GOP condemnation fast and furious to Biden’s decision to stick to end-of-month exit from Afghanistan

“There’s one message that the Taliban should be hearing from the United States of America,” Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney told Fox. “And that is if you do not allow us right now to withdraw every person we need to get out, every American, every Afghan who helped us, you will face consequences that will be more severe than you can imagine.”

“This is America, we don’t leave our people behind,” said Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher on the House floor. “Make no mistake, if we cut and run on Aug. 31, we will condemn thousands to die.”

“One thing is clear, there’s no way, in seven days, we can remove all American citizens, much less our Afghan partners,” said Texas Rep. Mike McCaul, ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on CNN. “When that door shuts, I still stand by my statement, he will have blood on his hands because they will execute them upon our withdrawal.”

BIDEN SOWS CHAOS AND CONFUSION AS HE RECOMMITS TO AUG. 31 AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL

‘THE SOONER WE CAN FINISH, THE BETTER’: In his afternoon address, Biden said his decision to stick to the Aug. 31 deadline, originally his timeline, now imposed by the Taliban, was based on the “tenuous” security situation at the airport, which relies on the goodwill of the Taliban and runs “a serious risk of it breaking down as time goes on.”

“The sooner we can finish, the better. Each day of operations brings added risk to our troops,” Biden argued. “Every day we’re on the ground is another day we know that ISIS-K is seeking to target the airport and attack both U.S. and allied forces and innocent civilians.”

Nevertheless, Biden left the door to a deadline extension open a tiny crack, saying that while the U.S. is “on pace” to finish in the next six days, he had also directed the Pentagon and the State Department to give him options “to adjust the timetable should that become necessary.”

“So my interpretation of the president’s statement is that he is telling the Taliban, we’d like to leave, but if you want us to get out of your hair by August 31st, you have to let these Afghans come to the airport. You cannot impede this. Because if you continue to impede it, then our mission will not be complete, and we may stay longer,” said New Jersey Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski, one of the members of Congress briefed by the Pentagon and State Department yesterday morning. “That is what I heard. I hope that that’s what he means.”

EVACUATIONS SURGE AS BIDEN SAYS WITHDRAWAL DEADLINE ON ‘PACE’

WHAT IS BIDEN SO AFRAID OF? Biden’s big fear is an attack on the airport by the Afghanistan branch of ISIS, which is suspected of casing the airport, recording videos in the crowd outside the gate, in what could be preparation for an attack.

A suicide bomber or vehicle bomb at or near the airport gate could kill hundreds of civilians, including the very Afghan partners the U.S. is trying to rescue. In addition, the Taliban, who are now saying they will allow only foreigners, not Afghans, access to the airport, could easily shut down airport operations if they were to turn on the Americans after Aug. 31.

“All they would need to do is put a couple of mortars in the middle of it. C-17s would turn around and have to leave. That’s their protocol,” said Bob Baer, a former CIA operative and current CNN intelligence and security analyst. “So, the Taliban are calling the shots. And there’s nothing we can do.”

“If we did get back into a shooting war with the Taliban, if they were assaulting the airport, it is probably likely, if not probable, we would have to surge tremendous new military resources into the country, that we might be back involved in hand-to-hand urban combat inside Afghanistan,” said Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy on CNN. “We shouldn’t let the Taliban dictate when we end operations to rescue and save American citizens, period, stop. But there is good reason why the president wants to wrap this up in the next week.”

TALIBAN: ‘WE ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW AFGHANS TO LEAVE’

Good Wednesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Victor I. Nava. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.

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HAPPENING TODAY: With just six days to go, President Joe Biden again meets this morning with his national security team at the White House to review the latest intelligence on the fluid situation in Afghanistan, including the latest roadblocks from the Taliban.

In the afternoon, another session is scheduled with both his national security advisers along with private sector and education leaders on improving America’s cybersecurity.

Later, Biden signs two bills into law, the Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act, honoring the bravery of an African American regiment in World War II, and the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act.

ALSO TODAY: At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

HISTORIC NUMBERS: When the U.S.-led evaluation mission in Afghanistan is over, it may well go down as the fastest airlift in history, if not the largest. In one 24 hour period, 21,600 people were flown to safety, including 12,700 on 37 U.S. military aircraft, mostly C-17 cargo planes. The other 8,900 left on 57 planes from other countries.

By late yesterday, the total number of evacuees since the start of the airlift 11 days ago has topped 70,000.

US WORKING TO IMPROVE ‘DIRE CONDITIONS’ AT QATAR BASE HOUSING KABUL EVACUEES

HOW MANY AMERICANS? After days of insisting there was no way to accurately say how many American citizens have been evacuated so far, the Pentagon coughed up a number yesterday.

