AND LEGAL RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN
EVACUATED FROM AFGHANISTAN
SINCE THE CHAOTIC WITHDRAWAL IN
AUGUST.
LET’S BRING IN JOHN KIRBY, THE
PRESS SECRETARY FOR THE STATE
DEPARTMENT.
YOU HAVE DONE A HUGE AMOUNT OF
WORK THIS YEAR.
LOTS TO COVER.
ON THIS -- DID YOU EVER THINK
IT WAS MORE THAN 100 AMERICANS
THERE?
WHY WAS THAT SO HARD TO NAIL
DOWN?
>> IT IS A GREAT QUESTION, DANA.
IT WAS A BIT OF A MOVING TARGET
THROUGHOUT THE EVACUATION.
AS YOU KNOW, WE DON’T REQUIRE
AMERICAN CITIZENS TO REGISTER
THEIR PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN.
SOME OF THEM ARE -- MOST OF
THEM WERE DUAL NATIONALS SO
THEY WERE STRUGGLING WITH
WHETHER TO LEAVE OR NOT.
SOMETIMES WE GET AN INDICATION
THAT I WANT TO GO AND THEN THEY
MIGHT CHANGE THEIR MIND AND
TAKEN OFF THE LIST.
THE NUMBER WAS A BIT OF A
MOVING TARGET.
WHAT I THINK IS ENCOURAGING.
ALMOST 1,000 HAVE BEEN BROUGHT
UP AND WE ARE CONTINUALLY TO
LOOK FOR OTHERS THAT WANT TO GO.
>> Bill: THE PROBLEM WITH THE
NUMBERS THAT YOU WERE OFF BY
90%.
>> AGAIN, IT IS NOT A SCIENCE,
BILL.
NOT LIKE THEY REGISTER ON SOME
SORT OF LIST WE HAVE THAT IS
STATIC AND PERMANENT.
>> Bill: AS THEY CROSSED THE
BORDER INTO PAKISTAN OR WHAT
WAS THE ASSUMPTION?
>> LOTS OF ASSUMPTIONS.
MAYBE THEY LEFT OVER LAND TO
PAKISTAN OR DIDN’T WANT TO
DECLARE THEY WERE READY TO GO.
PART OF THE ISSUE IS THAT AS WE
HAVE PROVEN SUCCESSFUL AT
GETTING MORE OUT, MORE AND MORE
ARE BECOMING MORE COMFORTABLE
SAYING WE WANT TO GO, TOO.
AGAIN WE DON’T THINK IT’S A BAD
THING THE NUMBERS INCREASED.
IT IS A GOOD THING AND WE’LL
CONTINUE AT THIS.
EVEN THOUGH THE MILITARY
MISSION IS OVER THE MISSION TO
HELP AMERICANS LEAVE
AFGHANISTAN IS GOING ON.
>> Dana: VETERANS GROUPS ARE
STILL WORKING TO TRY TO GET
PEOPLE OUT AND WE INTERVIEWED A
GUY LAST WEEK, AN AMERICAN
CITIZEN BORN IN AFGHANISTAN,
SERVED AS AN INTERPRET HE FOR
US, CAME TO AMERICA, LIVES IN
QUEENS.
AMERICAN CITIZEN NOW.
HIS WIFE AND SON WENT TO KABUL
IN JUNE OR JU. HE GOES TO
RESCUE THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN’T
GET OUT THROUGH THE AIRPORT.
HE GOES TO RESCUE THEM AND NOW
HE IS IN A UAE REFUGEE CAMP AND
THEY CAN’T GET BACK BECAUSE THE
STATE DEPARTMENT CAN’T GET THE
PAPERWORK ORGANIZED.
A CONGRESSWOMAN IS TRYING.
VETERANS WHO ARE CALLING THE
SUICIDE HOTLINE DISTRESSED
ABOUT THIS WE CAN’T FIGURE OUT
A WAY TO GET AN AMERICAN
CITIZEN BACK.
>> WE UNDERSTAND THE
FRUSTRATION THERE AND EVERY
VETERAN OF THE WAR IS
PROCESSING THAT AND WE RESPECT
THAT AND KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF
STILL ANXIETY ABOUT FRIENDS,
TRANSLATORS, INTERPRETERS
PEOPLE AND FAMILY MEMBERS THERE
AND WHY THERE IS A TASK FOR.
INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE LED BY
THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
WE ENCOURAGE GET US THE
INFORMATION.
