Tag: joe biden

US Drone Attack Kills at Least 10 Afghan Civilians—Including 6 Children

A U.S. drone strike purportedly targeting a suspected ISIS-K vehicle in a residential neighborhood of Kabul, Afghanistan killed at least 10 members of a single family—including six children—as they were getting out of their car on Sunday.

Relatives of the victims told the Washington Post that the strike—which was the second attack the U.S. carried out in Kabul over the weekend—”hit a nearby vehicle” that the Pentagon claims was an “imminent” threat.

The civilian victims of the U.S. strike were all “from a single extended family,” the Post reported.

Samim Shahyad, a 25-year-old journalism student, told the New York Times that the U.S. attack killed his father, his two brothers, four of his young cousins, his niece, and his sister’s fiancé. Shahyad added that three of the victims were girls who were just two years old or younger.

“The American aircraft targeted us,” said Shahyad. “I do not know what to say, they just cut my arms and broke my back, I cannot say anything more.”

One neighbor at the scene of the attack said in an interview with CNN that “not much is left of their house and nothing can be recognized, they are in pieces.” The person estimated that as many as 20 people may have been killed in the U.S. drone strike.

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Biden repeatedly implies he’s not in charge of when, where he can take questions from the press

President Joe Biden has repeatedly implied that his handlers set the rules and determine when and where he’s allowed to take questions from the press, leading observers to ponder who is actually calling the shots behind the scenes. 

The trend began with Biden’s first formal White House press conference as president in January. Following his remarks about his “Made in America” manufacturing initiative, a member of Biden’s staff was heard calling on specific reporters to ask their questions to the president, something that was similarly done during the 2020 presidential election and the transition period. However, the president has since escalated the practice and Biden has repeatedly suggested he’s not in the driver’s seat when it comes to handling the press. 

“I’m not supposed to take any questions”

Biden declared Sunday he wasn’t “supposed to take any questions” during a visit to the National Response Coordination Center at FEMA headquarters as Hurricane Ida slammed Louisiana. 

“I’m not supposed to take any questions, but go ahead,” Biden said to a reporter before quickly changing his mind when he was asked about Afghanistan. 

“I’m not gonna answer Afghanistan now,” he said before turning his back to the press and walking away. 

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Biden, Fauci discuss requiring COVID booster shots every 5 months

President Biden on Friday said he and Dr. Anthony Fauci discussed requiring COVID-19 booster shots every five months rather than every eight as previously anticipated.

The shorter timeframe would increase the number of vaccine doses that the US will need to set aside for booster shots — as poorer nations clamor for more US donations.

“The question raised is should it be shorter than eight months? Should it be as little as five months? That’s being discussed. I spoke with Dr. Fauci this morning about that,” Biden said in the Oval Office during a visit from Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

Biden said Friday that booster shots for Americans “will start here on Sept. 20 pending approval of the FDA and the CDC committee of outside experts.”

The president did not say what Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, recommended regarding booster shot timing.

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Active Duty, Retired Naval Intelligence Members Told They Cannot ‘Disrespect’ Biden Over Afghanistan Debacle

`Top leadership at the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) informed active duty and retired service members that they cannot condemn President Joe Biden amid the chaotic — and now deadly — pullout of American troops from Afghanistan. 

In an email from the ONI’s Chief of Staff, ONI members were reminded that per a Uniform Code of Military Justice and Department of Defense Directive clause they cannot disrespect senior government leadership. This includes the President, Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, and more. 

The email reads: 

Given the heightened political and social atmosphere surrounding Afghanistan, it is important to remind our uniformed personnel (active duty and reservists on temporary active duty) and military retirees of their responsibilities and obligations under Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and Department of Defense Directive 1344.10. While it is vital to protect the constitutional right of freedom of expression for these groups, consistent with mission accomplishment, national security, and good order and discipline, it’s important to remember certain limitations. Namely, uniformed personnel and military retirees are prohibited from disrespecting senior government leadership (e.g. the President, Vice President, Congress, Secretary of Defense, Service Secretaries, etc.).

Per the same uniformed personnel policy, ONI members cannot participate in partisan political activity or distribute partisan political literature. An internal ONI member told The Daily Wire that these policies were more relaxed under the Trump administration and recalled retired officers condemning the former President. 

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Biden: ‘They Gave Me A List … I Was Instructed To Call On’ Certain Reporters Before Fielding Questions

President Joe Biden said out loud that NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell was the first reporter he was “instructed to call on” to ask him a question during a Thursday press briefing following a terrorist attack outside the Kabul airport.

“Ladies and gentlemen, they gave me a list here. The first person I was instructed to call on was Kelly O’Donnell of NBC,” Biden said, kicking off the Q&A part of the briefing.

Immediately after Biden’s announcement, O’Donnell got the mic and asked the president about his plans regarding a potential deployment of additional forces to Afghanistan in response to the ISIS-K attack.

“I’ve instructed the military. Whatever they need, if they need additional force, I will grant it,” Biden replied, adding that the military officials had expressed their intent to get as many people as possible out of the country, as per the initial plan.

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U.S. officials provided Taliban with names of Americans, Afghan allies to evacuate

U.S. officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the militant-controlled outer perimeter of the city’s airport, a choice that’s prompted outrage behind the scenes from lawmakers and military officials.

The move, detailed to POLITICO by three U.S. and congressional officials, was designed to expedite the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan as chaos erupted in Afghanistan’s capital city last week after the Taliban seized control of the country. It also came as the Biden administration has been relying on the Taliban for security outside the airport.

Since the fall of Kabul in mid-August, nearly 100,000 people have been evacuated, most of whom had to pass through the Taliban’s many checkpoints. But the decision to provide specific names to the Taliban, which has a history of brutally murdering Afghans who collaborated with the U.S. and other coalition forces during the conflict, has angered lawmakers and military officials.

“Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list,” said one defense official, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. “It’s just appalling and shocking and makes you feel unclean.”

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