Pentagon press secretary John Kirby on Thursday admitted he “doesn’t know” how many Americans remain in Afghanistan as the Biden administration scrambles to evacuate American citizens and Afghans at risk of Taliban reprisals from the country.
Kirby and Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor said 7,000 people had been flown out of Hamid Karzai International Airport since the evacuations began on Saturday — 2,000 in the past 24 hours.
But Kirby said he was unable to break down how many Americans had been on the flights, compared to Afghans and people from other countries.
“I don’t know,” he said.
The reporter pressed him on the numbers, questioning why, as the US is carrying out the frantic operations, there isn’t an account of how many Americans are in harm’s way or still need to be evacuated.
“I think as you probably know, first of all, the State Department would be a better place to go for an estimate of how many Americans are in Afghanistan or in and around Kabul. That is not a figure that the United States military would know, and I think you also know not every American citizen in another country that there’s no obligation that they register their presence. And that you can have a perfectly accurate count,” Kirby said defensively at a Pentagon briefing.
“But I don’t have that figure, and I’m referring to my State Department colleagues for the best estimate on that,” he added.
Meanwhile, Biden is still stuck on his August 31 withdrawal plan which is also the deadline date that all US troops shall have to evacuate and should be out by Tuesday.
The Biden regime still doesn’t know how many American souls on stuck behind enemy lines.
Kirby punted the question to the State Department.
Watch it here: GOP War Room/Youtube
The Gateway Pundit has previously reported over the weekend that:
Reports trickled in throughout Saturday that American citizens in Afghanistan were being blocked by U.S. military and government officials from entering Kabul airport so they could escape the (thanks to Biden) terrorist-controlled nation.
Several reports also said Americans are being beaten by Taliban terrorists at the airport. The reports reached a crescendo Saturday night with two Texas Republican Congressmen and military veterans, Dan Crenshaw and Ronny Jackson angrily calling out Joe Biden.
“America, you need to know this: Biden is not letting US citizens through the airport gates. It has been impossible to get anyone through for the last 24 hours. This administration has been lying about their intent to save Americans. Unforgivable.” Congressman Crenshaw said.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, New York Post