GET IT TO US.
>> Dana: ILL OH -- I’LL GET YOU
MORE.
>> Bill: YOU SAID YOU DO NOT
BELIEVE VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS THE
INTENT TO GO INTO UKRAINE BASED
WHOON?
>> WHAT I SAID WAS WE DON’T
BELIEVE HE HAS MADE A DECISION
YET.
BIG DIFFERENCE THERE.
WE ARE STILL WATCHING THIS VERY
CLOSELY, BILL.
HE STILL HAS A MASSIVE AMOUNT
OF FORCES ARRAYED ALONG THE
BORDER WITH UKRAINE, NORTH,
EAST AND SOUTH AND IT IS NOT
EXACTLY DLEER WHAT HIS
INTENTIONS ARE AND WHY IT WAS
IMPORTANT FOR US TO REACH OUT
TO PUTIN BY BIDEN TO MAKE IT
CLEAR WE’RE WATCHING IT CLOSELY
AND THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES
AND REACHING OUT TO OUR ALLIES
AT PARTNERS AT DEFENSE AND
STATE TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE
SEEING THE SAME THINGS WE ARE.
>> Bill: DO YOU THINK IT WOULD
SEND A STRONGER SIGNAL TO PUTIN
IF YOU OFFERED MORE WEAPONS TO
UKRAINE OR OFFERED MORE SUPPORT.
SECRETARY AUSTIN WAS THERE IN
OCTOBER AND IT DIDN’T HAPPEN.
>> WE JUST COMPLETED A $60
MILLION PACKAGE OF SECURITY
ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINE.
SMALL ARMS AND AMMUNITION.
THAT SHIPMENT INCLUDED TWO
ISLAND CLASS PATROL BOATS AND
JAVELIN ANTI-TANK MISSILES.
WE HAVEN’T TAKEN OFF THE TABLE
ADDITIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE.
YOU HEARD JAKE SULLIVAN TALK
ABOUT THAT AND SOMETHING THAT’S
BEING CONSIDERED.
>> Dana: RUSSIA AND CHINA ARE
TALKING.
DANGEROUS DECLINE.
THEY SAY WHETHER WAR BREAKS OUT
HOW BADLY BEIJING AND RUSSIA --
WHEN I SAY ALL THAT CHINA AND
RUSSIA ARE GETTING TOGETHER IT
HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY THE WAY
THAT THEY LIKE TO TRY TO DO
BUSINESS AND TRY TO PUSH BACK
AGAINST THE UNITED STATES.
HOW MUCH DOES THAT OCCUPY YOUR
TIME THINKING ABOUT CHINA NOT
JUST THE TAIWAN PIECE BUT THE
FACT THEY HAVE THE HUGE
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE ON
HYPERSONIC MISSILES?
>> SECRETARY HAS CALLED CHINA
THE NUMBER ONE CHALLENGE FOR
THE DEPARTMENT.
WE’VE SPENT A LOT OF THIS YEAR
FOCUSED ON THE CHINA CHALLENGE.
HE GAVE A SPEECH ABOUT THAT.
THEY ARE DEVELOPING
CAPABILITIES AND PURSUING
CONCEPTS AND BEHAVIOR IN THE
PACIFIC THAT RUNS AGAINST OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS AND
THOSE OF OUR ALLIES AND
PARTNERS AND WHY WE ARE PUTTING
SO MUCH ENERGY INTO THIS.
THE OTHER THING YOU HEARD THE
SECRETARY SAY WE HAVE
ADVANTAGES, TOO AND APPROACH
THE CHINA WITH CONFIDENCE NOT
TREP DIGS.
THEY AREN’T 10 FEET TALL.
CHINA AND RUSSIA CAN SPEAK.
THESE ARE TWO COUNTRIES THAT
DON’T HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS
EXCEPT EACH OTHER AND EVEN THAT
FRIENDSHIP I’M SURE IS NOT
CEDED IN A LOT OF TRUST AND
CONFIDENCE.
>> Bill: AUSTIN SAYS WE AREN’T
SEEKING AN ASIAN VERSION OF
NATO.
BLINKEN HAS BEEN TOURING
SOUTHEAST ASIA AND BECAUSE OF
THE COVID SCARE THEY ARE
CALLING THE TRIP TO THAILAND
SHORT BUT TRYING TO ASSEMBLY
SOME SORT OF COALITION THAT MAY
PERHAPS RESEMBLE NATO.
