Fox News host Tucker Carlson opened his show tonight asking some very serious questions about Afghanistan while contrast against a very incurious U.S. media.   The entire opening segment is well worth watching.

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As the chaotic operation to rescue Americans and allies from Afghanistan ends, the Biden administration pushes Secretary of State Anthony Blinken toward the microphones to make a statement.   The anticipated statement is scheduled to begin between 6:30pm and 7:00pm ET.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken remarks on the situation in Afghanistan from the Department of State’s Treaty Room. U.S. forces have completed their evacuation from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war.  Update: Video Added

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Centcom Commander Kenneth McKenzie: “I’m here to announce the completion of our withdrawal in Afghanistan and the end of the military mission to evacuate American citizens, third country nationals and vulnerable Afghans.”

The last military plane out of Afghanistan departed at 3:29 p.m. on the East Coast — that’s 11:59 p.m. in Kabul. We are officially out of Afghanistan.  According to General McKenzie, “The vast majority of U.S. citizens who wanted to leave, were evacuated.”  However, he later continued, “There’s a lot of heartbreak. We did not get everybody out that we wanted to get out.”

Attempting to reassure the nation of the federal government’s competence in the aftermath of a devastating Hurricane Ida, Joe Biden introduces the woke FEMA officials who will be coordinating the recovery effort.   The outcome was, unfortunately, exactly what you would expect.

Within the confidence building effort, Biden introduces “his boy” Senior Advisor and Director of Public Engagement, Cedric Richmond.  Things go downhill from there:

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Team one (DoS/CIA) are really putting Team two (WH/DoD) on the defensive with this leak.  [Pentagon video at bottom]

According to a Politico report, using leaked classified intelligence from the U.S. intel community, the Pentagon knew well in advance that a suicide bomber was coming to the Abbey Gate long before the explosion.  According to the leak, the military knew where and when the attack was coming; and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned allies to avoid the area.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chief’s Chariman Mark Milley, and CentCom Commander General Kenneth McKenzie all knew in advance the Abbey Gate was going to be bombed on Thursday, yet they kept the gate open.

(Politico) – Just 24 hours before a suicide bomber detonated an explosive outside Hamid Karzai International Airport, senior military leaders gathered for the Pentagon’s daily morning update on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

Speaking from a secure video conference room on the third floor of the Pentagon at 8 a.m. Wednesday — or 4:30 p.m. in Kabul — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin instructed more than a dozen of the department’s top leaders around the world to make preparations for an imminent “mass casualty event,” according to classified detailed notes of the gathering shared with POLITICO.

During the meeting, Gen. Mark Milley, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned of “significant” intelligence indicating that the Islamic State’s Afghanistan affiliate, ISIS-K, was planning a “complex attack,” the notes quoted him as saying.  Commanders calling in from Kabul relayed that the Abbey Gate, where American citizens had been told to gather in order to gain entrance to the airport, was “highest risk,” and detailed their plans to protect the airport.

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A very interesting internal dynamic amid U.S. institutions and their media PR networks solidifies around a lengthy Washington Post report about the day Kabul fell to the Taliban.   It’s not the story per se’ that provides the clarity, although the details are interesting; but rather the intent of the narrative around the story putting accountability for the lack of Kabul security upon the Pentagon.

Remember, Team #1 (State Dept./CIA) use CNN and the Washington Post; while Team #2 (White House, Pentagon, NSC)  do not.

The internal battle amid U.S. government institutions, two teams, in the Afghanistan-crisis blame game, are reflected by this organizational relationship between two U.S. Govt. factions and their media allies.  The overarching problem in this part of the blame game is the security situation in Kabul, specifically the lack of security which led to a terrorist attack that killed 13 American service members at the Kabul airport and wounded hundreds more.

According to the Washington Post outline, the Taliban offered to stay out of the capital city until the U.S. military had departed; however, during an in-person meeting between the head of the Taliban, Abdul Ghani Baradar, and U.S. Central Command Commander, Kenneth F McKenzie, the U.S. general told the Taliban to take the city but leave them the airport.

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the JoeBama Administration and Presidency.

“This is no small thing, to restore a republic after it has fallen into corruption. I have studied history for years and I cannot recall it ever happening. It may be that our task is impossible. Yet, if we do not try then how will we know it can’t be done? And if we do not try, it most certainly won’t be done. The Founders’ Republic, and the larger war for western civilization, will be lost.”

“But I tell you this: We will not go gently into that bloody collectivist good night. Indeed, we will make with our defiance such a sound as ALL history from that day forward will be forced to note, even if they despise us in the writing of it.”

~ Mike Vanderboegh

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

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Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

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As many long-time readers will know, we do have a little bit more than average experience dealing with the aftermath of hurricanes. I ain’t no expert in the before part; you need to heed the local professionals who guide you through any preparation, and neighborhood specific guidelines, for your immediate area…

…But when it comes to the ‘after part’, well, as a long-time CERT recovery member, perhaps I can share some things you might find of value. Consider this little word salad a buffet, absorb what might be of value – pass over anything else.

If your town, city or hamlet is not underwater, there will be convoys coming to construct a pre-planned electricity grid recovery process. Convoys from every city, town and state from the east-coast to the mid-west. A glorious melding of dirty fingernails all arriving for the meet-up. Depending on your proximity to the bigger picture objectives at hand, you will cherish their arrival.

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There have been various and increasing ¹reports all day that a Biden-authorized U.S. drone strike targeting ISIS-K, in retaliation for their Kabul terrorist attack, not only killed Islamic terrorists, but also killed allies, innocent civilians and children.

[NOTE: I hate to keep harping on this, but it is important context. Remember CNN represents the official position of the State Dept. If CNN reports it, that is Team #1 (Dos/CIA), positioning a narrative to put Team #2 (White House and Pentagon) in a compromising position.]

New York Post – Multiple Afghan civilians, including relatives and children, were reportedly killed in Sunday’s US airstrike near the Kabul airport.

US officials said the drone strike wiped out a vehicle carrying multiple suicide bombers that posed an “imminent ISIS-K threat” to the city’s airport.

The exact amount of casualties was not immediately clear, but a relative of those killed told CNN that nine of his family members died in the drone strike. Six children, ranging in age from 2 to 10, and three adults were among the dead, the relative told the news outlet. (read more)

[Original CNN report HERE] – As the media start to pick up the story, dig and verify the reports of innocents as collateral damage, unbelievably U.S. Central Command (Centcom) releases a public statement seemingly admitting to the issue.

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