= new reply since forum marked as read
Bravo!
two results using the word botched were from CNN and NBC. They are culpable.
Sorry if it's blurry, I use postimg and it's not the best
to leave Afghanistan. Some people still believe it was a big mistake. At the time the media relentlessly reported on the "chaos" of the withdrawal. And yes, yes we all know it was the smoothest withdrawal ever and nearly no pain was felt and hardly anyone died. I certainly wouldn't have called the the withdrawal "botched" but it's accurate to say that was the media portrayal at the time it happened as well. It's not "floating" the idea to call out that characterization.
what i tell my Conspiracy Theory coworker when he thinks he's cracked some kind of code. This happens pretty often btw...
Whatever, man.
the premise is sound. Exiting a "forever war" is bound to be painful. It will make people angry, it will make them dead sometimes, it will affect profits... you know, difficult choices. Like i said, a near perfect evacuation. Except for the fact the country fell in days instead of weeks/months and how quickly the government folded and how everyone seemed to be miscalculating toward the end there. And then all of the people we left there hung out to dry. But yeah, the evacuation was unprecedented. Near perfect. Not botched in the sense that He, Biden, botched it. But that the exit was unlikely to go off without a hitch. I just think you're overreacting about the language here... but maybe you're right. We haven't heard back from JasonMain yet. Maybe he can explain further?
as the Omicron variant of COVID ravaged the country. And Psaki was talking about it in her pressers - she WAS and still IS having daily pressers.
And all of this is summarily dismissed and you had one side whining about "why did we leave???!!!!??? and what about the giiiiiirrrrrrrrirls?!!!!???!!!1111!!!!!!!" and then the other side saying - "what about our horrible immigration system and how can we handle refugees?!!11!!!1!!1"
It continues to be damned if you do, damned if you don't. But nothing touched the previous administration.
August 31, 2021 • Press Briefings
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
4:15 P.M. EDT
(snip)
Q Thanks so much, Jen. Just to build on some of the things my colleagues were saying: President Biden said Americans who — were given multiple chances to leave, dating back several months. But things, as you just noted, changed dramatically in the last few weeks.
My question is: How many of those families said they wanted to stay in Afghanistan in the last few weeks — two, three weeks? And is it really fair to say — for the President to say that they didn’t leave when they had the chance? As you just mentioned, no one expected the collapse, as happened. And the President himself, for months, was publicly saying that the Taliban would not be running things and that this — and also that this exit would be safe and organized.
MS. PSAKI: Well, I would say, first, that no one is placing blame here. I think it’s important for people to understand, though, what the process has been. And while there are between 100 and 200 American citizens who have not yet departed, we have also evacuated more than 5,500 American citizens and their family members and 115,000 other people from Afghanistan. So, more than 120,000 people made their way to the airport or was able to evacuate from the country.
It is also very understandable, and I want to be very clear here: The vast majority, if not everyone — though the State Department who would have to speak to this — who is still there are dual citizens who have lived their entire lives in Afghanistan. This is about — I know this is hard for people to understand who grew up and live here: This is where they’ve lived. This is where their family members are. This is their communities. Maybe they own shops. Maybe they are — have 50 family members or 20 family members. This is not an easy decision to leave. We understand that.
And what the President is saying is: If you decide to leave next week, if you decided two days ago and we couldn’t get you out, we’re going to get you out. And that’s what his commitment is.
Q Can I ask about the immigration system and the refugee situation? The U.S. immigration system is already very overstretched; it’s dysfunctional. I wanted to know what steps is the administration taking to ensure that the tens of thousands of Afghan people who are being resettled here in the United States are not going to be caught up in red tape and that they’re going to get the resources they need.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/08/31/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-jen-psaki-august-31-2021/
I know here in Philly, we were one of the cities that received refugees that came in by air and by the end of October, we had some 25,000 pass through (and during early October, we became the ONLY airport that continued to take them for further processing) -
By Aaron Moselle October 29, 2021
Mayor Jim Kenney spoke about the city's role as a main hub for welcoming Afghan evacuees at a ceremony held Friday at Philadelphia International Airport. (Daniella Heminghaus/Billy Penn)
More than 25,000 Afghan evacuees have passed through the gates of Philadelphia International Airport since the Taliban took over the country in August, officials announced on Friday.