IS AUSTIN TELLING US WHAT’S
GOING ON OR IS BLINKEN’S
ACTIONS TELLING US WHAT’S
HAPPENING?
>> I THIS I THE SECRETARY OF
STATE AND SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
ARE IN THE SAME PLACE.
IT ISN’T ABOUT FORMING A FORMAL
COALITION.
IT IS HOWEVER ABOUT REINFORCING
THE ALLIANCES THAT WE ALREADY
HAVE IN THE REGION.
FIVE OF OUR SEVEN TREATY
ALLIANCES ARE IN THE PACIFIC.
REINFORCING PARTNERSSHIPS AND
FRIENDSHIPS THAT ARE STILL
IMPORTANT TO US.
INDONESIA, THAILAND.
ALL KINDS OF COUNTRIES IN THE
REGION THAT WE DON’T HAVE SOME
FORMAL TREATY ALLIANCE WITH
THAT ARE CONCERNED WHERE CHINA
IS GOING AND WANT TO SEE THE
UNITED STATES CARE ABOUT IT,
TOO.
WANT TO SEE OUR LEADERSHIP OUT
THERE.
WE AREN’T ASKING THESE
COUNTRIES TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES AND CHINA BUT
WE’RE ASKING THEM --
>> WOULD THE UNITED STATES BE
BETTER OFF IF WE DID?
>> NO, I DON’T THINK SO.
I THINK LOOK, YOU HAVE TO
UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THESE
COUNTRIES HAVE ECONOMIC TIES TO
CHINA THAT THEY ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT AND WE RESPECT THAT.
WHAT WE WANT, THOUGH, IS FOR
THE COMMUNITY OF NATIONS IN THE
PACIFIC TO REALIZE WHAT CHINA
IS DOING WITH THIS AGGRESSIVE
BEHAVIOR AND WILLING TO PUSH
BACK ON THAT.
>> Dana: ONE LAST QUESTION.
ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY SERVICE
MEMBERS VACCINATED, 96.4% ONE
DOSE.
90% FULLY VACCINATED.
SOME HAVE BEEN LET GO.
BUT DEFENSE CONTRACTORS, THERE
IS A PAUSE I UNDERSTAND ON THAT.
>> A COURT ORDER.
>> Dana: WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS
GOING?
>> WITH THE FORCE THE NUMBERS
ARE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION AND I THINK YOU CAN
SEE THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR
MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM ARE
DOING THE RIGHT THING AND
GETTING THE VACCINE TO PROTECT
THEMSELVES AND THEIR UNITS.
THERE WILL BE SMALL NUMBERS
WITHOUT GETTING AN EXEMPTION
WILL REFUSE AND HAVE TO BE
DEALT WITH IN THE APPROPRIATE
SERVICE-SPECIFIC ADMINISTRATIVE
WAY.
I THINK THE NUMBERS WILL BE
REALLY SMALL.
EVER SINCE WE MADE THE VACCINE
MANDATORY THE NUMBERS OF FULLY
VACCINATED HAVE CONTINUED TO
INCREASE AND GOOD FOR FORCE
RED’ NIESE. -- READINESS.
>> WHEN YOU COME IN THE
MILITARY YOU SIGN UP TO TAKE
VACCINES.
>> Bill: AMTRAK REVERSED ITSELF
ON THE TRACKS OF THE VACCINE
MANDATE.
DO YOU SEE THE PENTAGON DOING
THE SAME?
>> NO, I DO NOT IN TERMS OF THE
MANDATORY VACCINE NO.
IT IS A VALID MILITARY MEDICAL
REQUIREMENT AND SIGNS HAS
PROVEN IT MAKES YOU MORE SAFE
AGAINST THIS VIRUS.
IF YOU WANT A STRONG NATIONAL
DEFENSE AND TROOPS PROTECTED.
IT GOES FROM BODY ARMOR TO A
VACCINE THAT YOU GET IN YOUR
ARM.
>> Dana: YOU HAVE FAMILY STILL
SERVING.
>> MY SON IS AN ACTIVE DUTY
SAILOR IN THE NAVY AND MY
SON-IN-LAW IS AS WELL.
>> Bill: YOU ARE WELCOME TO
COME BACK ANY TIME.
WE HAVE 1,000 QUESTIONS EVERY
COMMERCIAL BREAK.
>> I’M READY FOR THEM.
>> Dana: SHOWING DAYLIGHT