Psaki refuses to discuss leaked Biden call with Ghani that shows he knew Afghan army was collapsing
Category: News & Politics
Via: vic-eldred • 3 years ago • 27 commentsBy: Tamar Lapin (New York Post)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday refused to comment about the leaked phone call between President Biden and former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Psaki dodged questions from reporters about the July 23 call, in which Biden told the Afghan leader to change the "perception" about the fight against the Taliban, "whether it's true or not."
"I'm not going to get into private, diplomatic conversations or leaked transcripts of phone calls," Psaki said at a White House briefing.
Instead, she maintained that the report was "consistent" with the administration's past assertions that "no one anticipated … that the Taliban would be able to take over the country as quickly as they did or that the Afghan national security forces would fold as quickly as they did."
"What the president conveyed publicly and certainly privately as well repeatedly to Afghan leaders is that it's important that the leaders in Afghanistan do exactly that — lead, show the country they are ready to continue the fight," Psaki insisted.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki refused to comment about the leaked phone call between President Biden and former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Asked if Biden had been trying to push a "false narrative" in the conversation with Ghani, Psaki said she wouldn't "go into the details of a private conversation." But she stressed that there was a "collapse in leadership" in the Afghan government long before Ghani fled the country.
A transcript of the call between the two leaders obtained by Reuters showed Biden could well have anticipated the Taliban was capable of completing its takeover of the country.
But neither Biden nor Ghani appeared aware of how quickly the country would fall to the insurgents, who three weeks later, on Aug. 15, stormed Kabul, prompting the Afghan leader to take off.
"We are going to continue to fight hard, diplomatically, politically, economically, to make sure your government not only survives, but is sustained and grows," Biden vowed to Ghani.
During much of the roughly 14-minute conversation, Biden emphasized what he saw as Afghanistan's "perception" problem.
President Biden pressured Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani to create the "perception" that the Taliban weren't winning, "whether it's true or not," in a phone call just three weeks before the fall of the country. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
"I need not tell you the perception around the world and in parts of Afghanistan, I believe, is that things are not going well in terms of the fight against the Taliban," Biden said.
"And there is a need, whether it is true or not, there is a need to project a different picture."
Biden also offered aid if Ghani could publicly project he had a plan to control the situation in Afghanistan, saying: "We will continue to provide close air support, if we know what the plan is."
Some GOP lawmakers expressed outrage over details of the call, even calling for Biden's resignation.
"The result of Biden's LIES was 13 brave Americans losing their lives," Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson wrote on Twitter. "HE NEEDS TO RESIGN!"
"Yet more evidence that Joe Biden is totally disconnected from the real world," tweeted Georgia Rep. Jody Hice. "'Changing perception' is political spin, not a national security strategy."
Despite her insistence she would not discuss what she called a "private": call between the world leaders, Psaki took a very different stance when it came to a famous call involving former President Donald Trump.
In 2019, she called on the White House to release the transcript of Trump's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — who coincidentally met with President Biden on Wednesday.
"It is not just the call transcript. The whistleblower complaint would likely have more details. We need both. And not just the call," Psaki said in a tweet on Sept. 24, 2019, the day the White House released that transcript.
That call led to his eventual impeachment, and later acquittal in the Senate.
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You mean Biden asked Ghani to lie about the situation in Afghanistan back in July?
More trouble for Biden!
Since the seed is based on a Reuters report, why not go directly to them? [ Deleted ]
Excerpts of call:
The key portion comes up quick:
BIDEN: You know, I am a moment late. But I mean it sincerely. Hey look, I want to make it clear that I am not a military man any more than you are, but I have been meeting with our Pentagon folks, and our national security people, as you have with ours and yours, and as you know and I need not tell you the perception around the world and in parts of Afghanistan, I believe, is that things aren’t going well in terms of the fight against the Taliban.
And there’s a need, whether it is true or not, there is a need to project a different picture.
I read the links Vic, I would not have posted them otherwise. This 'need' you talk of, would that be yours or the Administrations? Having chosen the NYPost over the much more substantive Reuters, I am left to surmise that it is yours.
As you just proved the key portion was the same.
Please tell us you have something to say about Biden's request of Ghani to lie. Our readers must be tired of irrelevant points.
I lack the hubris to talk to phantoms.
As to "Biden's request of Ghani to lie", I have read more than enough history, as I am sure you have, neither to be shocked nor to be petulantly partisan. The truth went out the window on Oct. 7, 2001 and I doubt it will come back before Oct. 7, 2041. You and I will never know and nor will our 'readers'.
Have a good day.
That I will, Thomas M. Leornard's biography of James K. Polk : A Clear and Unquestionable Destiny is available at my local library and my Covid passport has been delivered. Now there was a masterful liar.
Did the buck stop with him too?
He was smart enough to only serve one term ... he got out before the buck landed at his feet.
To our 'readers', Polk was a magnificent bastard with the emphasis on bastard.
Ah...Yes!
As will likely Biden but for different reasons. You have 3-1/2 more years to select someone sane. Concentrate on that ... the current wannabes are all wobbling wantonly into the throes of insulated voting groups.
Biden asking him to lie was all part of the most perfect plan ever
It seems everybody knew the Taliban were going to take over. They just didn’t know it would happen between Friday and Monday. Heck, I doubt even the Taliban were that optimistic.
I did several tours in Afghanistan with the 82d Airborne. We knew over a decade ago that if the US and NATO pulled out of Afghanistan that the ANSF would implode. This was no secret. But for Biden to ask Ghani to lie? And for what, to save his own ass? I wish I could say I'm surprised but to be honest I kind of expected shit like this from a shit Coward in Chief.
Evening Jeremy..yes even our Diggers said the same..plus the Afghan soldiers and I use the term loosely could not be trusted.
Lost quite a few Aussies with Afghan soldiers turning rogue. In the end they had to be watched at all times...on and off the battlefield..