{"id":659191,"date":"2021-08-18T18:20:53","date_gmt":"2021-08-18T22:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=659191"},"modified":"2021-08-18T18:21:01","modified_gmt":"2021-08-18T22:21:01","slug":"white-house-messaging-on-afghanistan-gets-a-massive-and-rapid-makeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-messaging-on-afghanistan-gets-a-massive-and-rapid-makeover\/","title":{"rendered":"White House Messaging On Afghanistan Gets A Massive And Rapid Makeover"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhite-house-messaging-on-afghanistan-gets-a-massive-and-rapid-makeover%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=659191&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The White House, amid the Taliban\u2019s rapid takeover, has engaged in a messaging makeover as it attempts to ward off criticism over the U.S. troops\u2019 drawdown from Afghanistan.<\/p>\n<p>The Taliban quickly gained control of major cities throughout the region, entering Kabul on Aug. 15 and ultimately declaring victory. President Joe Biden denied that the swift takeover caught him and his administration off guard during a speech Monday, but his comments sharply contrasted with ones he made on July 8.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JULY 8, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At the time, Biden boasted about the Afghan military forces and dismissed the Taliban\u2019s ability to take control, declaring a takeover \u201cnot inevitable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, it is not, because the Afghan troops have 300,000 well-equipped \u2014 as well-equipped as any army in the world \u2014 and an air force against something like 75,000 Taliban. It is not inevitable,\u201d Biden <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/08\/13\/flashback-biden-predicts-taliban-takeover-afghanistan-not-inevitable\/\">told reporters<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe likelihood there\u2019s going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/speeches-remarks\/2021\/07\/08\/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-drawdown-of-u-s-forces-in-afghanistan\/\">added<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>During <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/speeches-remarks\/2021\/07\/08\/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-drawdown-of-u-s-forces-in-afghanistan\/\">that speech<\/a>, the president noted that \u201cthe Afghan government and leadership has to come together\u201d and expressed confidence in their \u201ccapability to sustain the government in place.\u201d Still, Biden said that there\u2019s wasn\u2019t \u201ca conclusion that, in fact, they cannot defeat the Taliban.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>WATCH:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Biden also assured Americans that \u201cthere\u2019s going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of a[n] \u2026 embassy \u2026 of the United States from Afghanistan,\u201d and brushed off comparisons to Saigon in 1975.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat you had is you had entire brigades breaking through the gates of our embassy \u2014 six, if I\u2019m not mistaken. The Taliban is not the South \u2014 the North Vietnamese army,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re not \u2014 they\u2019re not remotely comparable in terms of capability \u2026 It is not at all comparable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Just over a month later, after the Taliban walked into Kabul, gave a press conference in the presidential palace and announced the \u201cIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan,\u201d the messaging coming from the White House began to change.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AUGUST 16, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/biden-natsec-adviser-shrugs-off-disastrous-kabul-evacuation-says-helicopters-are-common-mode-of-transport\">Monday morning<\/a>, national security advisor Jake Sullivan spoke to NBC News about the catastrophe unfolding. Biden remained in Camp David early that day, with no announcement on whether he\u2019d be addressing the country. Sullivan was pressed about Biden\u2019s promise that Americans wouldn\u2019t \u201csee people being lifted off the roof of\u201d the embassy in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n<p>Over the weekend, officials rescued people in Afghanistan by picking them up from the roof of the embassy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo be fair, the helicopter has been the mode of transport from our embassy to the airport for the last 20 years,\u201d Sullivan responded.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7263347\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" readability=\"39\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7263347\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7263347\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1234687799-1-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"A US military helicopter is pictured flying above the US embassy in Kabul on August 15, 2021. Several hundred employees of the US embassy in Kabul have been evacuated from Afghanistan, a US defense official said on August 15, 2021, as the Taliban entered the capital. (Photo by Wakil KOHSAR \/ AFP) (Photo by WAKIL KOHSAR\/AFP via Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1234687799-1-scaled-1.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cdn01.dailycaller.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1234687799-1-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1234687799-1-620x413-1.jpg 620w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1234687799-1-768x512-1.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1234687799-1-1536x1024-1.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1234687799-1-2047x1365-1.jpg 2047w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7263347\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A US military helicopter is pictured flying above the US embassy in Kabul on August 15, 2021. Several hundred employees of the US embassy in Kabul have been evacuated from Afghanistan, a US defense official said on August 15, 2021, as the Taliban entered the capital. (Photo by Wakil KOHSAR \/ AFP) (Photo by WAKIL KOHSAR\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>After pushback from NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie, Sullivan admitted that \u201cthe speed with which cities fell was much greater than anyone anticipated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Late Monday morning, the White House announced a schedule change: Amid criticism over his silence, the president would be returning from Camp David and speaking to the nation about the fall of Afghanistan. During <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/08\/16\/joe-biden-address-nation-afghanistan-taliban\/\">that speech<\/a>, Biden conceded \u2013 as Sullivan had \u2013 that he was surprised by the speed at which the Taliban took over. Biden claimed to have planned for \u201cevery contingency.