SIR, AND TO YOUR COMMUNITY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> Julie: STAFFERS INSIDE THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION REPORTEDLY
HORRIFIED WITH THE AFGHAN
WITHDRAWAL AND ARE DISGUSTED
THAT AMERICAN CITIZENS WERE
LEFT ON THE GROUND DESPITE THE
PRESIDENT CALLING THE PULL-OUT
AN EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS.
ONE UNNAMED ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIAL TELLING "POLITICO" I’M
QUOTING, I’M ABSOLUTELY
APPALLED AND LITERALLY
HORRIFIED WE LEFT AMERICANS
THERE.
BUT THE STATE DEPARTMENT
INSISTS THAT EFFORTS TO GET
AMERICANS BACK HOME DIDN’T END
WITH AMERICA’S EXIT.
>> WE’VE BEEN CONSISTENT IN
THAT MESSAGING THAT WE WILL DO
DURING THE COURSE OF THE
EVACUATION EVERYTHING IN OUR
POWER AND SPACE PERMITTING TO
BRING THEM TO SAFETY ON A U.S.
MILITARY AIRPLANE.
NOW OF COURSE OUR COMMITMENT
HAS NOT EXPIRED.
THAT COMMITMENT ENDURES.
>> WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL
POSSIBLE OPTIONS, AIR ROUTES,
LAND ROUTES, TO CONTINUE TO
FIND WAYS FOR THEM TO HELP
EVACUATE.
>> Julie: CHAD WOLF, FORMER
ACTING HOMELAND SECURITY
SECRETARY AND VISITING FELLOW
AT THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION
JOINS ME NOW.
THANK YOU FOR TALKING TO US.
HOW REASSURING IS IT TO HEAR
FROM PENTAGON OFFICIALS AND
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE THAT THEY
IN FACT ARE GOING TO LEAN ON
THE TALIBAN TO HELP US GET
AMERICANS OUT OF AFGHANISTAN?
>> IT’S NOT REASSURING AT ALL.
THE TALIBAN IS A TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION AND SO RELYING ON
THE TALIBAN FOR ANY TYPE OF
SECURITY WHETHER IT WAS FOR THE
AIRPORT OR WHETHER NOW IS TO
GET AMERICANS TRAPPED IN
AFGHANISTAN OUT AFTER THE U.S.
HAS PULLED OUT AND WITHDRAWN IS
NOT COMFORTING.
IT WOULDN’T BE COMFORTING TO ME
IF I WAS IN AFGHANISTAN AND IT
SHOULDN’T BE THE POLICY OF THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
WE SHOULD DO ALL THAT WE CAN.
IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE FIRST OF
ALL WE LEFT AMERICANS IN
AFGHANISTAN AS WE PULLED OUT.
OUR FIRST PRIORITY SHOULD BE
THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF
EVERY AMERICAN AND SO THE
ADMINISTRATION REALLY NEEDS TO
DO MORE MAKING SURE WE GET ALL
AMERICANS OUT OF AFGHANISTAN
THAT WANT TO GO.
>> Julie: DESPITE THE
REASSURANCES FROM THE
ADMINISTRATION, AN AFGHAN
INTERPRETER WHO HEADREST CUE
SENATOR JOE BIDEN BACK IN 2008
IS NOW STRANDED AND IS ALSO
PLEADING FOR HELP. LISTEN.
>> THEY LEFT ME AND MY FAMILY BEHIND.
[INAUDIBLE]
>> Julie: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO
NO ONE LEFT BEHIND?
IT WAS AN OUTRIGHT LIE.
>> RIGHT.
WELL, I BELIEVE THAT INDIVIDUAL
LIKE MANY OTHERS ARE STUCK IN
THAT SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA
PROCESSING.
THE D.O.D. INSPECTOR GENERAL A
COUPLE OF YEARS AGO TALKED
ABOUT THE EXTREME PROCESSING
TIMES AND SOME OF THE ISSUES
THAT THEY WERE HAVING WITH THAT
PROGRAM AND SO THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION KNEW THIS AS
THEY WERE WITHDRAWING AND
PUTTING INDIVIDUALS INTO THE
VISA PROCESSING, THEY KNEW THEY
WEREN’T GOING TO GET EVERYONE
OUT.
