Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told MSNBC on Tuesday he wishes the U.S. military was able to evacuate the remaining Americans from Kabul in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover but said there was not enough time to get out our citizens who wanted to leave the country.
"Admiral, your career, your life, and the building that you work in have been and are built on a core, a core that resounds through the military: We leave no one behind. What is the mood these past couple of days? What is the mood this morning in the E-ring of the Pentagon as people walk around knowing that thousands have been left behind?" MSNBC's Mike Barnicle asked.
"We're grateful that we got everybody out safely yesterday. That was no small feat, moving those last 800 troops out of the airport safely and efficiently with nobody getting hurt, so I think there is a lot of relief in that. But there is also, as you heard General McKenzie say, there is heartbreak," Kirby replied. "Sure, we certainly would have liked and preferred to get more people out if we could, but the time just wasn't there. And I don't just mean the time on the clock; I mean the time in terms of the threat. It was something we had to keep mindful all the time."
"So it was a tough decision, a tough couple of days, but we are re-energizing our commitment to the entire government to continue to do what we can to help those that weren't able to make it out," Kirby added.
This excuse, of course, is thin, considering people on the ground in Afghanistan were sounding the alarm about the Afghan government collapsing and being unable to combat the Taliban. What makes things worse is time wouldn't have needed to be a factor since it was reported the Taliban offered the U.S. the ability to control all of Kabul, not just the airport, in order to allow us to get our people out. Instead, our leaders said we'll be fine with the airport.
President Joe Biden even said earlier this month the U.S. military would not leave until all Americans were evacuated from the country, though in fairness, he probably doesn't remember saying that by now.
The Biden Administration and Senior Department of Defense knowingly leaving behind American citizens in a country now ruled by terrorists with other competing terror groups is unforgivable. But hey, at least those stuck in Afghanistan do not have to worry about mean tweets.