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy national security team and I have been closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Afghanistan and moving quickly to execute the plans we had put in place to respond to every contingency, including the rapid collapse we\u2019re seeing now,\u201d Biden said. \u201cBut I always promised the American people that I will be straight with you. The truth is: This did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Biden took no questions after his remarks and returned to Camp David, where he remained until Tuesday evening. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/08\/16\/department-of-defense-military-bases-afghanistan-refugees-taliban-evacuation-translators\/\">(RELATED:&nbsp;DOD Prepping US Military Bases To House Up To 30,000 Afghan Refugees, Americans Won\u2019t Be Given Evacuation Priority)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>AUGUST 17, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sullivan expanded on the administration\u2019s claims of preparedness during Tuesday\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/press-briefings\/2021\/08\/17\/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-jen-psaki-and-national-security-advisor-jake-sullivan-august-17-2021\/\">press briefing<\/a>, declaring that they in part did not conduct a mass evacuation because the Afghan government and its supporters \u201cmade a passionate case\u201d against the move.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Biden had told the nation that the seemingly delayed evacuation occurred because \u201csome of the Afghans did not want to leave earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Afghan government and its supporters, including many of the people now seeking to leave, made a passionate case that we should not conduct a mass evacuation lest we trigger a loss of confidence in the government,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cNow, our signaling support for the government obviously did not save the government, but this was a considered judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe American forces now on the ground at HKAI [Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan] are there because of contingency planning and drilling we did over the course of months, preparing for a range of scenarios, including dire scenarios,\u201d Sullivan continued, detailing how the administration was allegedly prepared for a quick Kabul fall. \u201cPresident Biden ordered multiple battalions to be pre-positioned in theater, and he activated them for deployment before the fall of Kabul. He also put additional battalions on a short string here in the United States. Those battalions have now flowed in as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Sullivan admitted that \u201cthere were chaotic scenes\u201d coming from the ground in Afghanistan \u2013 most notably the videos of Afghans clinging to U.S. aircraft and eventually falling to their deaths in an attempt to not be left behind \u2013 he declared that \u201cwell-drawn plans\u201d still \u201crequire adjustments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sullivan also said that Biden brought together the principals on August 11<b>&nbsp;<\/b>\u201cto discuss the deteriorating situation\u201d in Afghanistan. At this time, the president asked about sending in more troops to help with an embassy draw-down and evacuation. Biden left the White House on August 12, issuing the order that same day. Eventually, the administration determined more troops were needed and moved to \u201cstep two of that contingency plan,\u201d according to Sullivan.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AUGUST 18, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, the messaging coming from the White House changed again when White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates responded to an opinion piece written by The Washington Post\u2019s Jennifer Rubin where she declared that \u201ct<span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">he administration didn\u2019t anticipate a Taliban takeover, at least not an immediate one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">False,\u201d Bates tweeted. \u201cThat possibility was in intelligence reports. The administration placed thousands of troops in the region to arrive promptly in the event of a swift disintegration.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" readability=\"10.490740740741\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">\u201c\u2018The administration didn\u2019t anticipate a Taliban takeover, at least not an immediate one.\u2019 False. That possibility was in intelligence reports. The administration placed thousands of troops in the region to arrive promptly in the event of a swift disintegration.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AndrewJBates46\/status\/1427972570880618498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 18, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Just days earlier, the president himself said that while the administration had a contingency in place, he was surprised by the swift takeover. Bates\u2019 tweet pushed back on the suggestion that the administration didn\u2019t anticipate the move and therefore appeared to contend Biden\u2019s admission of being surprised.<\/p>\n<p>Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley added to the confusion during a <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/08\/18\/biden-milley-afghanistan-taliban\/\">briefing<\/a> at the Pentagon <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4T9TADZNG9Y\">Wednesday<\/a> afternoon when he declared that not a single person saw anything \u201cthat indicated a collapse of [the Afghan] army and this government in 11 days.\u201d In the same breath, Milley said the intelligence did note that one potential outcome was \u201can outright Taliban takeover following a rapid collapse of the Afghan security forces and the government.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnother was a civil war, and a third was a negotiated settlement,\u201d Milley continued. \u201cHowever, the time frame of a rapid collapse \u2013 that was widely estimated and ranges from weeks to months and even years following our departure. There was nothing that I or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Milley continued on to say that Central Command submitted multiple plans, adding that one of these plans is being \u201cexecuted right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the White House tries to handle the situation in Afghanistan \u2013 which has left thousands of U.S. citizens and Afghan allies still waiting for evacuation \u2013 the president\u2019s former confidence in a smooth drawdown has forced the administration to scramble to find a consistent, concrete message that explains how things went so far south so quickly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The White House, amid the Taliban\u2019s rapid takeover, has engaged in a messaging makeover as it attempts to ward off criticism over the U.S. troops\u2019 drawdown from Afghanistan.The Taliban quickly &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-659191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=659191"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659191\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=659191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=659191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=659191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}