The United States Department of State allegedly told Americans in Afghanistan to "arrange your own departure without assistance from the US Government."
The Gateway Pundit (TGP) reported that Department of State Secretary Antony Blinken "lied" in Congress during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing last Tuesday for stating they have "assigned a case manager to each and every American still stranded inside Afghanistan."
"Blinken said the Biden Administration was working with all of the Americans who still wished to leave the country. This is a lie. The State Department abandoned the Americans weeks ago. And there is proof of this," TGP said.
"The Biden-Blinken State Department sent out letters telling Americans you are on your own and to 'arrange your own departure without assistance from the US government'," the media outlet added.
The Gateway Pundit cited a tweet of Washington D.C.-based journalist Emily Miller on Tuesday regarding an email allegedly from the State Department forwarded to her by an undisclosed "American citizen in Afghanistan" regarding the Senate hearing.
"American citizen in Afghanistan watching Senate hearing texts me: 'Sec Blinken keeps boasting about the emails DOS sent to US citizens. I thought you might find this interesting'," Miller announced.
Miller's post included a screencap of the said email sent by "Kabul ACS" to "Kabul" dated "Aug 24" with the subject "U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan."
The body of the email read, "This is the final message for American citizens who wish to depart Kabul. American citizens who choose to remain in Afghanistan should be prepared to arrange their own departure without assistance from the U.S. government. Please go to the New Ministry of Interior (MOI) compound [equivalent name in Afghanistan], (on the Airport Road [equivalent name in Afghanistan]) today at 0:00 hours (midnight) with your husband or wife and children under 21 only. Do not go to the Airport Circle Gate (South Point Gate). You will not be admitted."
American citizen in Afghanistan watching Senate hearing texts me: "Sec Blinken keeps boasting about the emails DOS sent to US citizens. I thought you might find this interesting" pic.twitter.com/xP4meEXgWN
"” Emily Miller (@emilymiller) September 14, 2021
In a succeeding tweet, Miller explained that the text came from the State Department at the time the Taliban was already at the checkpoint of the airport and before the suicide bombers attacked the airport leading to the death of 13 American troops.
"Would you take your family into that?" Miller raised.
This text from State Department was when the Taliban controlled the checkpoints to the airport. And it was two days before the suicide bomber killed 13 troops at the airport. WOULD YOU TAKE YOUR FAMILY INTO THAT? "” Emily Miller (@emilymiller) September 14, 2021
In the full transcript of Blinken's remarks before the Senate, the secretary did state they sent Americans in Afghanistan "19 specific messages with" the "warning" to leave the country before the evacuation efforts of the United States began. The said messages included information on being provided money to purchase plane tickets.
"In advance of the President's decision, I was in constant contact with our allies and partners to hear their views and factor them into our thinking. When the President announced the withdrawal, NATO immediately and unanimously embraced it. We all set to work together on the drawdown," Blinken disclosed.
"Similarly, we were intensely focused on the safety of Americans in Afghanistan. In March, we began urging them to leave the country. In total, between March and August, we sent 19 specific messages with that warning, as well as offers of help, including financial assistance to pay for plane tickets," he added.
Blinken said that "thousands of Americans in Afghanistan" were still there by the "time the evacuation began" since many were "dual citizens" who had a "wrenching decision" to make considering the country had been their home for decades.
Blinken highlighted in his remarks before the Senate their efforts to speed up the processing of applications for "Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans who worked for us", which led them to issue "1,000 per week in August." He also stressed they were able to evacuate 124,000 people "to safety" by August 31 using "the biggest airlifts in history" through the aid of "two dozen countries."
As part of their continued operations after moving to a safer location in Doha, Blinken reiterated that they are continuously evacuating Americans in Afghanistan who choose to do so.
"We've continued our relentless efforts to help any remaining Americans, as well as Afghans and citizens of Allied and partner nations, leave Afghanistan if they choose," Blinken stressed.
"We're in constant contact with American citizens still in Afghanistan who've told us they wish to leave. Each has been assigned a case management team to offer specific guidance and instructions," he added. "Some declined to be on the first flights on Thursday and Friday for reasons, including needing more time to make arrangements, wanting to remain with extended family for now, or medical issues that precluded traveling last week."
"We will continue to help Americans--and Afghans to whom we have a special commitment--depart Afghanistan if they choose, just as we've done in other countries where we've evacuated our embassy and hundreds or even thousands of Americans remained behind--for example, in Libya, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, Somalia. There's no deadline to this mission," he said.