“As of today, Aug. 24, we have evacuated approximately 4,000 American passport holders plus their families,” said Pentagon press secretary John Kirby. “We expect that number to continue to grow in the coming days.”

What the Pentagon or State Department still can’t say is how many Americans are left. “I can tell you we had our classified briefing with the secretary of state, defense, chairman of the Joint Chiefs. We don’t even know how many Americans were in there,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking Republican Mike McCaul on CNN.

The problem is there is no way to know. “The U.S. government does not track our citizens when they travel around the world. We rely on self-reporting, not just in Afghanistan, anywhere in the world,” said press secretary Jen Psaki at the White House.

“The State Department also issues alerts. They have publicized a phone number and email to contact if you’re in Afghanistan and want assistance to leave,” Psaki said. “In recent days, they have reached out to every American citizen registered in Afghanistan directly, multiple times. This is a 24/7 operation.”

“There’s no way to keep the president’s promise by August 31st,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski on CNN after his briefing yesterday morning from Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “There’s no way that we may be able to take out the American citizens in the Kabul area who want to leave.”

APPROXIMATELY 4,000 US PASSPORT HOLDERS AND FAMILIES EVACUATED FROM AFGHANISTAN

YES, US TROOPS LEAVING. NO, THE WITHDRAWAL HAS NOT BEGUN: Reports from Kabul that several hundred American troops had already left sparked fears the U.S. was already beginning to shut down evacuation operations at the airport, prompting the Pentagon to issue a statement.

“The retrograde of our non-combatant operation in Afghanistan has not been ordered, nor would it need to be ordered at this stage in the operation,” said spokesman Kirby, who added that while Austin and military leaders are drawing up contingency plans should there be a need to reconsider this timeline, “No such decision has been made.”

The troops who left, Kirby said, were “a mix of headquarters staff, maintenance, and other enabling functions that were scheduled to leave and whose mission at the airport was complete.”

“Their departure represents prudent and efficient force management. It will have no impact on the mission at hand.”

PAIR OF MILITARY VETERANS IN CONGRESS MAKE SECRET, UNAUTHORIZED TRIP TO KABUL

IN OTHER WAR NEWS: The U.S. Africa Command said yesterday that it conducted an airstrike against al Shabab fighters in Somalia to protect Somali partners.

“U.S. forces are authorized to conduct strikes in support of combatant commander-designated partner forces under the 2001 Authorization of Use for Military Force,” AFRICOM said in a statement.

The airstrike, likely by a U.S. drone, was carried out yesterday in the vicinity of Cammaara, Somalia, where al Shabab fighters were engaged in active combat with Somali forces.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The Rundown

Washington Examiner: Biden sows chaos and confusion as he recommits to Aug. 31 Afghanistan withdrawal

Washington Examiner: Pair of military veterans in Congress make secret, unauthorized trip to Kabul

Washington Examiner: Approximately 4,000 US passport holders and families evacuated from Afghanistan

Washington Examiner: Al Qaeda, ISIS-K, and a trio of has-beens: The players in Taliban-led Afghanistan

Washington Examiner: Lawmakers uneasy about pending deadline for Afghanistan evacuations

Washington Examiner: Private sector steps up: Filling Afghan withdrawal shortfall

Washington Examiner: US did not pay Taliban for freedom of movement to airport, Pentagon says

Washington Examiner: Founder of all-girls school in Afghanistan escapes with students and burns records

Washington Examiner: Afghan refugee in French custody for possible Taliban ties

Washington Examiner: Veterans band together in effort to rescue translators from Kabul

Washington Examiner: California and New York are hubs for Afghan resettlements

AP: Some Afghans vow to resist Taliban from mountain enclave

Washington Post: Biden receives inconclusive intelligence report on covid origins

Air Force Magazine: US Space Command Achieves Initial Operational Capability

Air Force Magazine: ‘Space Junk’ is Greatest Shared Threat to Space Force and NASA, Says Administrator

Newsweek: Russia Orders Hypersonic Missiles As Putin Vows to Put Weapons on ‘Combat Alert’

19fortyfive.com: Joe Biden Is Banning the Import of Russian Bullets: Will Ammo Prices Spike?

Reuters: U.S., China Accuse Each Other Of “Bullying” Nations

Nikkei Asia: China Mobilizes Civilian Ferries For Taiwan Invasion Drills

Wall Street Journal: Hanoi Visit by Harris Briefly Halted as Syndrome Probed

Washington Post: Biden should end North Korea travel ban, humanitarian and advocacy groups say

USNI News: More U.S. Navy Ships, Marine Aircraft Assist In Haiti Relief

19fortyfive.com: Second Stealth F-35 ‘Gorilla’ Squadron Activated at Eglin Air Force Base

19fortyfive.com: Naval Strike Missile: The U.S. Navy’s Secret Weapon Against China?

