International

Secretary Blinken accused of sharing a list of names with the Taliban

Published

2 years ago

August 30, 2021

Staff Writer

By Jenny Goldsberry

Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday to explain how he’s gotten busloads of people out of Afghanistan. While he denies that he shared lists of names with the Taliban, he did admit there are times when he needed to provide what he called a manifest.

“The idea that we’ve done anything to put at further risk those that we are trying to help leave the country is simply wrong,” Blinken explained to host Chuck Todd.

“The idea that we shared lists of Americans or others with the Taliban is simply wrong,” he said.

“So, in specific instances when you’re trying to get a bus or a group of people through, and you need to show a manifest to do that, because particularly in cases where people don’t have the necessary credentials on them or documents on them, then you would — you’ll share names on a list of people on the bus so they can be assured that those are people that we’re looking to bring in,” Blinken said. “And by definition, that’s exactly what’s happened. We’ve gotten 5,500 American citizens out of Afghanistan. And to the extent that in an individual case with a particular group or a bus to verify that the people on the bus or in that group were people who were supposed to come out, American citizens, especially, again, if they lacked the right document with them, that’s what we would do. But the idea that we put anyone in any further jeopardy is simply wrong.”

To date more than 100,000 people have been safely evacuated from Kabul – a testament to the bravery, skill & determination of those contributing to this mission. We grieve the U.S. service members & Afghans lost in Kabul today & send our heartfelt condolences to their loved ones.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 27, 2021

Shortly following the suicide attack at the Kabul airport, Blinken tweeted that he evacuated 100,000 people from Afghanistan.

You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism.

China

North Korea tests missiles in simulated Nuclear counterattack

Published

1 week ago

March 20, 2023

Alexander Carter

Kim Jong Un has accused the U.S. and South Korea of carrying out nuclear military drills. In response to the claim, Un conducted a test Sunday simulating a nuclear counter attack on the U.S. and South Korea.

These aren’t the first accusations made by Un. On Sunday, tensions escalated after Un launched short range ballistic missiles from North Korea as part of ongoing tests, he said. Those missiles traveled approximately 500 miles, according to reports from South Korea and Japan. Un then went one KCNA, the North Korean State media, telling reporters that the threat of a Nuclear attack on the U.S. and South Korea was likely.

Furthermore, Un claims that testing his short range ballistic missile, helped to improve North Korea’s military capability if there was a need for a counter-offensive in a time of war. He stated that he needed to guarantee the country’s readiness for any “immediate and overwhelming nuclear counterattack.”

Un also claimed that countries such as the U.S. and South Korea “are getting ever more pronounced in their moves for aggression against” his country, according to reports from Fox News. Un said that it is of urgent matter that North Korea needs strengthen its nuclear arsenal in the wake of aggression towards his country.

“The nuclear force of the DPRK will strongly deter, control and manage the enemy’s reckless moves and provocations with its high war readiness, and carry out its important mission without hesitation in case of any unwanted situation,” Kim was quoted as saying.

The Associated Press reported that Jeon Ha Gyu, spokesperson of South Korea’s Defense Ministry, said it’s clear North Korea with its ramped-up testing activity is making “considerable progress” in nuclear weapons technology. According to reports Gyu did not detail any findings on North Korea’s claim about the successful warhead detonation.

Annual exercises have been carried out for week by the U.S. and South Korea which involve, U.S. B-1B strategic bombers. The B-1B bomber is capable of carrying up to 24 nuclear bombs and can travel at a speed of mach 0.9 while dropping bombs from 200ft above the ground. North Korea claims that these exercises are a very real threat to the country and that is is merely a rehearsal for what they believe to be a full on attack of their country.