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Military Leadership Absent
Something was missing from the Monday Pentagon briefing. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Mark Milley has not been known to shrink from expressing his opinion forcefully. He has been more than happy to stick out his designer retro uniformed chest full of fruit salad and speak his truth to Republican members of Congress or against President Trump and his bitter clinging deplorable extremist hobbits. Likewise, retired four star general, granted a legislative exemption, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III, who served as CENTCOM commander under President Obama, has been quite vocal in support of the leftist program of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Yet, neither of these brave souls showed their faces at the Department of Defense press briefing following Joe Biden’s appearance in front of the White House press corps.
It fell to a lowly two star Army general to represent the uniformed services, while a couple underling suits showed up instead of Secretary Austin. Mind you, Milley and Austin were not entirely silent on the turn of events in Afghanistan. No, reliable sources reminded the media that Austin and Milley had counselled against Biden’s decision to fully withdraw. Further, over the past weekend, Milley briefed Congress that the threat of active terrorist groups reforming in Afghanistan had accelerated.
Now things have fallen apart, their Commander in Chief had to stand in front of the cameras, facing the nation and the world. It seems to me that Secretary Austin and General Milley ought either have been standing by the President’s shoulder or leading the supporting Defense Department briefing. Of course, there was one other decent alternative: they could have both resigned this Monday morning. Why are you giggling?
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds a Press Briefing
AUG. 16, 2021
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby; Garry Reid, Afghanistan Crisis Action Group; Major General Hank TaylorPRESS SECRETARY JOHN F. KIRBY: Good afternoon, everybody. I know we gave you an update this morning, so I brought a couple of additional briefers with me this afternoon to flush out some more detail from the kinds of things that we talked about earlier today. So with me is Major General Hank Taylor of the Joint Staff. He’s the Director of Current Operations, and Garry Reid, who I think you all know, he is Director of our Afghanistan Crisis Action Group.
I’m going to ask each gentleman to come up and say just a few words, give you some updates from their perspective, operations in the general’s case and on the SIV process and what DOD is trying to help along with that from Mr. Reid’s perspective, and then we’ll get to some Q&A for a little bit. I will moderate that Q&A, so I’ll still be up here calling on you, and we’ll try to get through as many of you as we can in the limited amount of time that we have.
Published in MilitaryDepartment Press Briefing – August 16, 2021
NED PRICE, DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSONAUGUST 16, 2021
MR PRICE: Good afternoon. Let me say a few things at the top, and then I will turn to your questions.
You just heard directly from the President regarding the context, the current situation, and what the United States is seeking to do in the coming hours and the coming days.
Let me offer just a few additional details from the Department of State.
The safety and security of U.S. Government employees and U.S. citizens overseas is our top priority. All remaining U.S. direct hire embassy personnel, including the ambassador, have relocated to Hamid Karzai International Airport, where they are secure.
The Department of Defense is working to restore a safe and secure environment so that military and commercial flights can resume.
Now, of course, the situation is evolving quickly, and we will communicate information to U.S. citizens as rapidly as possible. In the meantime, we are asking U.S. citizens to shelter and not to travel to the airport until they hear otherwise from the Department of State.
We also continue to pursue all options to relocate interested and qualified Afghan SIV applicants and their immediate families, as well as other vulnerable Afghans.
We remain closely coordinated with our international partners on the ground and around the globe.
We’ve been engaging tirelessly with our partners and the international community. You may have seen last night the United States organized a joint statement with 98 signatories, calling on all parties to respect and facilitate the safe and orderly departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country.
Today, Secretary Blinken spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, PRC State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi, UK Foreign Secretary Raab, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu, and EU High Representative Josep Borrell.
Yesterday he spoke with Australian Foreign Minister Payne, French Foreign Minister Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Maas, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Soreide. Other senior officials have been making calls to their counterparts as well around the clock.
Additionally, the UN Security Council issued a joint press statement earlier today calling for a new government that is united, inclusive, and representative – including with the full and meaningful participation of women. The council spoke with one voice to underscore that Afghanistan must abide by its international obligations – including to international humanitarian law – and ensure the safety and security of all Afghans and international citizens.
The situation will continue to remain fluid in the coming hours and likely in the coming days. Nevertheless, we are operating on multiple fronts and around the clock to protect our people, those who have worked side-by-side with the United States over the years, and other vulnerable Afghans.
Now before I take your questions, I do want to speak to one additional issue that is of great importance to us, and that is the U.S. response to the earthquake in Haiti. The United States is closely monitoring the situation following a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck the southwestern part of the country on August 14th. We offer our deepest condolences to all who suffered the loss of loved ones or saw their homes or businesses destroyed. We are in close contact with Haitian authorities to respond to the earthquake and any requests for assistance.