VERY TROUBLING THAT THEY RELIED ON AN SIV PROGRAM THAT TAKES 18
ON AN SIV PROGRAM THAT TAKES 18
TO 24 MONTHS TO VET INDIVIDUALS
PROPERLY NOW BRINGING FOLKS
INTO THE U.S., VULNERABLE
AFGHANS BEING PAROLED INTO THE
COUNTRY WE HAVE TO DO A LOT OF
SECURITY CHECKS.
DIFFICULT TO DO AFTER THE FACT
THAT THEY’RE HERE IN THE U.S.
AGAIN, IT JUST TALKS ABOUT AND
DEMONSTRATES THE CHAOTIC AND
MISMANAGED NATURE OF THIS
WITHDRAWAL.
>> Julie: I WANT YOUR TAKE ON
THIS.
A PIECE IN FOREIGN POLICY
MAGAZINE ENTITLED AMERICA ISN’T
EXCEPTIONAL ANYMORE.
THE UNITED STATES CAN NO LONGER
CLAIM TO BE THE LEADER OF THE
FREE WORLD IF IT ABANDONS
STRATEGIC ALLIES AND VULNERABLE
CIVILIANS.
YOUR THOUGHTS.
>> WELL, I DO STILL BELIEVE
THAT AMERICA IS EXCEPTIONAL AND
I HAVE SPECIFIC CONCERNS, A LOT
OF INDIVIDUALS DO THE MANNER IN
WHICH PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THIS
ADMINISTRATION HAS BUNGLED THE
WITHDRAWAL OUT OF AFGHANISTAN.
I THINK IT HURT OUR CREDIBILITY
INTERNATIONALLY.
THE U.S. CAN RECOVER.
WE’RE STRONGER THAN THIS.
THERE NEEDS TO BE
ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE END OF
THE DAY.
I HOPE THERE IS AN
INVESTIGATION IN HOW IT WAS
MISMANAGED TO THE EXTENT THAT
IT WAS AND I HOPE INDIVIDUALS
ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
>> Julie: MANY REPUBLICANS ARE
RAISING THE ALARM ON RELOCATING
THE THOUSANDS OF AFGHAN
REFUGEES WHO ARE GOING TO BE
NOW RELOCATING TO THE U.S.
MANY ARE POINTING TO CONCERNS
ABOUT VETTING AND THE POTENTIAL
FOR BAD ACTORS.
THAT’S A PROBLEM WE’RE NOW IN.
HOWEVER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS
SECRETARY JEN PSAKI SAYS THEY
HAVE THAT COVERED.
LET’S WATCH.
>> I CAN ABSOLUTELY ASSURE YOU
THAT NO ONE IS COMING INTO THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHO
HAS NOT BEEN THROUGH A THOROUGH
SCREENING AND BACKGROUND CHECK
PROCESS AND THERE ARE MANY
INDIVIDUALS, AS YOU NOTED, WHO
HAVE NOT BEEN THROUGH THAT
PROCESS AND THEY HAVE GONE TO
LILY PAD COUNTRIES AS THAT
PROCESS HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT’S BECAUSE
THERE IS A FLAG.
IT MEANS THEY HAVE NOT
COMPLETED THEIR PAPERWORK.
>> Julie: GIVEN HOW THE EXIT
STRATEGY WENT DOWN.
CAN WE TRUST THAT?
>> WELL LOOK, I HAVE CONFIDENCE
IN OUR SCREENING AND VETTING
SYSTEM WHEN IT IS DONE THE
APPROPRIATE WAY.
AGAIN AS WE VET INDIVIDUALS
COMING OUT OF AFGHANISTAN IT IS
VERY DIFFICULT.
YOU HAVE TO VALIDATE PASSPORTS.
AFGHAN PASSPORTS AND DID THEY
WORK FOR THE U.S. AND THE
PROCESS TAKES 18 TO 24 MONTHS.
NOW WE DO IT IN DAYS AND WEEK
TO A LARGE POPULATION.
YOU KNOW AT THE END OF THE DAY
CORNERS WILL BE CUT AND
INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE NOT
GETTING THE FULL SCREENING AND
VETTING PROCEDURE.
WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE DHS IS
PAROLEING THESE INDIVIDUALS IN.
THAT WON’T BE NECESSARY IF WE
PASSED THE TEST AND GAVE VISA.
THERE SHOULD BE A LOT OF
CONCERNS GOING ON WITH BRINGING
THIS MANY INDIVIDUALS INTO THE
U.S. IN SUCH A CONDENSED TIME
FRAME.