position that they would rather not be in. And we are determined to try to help them,” he added.

Top U.S. diplomat says the State Department put out repeated warnings every three weeks to Americans in Afghanistan telling them to leave since April: “People chose not to leave. That's their business," Ross Wilson said. pic.twitter.com/hr5HlLxA0F
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 26, 2021

As Guy pointed out, it was only last month that President Biden said “the likelihood there’s going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely.”