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       Joe Biden refuses to take questions after Afghanistan statement

       In a televised interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Former president Donald Trump blasted the George W Bush administration for the ongoing military engagement in Afghanistan.

       Mr Trump also appeared to inadvertently admit that the Taliban set him up during negotiations for the doomed deal on the future of Afghanistan.

       Former defence secretary Mark Esper says he expressed concern when then-president Donald Trump “undermined” the 2020 agreement with the Taliban by pushing for US troops to leave Afghanistan without the Taliban meeting the conditions of the deal.

       Meanwhile, the Pentagon has confirmed that there were “at least several fatalities” when desperate Afghans clung to the side of a departing transport plane in shocking footage seen on Monday.

       President Joe Biden is set to face his first media interview over the situation in Afghanistan this evening. The president will be interviewed by ABC lead anchor and former White House communications director, George Stephanopoulos.

       We’ll be covering the interview live here.

       Recommended Joe Biden’s humiliating indifference towards the UK over Afghanistan shows how inconsequential we are Why did US leave Afghanistan and how much did America spend? Afghanistan news – live: ‘Three dead’ in anti-Taliban demo as Boris Johnson to ‘judge group on actions’

       Key Points Joe Biden to give first interview on Afghanistan All Americans in Afghanistan will be returned home Trump calls Afghan war ‘worst decision in history' Trump admits Taliban out-negotiated him Former defense head says Trump ‘undermined’ deal with Taliban

       Show latest update 1629306303 House Democrats release plan for $3.5 trillion budget resolution

       House Democrats have released their plan for the $3.5 trillion budget resolution.

       The report from the budget committee reads:

       The 2022 budget resolution is an inflection point for our nation and the futures of millions of Americans and their families. The resolution and its reconciliation instructions provide Congress with a path forward to deliver President Biden’s and Congressional Democrats’ shared plan to Build Back Better. This budget serves as a clear declaration of Democrats’ commitment to ensuring that our government, our economy, and our systems work For The People.

       The budget reconciliation process first requires Congress to pass a budget resolution that includes instructions to committees of jurisdiction. The numbers are staggering.

       Oliver O'Connell 18 August 2021 18:05

       1629305986 President Biden speaks with Chancellor Merkel

       President Joe Biden spoke today with German Chancellor Angela Merkel about the situation in Afghanistan, according to White House officials.

       There is huge disquiet about the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in European capitals.

       Armin Laschet, Ms Merkel’s possible successor as chancellor as the conservative candidate in September’s elections, described the move as: “the biggest debacle that NATO has suffered since its founding”.

       Oliver O'Connell 18 August 2021 17:59

       1629305835 ‘Tweedledee and Tweedledum’: John Bolton calls out Trump and Biden or matching Afghanistan positions

       John Bolton, Donald Trump’s national security adviser from 2018 to 2019, has said that the former president’s position on withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan is the same as President Joe Biden’s.

       The comments come as Mr Trump called on the current commander in chief to “resign in disgrace” because of his handling of the crisis.

       ‘Tweedledee and Tweedledum’: John Bolton criticizes Trump and Biden over stances on Afghanistan ‘Had Trump been re-elected, he’d be doing the same thing,’ former national security adviser says

       Oliver O'Connell 18 August 2021 17:57

       1629304875 Fox host compares unvaccinated New Yorkers to Americans trapped in Afghanistan

       Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade has been ridiculed for claiming unvaccinated New Yorkers were being forced to “shelter in place” like Americans stranded in Afghanistan.

       Kilmeade, who has consistently pushed anti-vaxx messaging on the Fox breakfast show, took aim at New York City’s new indoor vaccine mandate which came into effect on Tuesday.

       Fox host compares unvaccinated New Yorkers who can’t go to bars to Americans stuck in Afghanistan Anchors slammed for spreading vaccine misinformation and promoting fake vaccine cards

       Oliver O'Connell 18 August 2021 17:41

       1629304275 WSJ: Afghan Air Force ended up in neighouring countries as service members fled in US-supplied planes

       A large por-tion of the Afghan Air Force has ended up in neigh-bor-ing Uzbek-istan, af-ter hun-dreds of Afghan ser-vice mem-bers used US-sup-plied planes and he-li-copters to flee the Tal-iban, US of-fi-cials told The Wall Street Journal.

       Oliver O'Connell 18 August 2021 17:31

       1629303799 Pentagon: ‘Several fatalities’ when US Air Force plane took off with Afghans clinging to side

       There were “at least several fatalities,” when a US Air Force plane took off on Monday from Hamid Karzai International Airport with Afghans clinging to the side of the air frame, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters in an off-camera briefing on Wednesday.

       “I would just pass on again our deepest condolences for the loved ones and families of those who were killed,” he added.

       An investigation has been launched into the incident.

       “Clearly we know just by visual evidence and by the Air Force’s statement that there were at least several fatalities involved in that, but I don’t want to get ahead of the Air Force’s review in terms of hard numbers of what the total toll was,” Mr Kirby said.

       Oliver O'Connell 18 August 2021 17:23

       1629303435 Voices: Comparing the Taliban and the American right is imperialistic and wrong

       Noah Berlatsky writes:

       As a progressive myself, I can see how it’s certainly tempting to draw parallels between rabid misogynist religious movements over there and rabid misogynist religious movements closer to home. But it’s also important to think about why we’re so eager to project our domestic political situation on a country and a movement with a very different history and very different struggles. Our eagerness to use Afghanistan as a winning argument in domestic political disputes doesn’t help Afghan people. On the contrary, it’s part of the dynamic of imperialism that has made our involvement in the country, and in many others, so destructive.

       If you think the Taliban is like the Trump-supporting American right, you’re part of the problem | Noah Berlatsky It’s tempting to agree with Michael Moore — but it’s also imperialistic and wrong

       Oliver O'Connell 18 August 2021 17:17

       1629302415 Democrats doubt Afghan exit will hurt ‘resolute’ Biden at the midterms

       The downfall of Afghanistan has led President Joe Biden into his most precarious political position yet, but it is still unclear whether this will spell bad news for the president’s party in the coming months.

       Eric Garcia reports for The Independent from Washington, DC on why Democrats doubt events in Kabul will have a big impact on the midterm elections.

       “Will voters remember? Probably not”: Why Democrats doubt Afghan exit will hurt ‘resolute’ Biden at the midterms Mr Biden’s approval rating dropped seven points to 46 percent after the Taliban conquered the nation but his party isn’t worried, writes Eric Garcia

       Oliver O'Connell 18 August 2021 17:00

       1629302200 Covid team emphasises commitment to distributing Covid vaccines overseas

       When asked about giving booster shots to Americans while poor countries still lack vaccines, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients notes that the US has donated more than 110 million doses overseas and is exporting 500 million more.

       Mr Zients says that the Biden administration expects to give approximately 100 million boosters in the US and how important it is for the government to protect Americans.

       “We expect to give about 100 million boosters in the United States,” Mr Zients says. “And at the same time, we will be donating more than 200 million — twice that number — in additional doses to other countries, on our way to donating more than 600 million vaccines.”

       Oliver O'Connell 18 August 2021 16:56

       1629301978 Pentagon issues photos of marines processing civilians at Kabul airport

       Oliver O'Connell 18 August 2021 16:52

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