MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB AS RON DISANTO
CONCERNING POPULARITY POINTS
POPULARITY POINTS FOR THE 2024
ELECTION.
>> Todd: AND HAS BEEN A YEAR
SINCE PRESIDENT BIDEN FAILED TO
WITHDRAW FROM AFGHANISTAN AND
AFGHAN CITIZENS STILL BEGGING
THE U.S. FOR HELP UNDER TALIBAN
RULE.
BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE
INDIVIDUALS LEFT BEHIND HAVE
GONE INTO HIDING, TERRIFIED
ABOUT BEING DISCOVERED BY THE
TALIBAN.
>> THEY HAVE SUFFERED HUGE
TRAUMA AND TALKING TO AMERICAN
ADVISORS, THE AGENCIES, STATE DEPARTMENT, HEAD IN THE
STATE DEPARTMENT, HEAD IN THE
MOST AFFECTED ONES ARE MY WIFE.
SPEED TO NICK PALMISCIANO JOINS
US NOW, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
THE U.S. LEFT THOUSANDS OF OUR
AFGHAN ALLIES BEHIND DURING THE
WITHDRAWAL.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A YEAR LATER, A
LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE STILL IN
AFGHANISTAN.
WHERE DO THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW?
>> THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY A TON OF
PEOPLE STILL IN AFGHANISTAN.
WE ARE STILL GETTING MESSAGES
EVERY DAY, AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY
HEARTBREAKING.
WE LEFT PEOPLE THERE, AND WE DID
NOT EVEN PLAN TO SCALE UP THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM DEPARTMENT
OF STATE THAT WERE GOING TO HELP
PROCESS SIBS AND GET THESE
PEOPLE TO SAFETY.
WE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING AHEAD OF
TIME BEFORE THE WITHDRAWAL, AND
WE ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH NOW.
THE PERIODS OF TIME THAT PEOPLE
HAVE TO WAIT JUST FOR AN
INTERVIEW, FIVE MONTHS, SIX
MONTHS, UP TO A YEAR.
MEAN WELL THESE PEOPLE ARE
TRYING TO STAY AWAY FROM THE
TALIBAN IN HIDING OR TRIED TO
SUSTAIN THEMSELVES WITH NO
ABILITY TO WORK.
IT IS INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING.
>> Todd: G.O.P. HOUSE
COMMITTEE SAID THE MINORITY HAVE
COMPILED PROOF AND SENIOR
POLITICAL APPOINTEES REPEATEDLY
MISLED THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ABOUT
THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND IN
KABUL ISSUING A WILDLY
STATEMENTS ABOUT PROGRESS AT THE
AIRPORT AND THE TALIBAN’S
COOPERATION IN CARRYING OUT THE
EVACUATION.
THAT SAID, AT THE POINT WE ARE
NOW, ARE THERE AMERICAN ALLIES
BEING KILLED BECAUSE WE AS
AMERICANS DID NOT GET THEM OUT
IN TIME?
>> THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY OUR
ALLIES THAT HAVE BEEN KILLED.
WE RECEIVED WHATSAPP MESSAGES FR
WHERE WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN SOMEONE FROM
THE TALIBAN RECEIVED THEIR PHONE
AND SENT PICTURES OF THEM NO
LONGER WITH US.
IT IS A TERRIBLE SITUATION.
THE TOLD THAT IT TAKES ON ALL OF
THE VOLUNTEERS IS SIGNIFICANT.
THAT THERE IS NOT A DAY THAT
GOES BY WHERE PEOPLE ARE NOT
BEGGING US WITH VERY REAL
PROBLEMS.
OUR HANDS ARE ESSENTIALLY TIED.
WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE
DEPARTMENT STATE PROCESS.
>> Carley: WE INTERVIEWED A
MAN AND HE HELPED THE U.S. ARMY
AND SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN FOR
MANY YEARS.
HE ACTUALLY RECEIVED A SPECIAL
IMMIGRANT VISA BUT THE
STATE DEPARTMENT WENT TO NARC ON
HIM.
HE HAS NOT HEARD FROM THEM IN
SIX MONTHS SO HE’S LIVING IN
HIDING WHICH IS SO GUT WRENCHING
FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, YOU
MENTIONED PEOPLE ARE DYING.
WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO SAY.
YOU TALK ABOUT THE BACKLOG AT
THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE?
>> WELL, WE NEED MORE PEOPLE
PROCESSING SIBS AND WE ALSO NEED
A PLACE TO BRING PEOPLE.
I SPENT TWO MONTHS THIS YEAR IN
THE MIDDLE EAST TRYING TO SOLVE
SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS.
ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES IS, WE CAN
GET PEOPLE OUT OF AFGHANISTAN,
BUT THERE IS NO PLACE TO BRING
THEM.
IF THEY CAN’T GO DIRECTLY TO THE
UNITED STATES, WHO ESSENTIALLY
BURDENED FUNDING THESE PEOPLE
FOR MONTHS OR EVEN IN SOME CASES
A YEAR AT A TIME.
IT IS UNSUSTAINABLE FOR ANY
NGO’S OPENING GOVERNMENT
SUPPORT.
>> Todd: IN THE MEANTIME, MORE
THAN $700 BILLION OF U.S. HARD
WORK HAS BEEN SEIZED BY THE
TALIBAN SINCE U.S. TROOPS LEFT
LAST YEAR.
THAT IS AN ASTOUNDING NUMBER,
NICK.
WHERE ARE THOSE WEAPONS NOW AND
WHAT ARE THEY BEING USED FOR?
>> YOU KNOW, SO, I’M NOT AN
EXPERT IN THIS SO I CAN’T SPEAK
TO WHAT THEY ARE BEING USED FOR,
BUT THE SAME THING THAT ALLOWED
ALL OF THOSE WEAPONS TO BE TAKEN
IS THE SAME REASON WHY THERE
WERE ONLY 36 OFFICERS BY THE
STATE DEPARTMENT SITTING IN
KABUL WHEN I WAS THERE.
THEY WERE PROCESSING THOUSANDS
AND THOUSANDS OF SIB PLURALISTS.
WE DID NOT PLAN TO GET PEOPLE
OUT.
WE DID NOT PLAN TO GET EQUIPMENT
OUT.
HOPE IS NOT A PLAN.
>> Carley: AND THAT $7 BILLION
NUMBER IS KNEW.
AND THE INSPECTOR GENERAL’S
REPORT FOUND THAT THE TALIBAN
HAD EVERYTHING FROM SNIPER
RIFLES IN THEIR POSSESSION BUT
BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, KILLED THE
LEADER OF AL QAEDA LIVING IN A
NICE APARTMENT IN KABUL, WHICH
RAISES THE RISE OF TERRORISM IN
AFGHANISTAN.
DO YOU THINK U.S. TROOPS WILL
ONE DAY BE BACK?
>> I THINK IT IS VERY HARD TO
SAY THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE
INVOLVED IN SOME FORM OR
FASHION.
THE DOCUMENTARY, SEND ME" COMING
OUT AUGUST 6TH, WE TALK ABOUT
WHILE ON THE GROUND, TALIBAN
LITERALLY SHOOTING PEOPLE IN THE
CROWD AS A METHOD OF CROWD
CONTROL.
THAT IS WHY AMERICANS WERE STILL
ON THE GROUND.
TO THINK THAT IT WILL BE VASTLY
DIFFERENT NOW THAT WE ARE GONE
IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD ARE NOT
ON THEM, THAT IS JUST A BACK
SLAP.
>> Todd: AS IF THE TALIBAN IS
NOT ENOUGH, CONGRESS ANOTHER