Biden Defense Spox John Kirby Pressed on Beatings in Afghanistan, Says ‘By and Large Most Americans’ Are Getting Through
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby was grilled about reports of Americans being beaten on the way to the airport in Kabul, and told reporters that “by and large,” those attempting to get to the airport have not been harassed or beaten.
Kirby and Army Major Gen. William D. “Hank” Taylor briefed reporters on Saturday, shortly after President Joe Biden met with his national security team in the Situation Room.
Among the topics discussed was the reported violence against Americans trying to reach the airport. NBC News Pentagon Correspondent Courtney Kube pressed Kirby on those reports, which Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has acknowledged and condemned.
“Can you give us any more detail about what who these Americans are that Senator Austin was talking about?” Kube asked.
“We’ve actually been talking about this for several days here, here at this particular podium,” Kirby said, adding that “it wasn’t just Americans that he talked about that have been harassed and in some cases beaten,” and that “We don’t believe it is a very large number.”
Kirby said that “by and large, most Americans who who have their credentials with them are being allowed through the Taliban checkpoints and into the gate and onto the airfield.”
“Now, I have to caveat it and I’ll do it again,” Kirby cautioned. “We are aware of sporadic cases… where they aren’t being allowed, where there is some harassment going on and yes, some physical violence has occurred.”
HE added that U.S. commanders have made “clear to Taliban commanders” that such violence is “unacceptable.”
“But what I’m wondering is, are the cases that the secretary was talking to the members about, were those occurring yesterday, I mean, are these recent…?”
“Over the course of the last week we have been made aware of this,” Kirby said.
Kube followed up again by asking if the beatings continued after the US “started talking to the Taliban and telling them not to.”
“I don’t have an exact breakdown day by day, Courtney,” Kirby said. “I mean, we’ve been in touch with the Taliban for quite some time, I think, over the course of last week. And we’ve certainly made our concerns known.”
“And I think equally frustrating is the fact that… what appears to be happening is that not every Taliban fighter either got the word or decided to obey the word. And I can’t speak to Taliban command and control,” Kirby continued, then reiterated “But by and large, and for the most part, Americans with their credentials are being given the passage they need through the checkpoints and are getting onto the field, again, security conditions permitting.”
Watch above via CNN.