On Saturday, USAID deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team – or a DART – to lead the U.S. Government’s humanitarian response efforts. And yesterday, at the request of the Government of Haiti, USAID deployed members of Fairfax County Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue – USAR – team to join the DART.
So far, the DART conducted an aerial assessment and is continuing to assess the damage. They will also identify priority needs and coordinate with the Government of Haiti and humanitarian partners.
U.S. Coast Guard aircrews are transporting medical personnel and supplies from Port-au-Prince to Jeremie and Les Cayes, and are evacuating injured citizens to higher level of care facilities in Port-au-Prince.
At the request of USAID, SOUTHCOM is sending two UH-60 and two CH-47 helicopters from Joint Task Force-Bravo to provide critical airlift support to ongoing relief efforts.
We are also closely tracking Tropical Storm Grace, which is expected to reach Haiti today, potentially exposing people to further devastation.
The United States remains a close and enduring friend to the people of Haiti, and we will continue to provide assistance in the aftermath of this tragedy. We are committed to helping the Haitian people build a better future.
With that, I’m happy to take your questions.
If these people are the best Biden could come up with, what the hell would their replacements look like?
I guess they wanted to distance themselves from this unfolding disaster, huh? Let the flunkies take the heat . . .
Leading from behind.
So regarding Afghanistan, the US is firmly committed to assisting Haiti after its devastating earthquake, and also insuring full and meaningful participation of women Afghanistan’s new government. Got it all covered.
I wonder when they struck the rainbow flag at the US Embassy?
I suppose this isn’t the first time the JCS has found something better to do. During the 64-68 part of the Vietnam War, LBJ intimidated the JCS so thoroughly that they usually just stayed in the Pentagon and kept their mouths shut.
Today the only time we hear from the JCS is when they’re expounding on their wokeness.
It was never flown in Kabul:
Thank G-d (Allah) they issued a joint press statement. We’re all good now, no?
I sincerely believe Joe Biden has lost his mental acuity due to aging. Is it clinically diagnosed dementia??? … The (D) machine in control is mum on the matter. But I was under the impression the policy coming out of the Biden admin were collective decisions made by upper level Biden staff and various other (D) grand poohbahs (ie: not actually Joe Biden’s decisions).
Therefore, I am stunned the (D) apparatus is actually allowing Joe Biden to make such obvious colossally disastrous decisions against what is reported to be the recommendations of the US Military and Intel as well as the recommendations of our military allies particularly from Europe.
The idea that a 78 year old dementia patient actually leads the free world used to be a humorous meme, but now has suddenly turned out to be a very frightening reality.
To start with:
Secretary Austin should resign immediately.
Secretary Blinken should resign immediately.
General Milley should resign immediately.
If they do not they are cowards and without honour.
Fair point. But part of the reason we are in this current state is lack of accountability for those in appointed roles. When people f**k up they do not pay serious consequences.
I’m so upset about this catastrophe that I’m having trouble concentrating on my work. I don’t understand how, in a modern democracy, one person–Joe Biden–has this kind of authority, why his generals didn’t say no.
Biden is taking advantage of authority his country has given him to use in cases of extreme imminent threat to the United States.
This was not how this authority was ever intended to be used.
Yup, and I’m not sleeping too well these days. (Well, actually not since Biden was elected.)
I don’t worry so much about the authority as much as the monumental incompetence of those exercising that authority. And as I’m watching all those news conferences (DOD, State Department, “National Security Advisor” Jake Sullivan), I don’t believe we’ve ever had so many idiots in our government.
The important thing is that we held white rage in check which, as Gen. Milley would say, is the important thing. We left our allies in the lurch and did not even bother to warn NATO allies in time to evacuate their embassies but gosh darn it, the Taliban will never get their hands on that LGBTXYZ flag we flew over our embassy. That is safely back here in Wokestan.
Jimmy Carter is starting to look like Bismark or Richilieu compared to this buffoon.
I simply don’t think he made the decision.
For what it’s worth Biden came on the television yesterday at 15:45 EST and said it was his decision …. after first blaming Trump and the Afghans of course.
Then took no questions from reporters and flew back to camp David to vacation during the fall of Kabul … what an effing clown show.
Hey, they have great ice cream at Camp David.
If I were a corrupt, demented egotist, I would take credit too.
Right there with you.
Also? I can’t get the thought out of my mind re: what @bossmongo would have to say about all of this.
Because we do not live in an open military dictatorship. The generals and admirals can legitimately only resign or salute and execute the orders. As is, it appears they may have played dumb and fouled things up as badly as possible in an inside-the-beltway power play, seeking to avoid personal accountability.
@cliffordbrown, that is a dark thought. But after the last five years it is entirely plausible and likely.