Conservative broadcaster and commentator Glenn Beck, whose Nazarene Fund raised over $28 million for rescue operations in Afghanistan, is blaming the U.S. State Department for standing in the way of such missions.
Beck traveled to an undisclosed location in a country near Afghanistan, where he revealed the sobering situation on the ground where American citizens, Afghan allies, and persecuted Christians rush to get to safety.
According to The Blaze, Beck spoke to Force Recon Marine Chad Robichaux, whose Mighty Oaks Foundation was able to get up to 2,000 people to safety in just a few days. The Nazarene Fund board member David Barton was also on hand during a discussion with Beck in which he described the U.S. State Department officials as "clowns" who will be "humiliated by private sector efforts," saying that there has been "evidence of malicious intent from a few members in the State Department," the report said.
Beck also reported that the U.S. State Department is the one entity that is making evacuation operations more difficult on the ground. He revealed that several neighboring countries to Afghanistan had already stepped up to take in Afghan refugees. However, the U.S. Department told these governments to stop taking in the Afghan refugees.
In fact, NBC News reported on Monday that three Balkan countries, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania have all pledged to support Afghans who are fleeing from Afghanistan, but no refugees have been flown in by the U.S. A spokesman for the government of North Macedonia, Duško Arsovski said on Saturday that they have organized hotels for the refugees to be sheltered in and was waiting for U.S. information. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said they would accommodate 650 Afghan refugees.
"We are rescuing a peaceful population who have cherished democracy for 20 years and who were a help and support to our military on their missions over there," the Macedonian Prime Minister said.
Similarly, a spokesman for the government of Kosovo said that a flight bringing Afghan refugees may be expected in the coming days but that they had no information about when it would arrive and how many refugees will arrive.
In Albania, the prime minister's spokesman, Endri Fuga said that he did not know if the refugees would even arrive. The U.S. State Department and Defense Department refused to comment as to why they would not send flights of fleeing Afghan refugees to North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania.
But Beck says he knows that the U.S. State Department is indeed "standing in the way" of rescuing people from Afghanistan, The Blaze reported. The 57 year old conservative figure took to Twitter on Thursday to share a clip of his conversation with Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who serves on the Judiciary Committee's Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism subcommittee, the Intelligence Committee, and the Armed Services Committee.
"I've heard reports that OUR State Department told Macedonia to stop taking Afghan refugees. @SenTomCotton tells me he's heard similar reports," Beck tweeted. "If our govt won't save these people, WE WILL. But the State Dept. must stop standing in the way."
"At a minimum, we should be allowing countries that are willing to accept Afghans, are willing to send charters...into Kabul to do that to clean up some of President [Joe] Biden's mess," Sen. Cotton argued. Beck responded, "They are obstructing us every step of the way."
I've heard reports that OUR State Department told Macedonia to stop taking Afghan refugees. @SenTomCotton tells me he's heard similar reports. If our govt won't save these people, WE WILL. But the State Dept. must stop standing in the way. pic.twitter.com/gYzYBzR8N4
"” Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) August 26, 2021
