{"id":701061,"date":"2021-08-30T20:35:12","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T00:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=701061"},"modified":"2021-08-30T20:35:18","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T00:35:18","slug":"blinken-frames-next-steps-following-afghanistan-withdrawal-declares-a-new-diplomatic-mission-has-begun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blinken-frames-next-steps-following-afghanistan-withdrawal-declares-a-new-diplomatic-mission-has-begun\/","title":{"rendered":"Blinken Frames Next Steps Following Afghanistan Withdrawal, Declares \u2018A New Diplomatic Mission Has Begun\u2019"},"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\">28<\/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%2Fblinken-frames-next-steps-following-afghanistan-withdrawal-declares-a-new-diplomatic-mission-has-begun%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=701061&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--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2021-08-30-at-8.06.15-PM-e1630368407461.png\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the number of individuals the U.S. evacuated from Afghanistan following Monday\u2019s withdrawal announcement and issued a challenge for the Taliban to form an \u201cinclusive government\u201d to earn America\u2019s recognition.<\/p>\n<p>Blinken gave brief remarks after the <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/08\/30\/last-us-flight-leaves-kabul-afghanistan-pentagon\/\">Pentagon<\/a> announced that the last U.S. flight departed from Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday afternoon. President Joe Biden stuck with the Aug. 31 drawdown deadline, despite failing to get all American citizens and Afghan allies out of the country safely.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow, U.S. military flights have ended,\u201d Blinken said after detailing the over 100,000 individuals successfully evacuated from the country. \u201cAnd our troops have departed Afghanistan. A new chapter of America\u2019s engagement with Afghanistan has begun. We will lead with diplomacy. The military mission is over. A new diplomatic mission has begun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blinken spent much of his speech outlining a multi-step plan aimed at promoting this \u201cnew diplomatic mission.\u201d He noted that the administration suspended its diplomatic presence in Kabul and moved it to Doha, Qatar, where the post will be used \u201cto administer humanitarian assistance and work with allies and partners to coordinate engagement and messaging to the Taliban.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>WATCH:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Blinken also spoke about working with \u201cthe new Afghan government\u201d to \u201csecure\u201d the interests the administration now holds. These interests include bringing stability to the region, protecting \u201cthe gains of the past two decades\u201d and bringing home hostage&nbsp;Mark Frerichs.<\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cBut we will not do it on the basis of trust or faith,\u201d Blinken&nbsp;<\/span>said as he challenged the Taliban. \u201c<span>Every step we take will be based not on want the Taliban government says, but does to live up to its commitments. The Taliban seeks international legitimacy and support. Our message is any legitimacy and support will have to be earned.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe Taliban can do that by meeting commitments and obligations on freedom of travel, respecting the basic rights of the Afghan people including women and minorities, upholding commitments on counterterrorism, not carrying out reprisal violence against those who choose to stay in Afghanistan and forming an inclusive government to meet the needs and reflect the aspirations of the Afghan people,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The secretary of state outlined the administration\u2019s plans to help Americans still stranded in Afghanistan. Blinken, along with other U.S. officials, have admitted the administration is unsure of exactly how many Americans who seek to leave remain in the country. Blinken estimated this number to be between 100 and 200, suggesting it\u2019s closer to 100.<\/p>\n<p>One thing officials are doing, Blinken explained, is going through manifests \u201cand calling and texting\u201d lists of Americans believed to be in the country. He reaffirmed their commitment to Americans in Afghanistan and promised that \u201cwe will help them leave\u201d no matter what.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur commitment to them has no deadline,\u201d Blinken added, referring to the Afghan allies that the U.S. also left behind.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WATCH:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Biden promised during an interview with ABC News that troops would remain in Afghanistan if Americans still needed to get out. This promise, however, proved <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/08\/18\/joe-biden-afghanistan-taliban-abc-interview-kabul-evacuation\/\">shallow<\/a>, as the withdrawal announcement came with the recognition that American citizens still remain in the country. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/08\/26\/joe-biden-afghanistan-taliban-list-of-americans\/\">(RELATED:&nbsp;Biden Doesn\u2019t Deny Report That US Officials Handed Over Names Of Americans In Afghanistan To Taliban)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Blinken vowed to \u201chold the Taliban to its pledge to let people freely depart Afghanistan.\u201d The Taliban has claimed it will allow those with proper documents to leave the country \u201cin a safe and orderly manner.\u201d Still, concerns remain amid reports of the Taliban <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/08\/19\/taliban-reportedly-not-honoring-their-word-beating-people-escape\/\">beating<\/a> Americans and <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/08\/27\/taliban-al-isha-afghanistan-biometric-data-us-military\/\">hunting<\/a> down Afghan allies while the evacuation process was still ongoing.<\/p>\n<p>At one point, Blinken quoted a senior Taliban official, noting he said that \u201cany Afghans may leave the country, including those who worked for Americans, if they want and for whatever reason there may be.\u201d He noted that countries around the world have joined the U.S. in issuing declarations that they expect the Taliban to keep their promise.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will hold the Taliban to their commitment on freedom of movement for foreign nationals, visa holders, at risk Afghans,\u201d Blinken said. \u201cFourth, we will work to secure their safe passage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although Blinken touted the Taliban\u2019s promise, he later said that the administration won\u2019t be relying on them for counterterrorism efforts. Blinken said officials will \u201cbe vigilant in monitoring threats ourselves and maintain robust counterterrorism capabilities to neutralize those threats if necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Biden is set to speak about the withdrawal on Tuesday afternoon. He issued a lengthy statement after Monday\u2019s announcement noting his remarks will specifically address his decision to stick with the Aug. 31 deadline.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor now, I will report that it was the unanimous recommendation of the Joint Chiefs and of all of our commanders on the ground to end our airlift mission as planned. Their view was that ending our military mission was the best way to protect the lives of our troops, and secure the prospects of civilian departures for those who want to leave Afghanistan in the weeks and months ahead,\u201d Biden said before ending with \u201ca moment of gratitude for the\u201d 13 U.S. service members <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/08\/26\/joe-biden-vows-revenge-deadly-terror-attack-kabul-afghanistan\/\">killed<\/a> in a terror attack just days earlier at the Kabul airport.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the number of individuals the U.S. evacuated from Afghanistan following Monday\u2019s withdrawal announcement and issued a challenge for the Taliban to form an \u201cinclusive &#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-701061","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\/701061","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=701061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701061\/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=701061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=701061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=701061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}