During a news conference inside the airport, speaker after speaker praised the city and its many partners for the job they’ve done during Operation Allies Welcome, which got underway at the end of August following a call from the Biden administration. Philadelphia remains the country’s main hub for accepting Afghan evacuees.
“When I got the first phone call that this might be possible, I knew in my heart that we would be doing it, because I know that our mayor and our residents are resolute that…we are a welcoming city,” said Adam Thiel, who directs the city’s Office of Emergency Management, one of the dozens of agencies involved in the mission.
“I’m incredibly moved by the response from our communities and their genuine desire to help these people in need,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. The overwhelming majority of the evacuees are not expected to remain in Philadelphia. Officials said they expected that figure to be around 700 people.
https://whyy.org/articles/more-than-25000-afghan-refugees-have-passed-through-philadelphia/
The Biden Administration has pleaded that -
By Stewart Verdery
Posted October 19, 2021 at 6:30am
(snip)
We need a different solution: a special legal pathway specifically designed for this unique class of people seeking refuge.
An Afghan Adjustment Act would allow evacuees to adjust their status and apply for lawful permanent residence after a certain amount of time in the U.S. It would fulfill our humanitarian obligation to vulnerable Afghans contending with an uncertain future. It would also allow Afghans, particularly those in high-risk groups, an opportunity to rebuild their lives in the U.S. without the hurdles that come with uncertain immigration status. And it would help keep us secure by speeding the integration of evacuees into American society.
Providing this kind of legal pathway has historical precedent. In 1966, Congress passed a bill to allow Cuban parolees who had fled the communist regime to apply for legal permanent residence after one year of residence in the U.S. Likewise, Congress acted in 1977 to allow for more than 150,000 refugees from Southeast Asia to apply for permanent residence.
(snip)
https://rollcall.com/2021/10/19/congress-should-pass-an-afghan-adjustment-act/
But...
By Camilo Montoya-Galvez
Updated on: January 29, 2022 / 4:33 PM / CBS News
(snip)
But efforts to introduce and pass an Afghan Adjustment Act that would offer permanent residency to evacuees have so far stalled in Congress, despite a vocal campaign by refugee advocates and public support from the Biden administration.
Earlier this month, outgoing top White House immigration official Esther Olavarria said the administration "wanted to do more" for Afghans evacuees through legislation "that would have allowed these individuals to apply for permanent residence status directly and bypass the asylum process."
"But unfortunately, Congress did not cooperate with us on that front," Olavarria said during an event hosted by the Migration Policy Institute. "So they are going through the asylum process now."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/afghan-evacuees-lack-pathway-to-permanent-legal-status-in-the-u-s/
I'm sure Joe saw what a mistake that was back in 2014. I'm sure he resolved (as any thinking person would) "Boy I wish I had THAT ONE to do over." And then as karma would have it - he DID get that chance in 2021 and he stood up to the challenge.
No Dem President is free of mistakes and that includes Obama. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Obama! He was a great and inspiring President, and I'm so glad he got a 2nd term.
Obama wasn't my first choice in 2009, I was on Team Clinton. But that's old news. We all learn to accept the Party's first (primary) choice and we all move forward. That's what I did, as you did in 2020. Thanks for your honest comments, and welcome to DU, my friend.
it absolutely disgusted me that Obama kicked that can for EIGHT YEARS. Terrible. 
He surprised me in the best possible way. He worked with Sanders to start healing all of us with a great agenda and teamwork. Unfortunately the conservative idiots keep hacking away, creating even more division in the country, supported by a couple of our own.
Well said, well done, welcome JasonMain.
Welcome to DU