Forbes: The U.S. Marine Corps Just Sank A Warship 100 Miles Away. It Needs To Do Better.

USNI News: SECNAV Del Toro Picks New Temporary Navy Under Secretary

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Biden’s betrayal: Failure to extend Aug. 31 deadline a blow to American honor

19fortyfive.com: Opinion: The Real Afghanistan Disaster: The War Was Lost Long Ago

Forbes: Opinion: The Biggest Military Tech Opportunity Of The Biden Years Isn’t A Weapon, It’s A Network

Calendar

WEDNESDAY | AUGUST 25

10 a.m. — FedTalks virtual summit with John Sherman, acting Pentagon CIO, and others. https://www.fedscoop.com/events/fedtalks

12 p.m. — House Triangle, U.S. Capitol — News conference “Need to Evacuate All Americans and SIV Applicants,” with Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul; Colorado Democrat Rep. Jason Crow, and Parker Young, Adhir Kalyan, Habib Zahori and Chase Millsap from the CBS show The United States of Al, which focuses on the relationship between a former U.S. Marine and the Afghan interpreter he helped get to the United States. RSVP to [email protected]

1 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast discussion: “Afghanistan Aftershocks,” with Susan Glasser, staff writer, The New Yorker; Seth Jones, director, International Security Program, CSIS; ​Marti Flacks, director and senior fellow, Human Rights Initiative, CSIS; Michael Green, senior vice president for Asia and Japan Chair, CSIS; and H. Andrew Schwartz, chief communications officer, CSIS.https://www.csis.org/events/afghanistan-aftershocks

3 p.m. — National Security Alliance “Wednesday Wisdom” panel discussion: “Is the IC Staying Ahead of the Digital Curve?” with Elizabeth Leyne, chief of analysis for Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula at the Defense Intelligence Agency; Yvette Nonte, national defense strategy integrator for the Defense undersecretary for intelligence and security, warfighter support; and retired Army Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. https://www.insaonline.org/event/is-the-ic-staying-ahead-of-the-digital-curve/

4:40 p.m. EDT — Day three of the Space Foundation 36th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo, with Lt. Gen. John Shaw, deputy commander of the U.S. Space Command, and Derek Tournear, director, Space Development Agency. Full agenda at https://www.spacesymposium.org/agenda

THURSDAY | AUGUST 26

9:30 a.m. — The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission virtual briefing: “The Status of Humanitarian and Protection Efforts in Afghanistan,” Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission; Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission; Vicki Aken, country director for Afghanistan with the International Rescue Committee; Astrid Slatten, country director for Afghanistan with the Norwegian Refugee Council; Jared Rowell, country director for Afghanistan with the Danish Refugee Council; and Rhoda Margesson, specialist in international humanitarian policy at the Congressional Research Service. https://ushr.zoomgov.com/webinar/register

10 a.m. — Foundation for Defense of Democracies media briefing: “Al Qaeda in Afghanistan: Leadership, Capabilities, and the Threat to the United States and the West, Considerations on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks,” with FDD experts Thomas Joscelyn, Bill Roggio, and Bradley Bowman. Media can RSVP via email [email protected]

11:45 a.m. EDT — Day Four of the Space Foundation 36th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo, with Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander, Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Materiel Command. Full agenda at https://www.spacesymposium.org/agenda

12 p.m. — Hudson Institute virtual discussion on China’s nuclear program with Navy Adm. Charles Richard, commander of U.S. Strategic Command; and Rebeccah Heinrichs, Hudson senior fellow. https://www.hudson.org/events/2001-virtual-event

FRIDAY | AUGUST 27

11:30 a.m. — Air Force Association virtual Nuclear Deterrence Forum on “the threat of Chinese and Russian nuclear stockpiles, the U.S. nuclear modernization effort, and the future of U.S. nuclear deterrence,” with Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas Bussiere, deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command. https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event/nuclear-deterrence

12 p.m. — Hudson Institute virtual event: “Implementing Mosaic Warfare and Decision-Centric Operations,” with David Spirk, ODO Chief Data Officer; Tim Grayson, director, DARPA Strategic Technology Office; Bryan Clark, Hudson senior fellow; and Dan Patt, Hudson adjunct fellow. https://www.hudson.org/events

MONDAY | AUGUST 30

TBA — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits the White House.

WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 1

10 a.m. — House Armed Services Committee markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings

11:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies and the U.S. Naval Institute Maritime Security Dialogue: “An Update on the Marine Corps,” with Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger; Seth Jones, senior vice president and director, CSIS International Security Program. https://www.csis.org/events/maritime-security-dialogue