Tipsheet

Harris Cornered into Answering Questions on Afghanistan Debacle During Presser with Singapore PM

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  August 23, 2021 3:15 PM

Vice President Kamala Harris followed through on her pre-planned trip to Singapore, despite the Biden administration tackling its first major foreign policy crisis in Afghanistan. While Harris largely avoided commenting on the situation prior to her trip, she couldn’t escape questions on the subject during and appearance with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Asked what she believes went wrong with the withdrawal, Harris said analysis of the situation will take place later. 

"So, I understand and appreciate why you asked the question. And I think there's going to be plenty of time to analyze what has happened and what has taken place in the context of the withdrawal from Afghanistan," Harris responded. "But right now, we are singularly focused on evacuating American citizens, Afghans who worked with us, and Afghans who are vulnerable, including women and children."

She noted that President Biden showed “great emotion in expressing sadness about some of the images we have seen" but said the U.S. cannot lose focus on its “primary mission” of evacuating citizens and allies from the country right now.  

Harris largely stuck to these talking points as she continued getting peppered with questions about Afghanistan. 

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Lee, meanwhile, was asked what his views are now about American credibility in the wake of the Afghanistan debacle. He responded that it depends what the U.S. does going forward with regard to the region, its allies, and the fight against terrorism. 

"Countries make calculations and take positions, and they have to make recalculations and adjust their positions from time to time," Lee said. "Sometimes it can be done smoothly; sometimes there are hiccups.  Sometimes things go awry and take time to put right."

The press conference comes after Harris was widely criticized for nervously laughing on Friday when a reporter asked about Americans trapped in Afghanistan.

The vice president will also travel to Vietnam on Tuesday at a time when comparisons between images of the Afghanistan withdrawal and Saigon 1975 are being made.