During an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) explained what President Biden should do to save the 15,000 Americans stranded in Afghanistan after Biden ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
“Here’s what I would do if I were president of the United States,” Graham said. “I would tell the Pentagon to give me a safe corridor passage plan for every corner of Afghanistan. I would tell the Taliban, we’re bringing every American home. They’re coming from every corner of Afghanistan, if you get in the way that will be a hostile act against the United States and we will use military force.”
“I would tell them the same about the interpreters and all those who helped us. We don’t have to accept this,” Graham added.
The United States has been evacuating Americans through the airport in Kabul, but many Americans have been unable to travel to the airport. Those who have tried have been beaten by the Taliban who have set up checkpoints to intercept people trying to evacuate.
The Wall Street Journal reported, “as of Tuesday afternoon many thousands of Afghans who had been employed by Western embassies and nongovernment organizations in Kabul remained stranded and unable to reach Hamid Karzai International Airport for evacuation flights as the Taliban erected checkpoints at airport entrances, whipping and beating Afghans who attempted to cross.”
There are currently around 15,000 Americans still trapped in Afghanistan, and there is no plan yet for evacuating those outside of Kabul. There is, however, a plan to monetize the evacuation of Americans who manage to survive the dangerous journey to the Kabul airport.
“Even though U.S. officials tell NatSec Daily and others that evacuation flights from Kabul will be free, people trying to catch a plane in the Afghan capital say differently,” Politico reported. “One person said State Department staff were seeking large payments — up to $2,000 — from American passengers and even more from non-U.S. citizens.”
