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Politico | Pentagon chief contradicts Biden, says US citizens in Afghanistan have been ‘beaten’ by Taliban
- The president had said that the US was not aware of Americans having trouble getting to the airport
- The US military will ramp up C-17 evacuation flights out of Kabul up from 12 per day to more than 30 in the coming days
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This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Andrew Desiderio, Heather Caygle and Lara Seligman on politico.com on August 20, 2021.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers on Friday that Americans trying to leave Afghanistan have been beaten by Taliban fighters, according to several people who took part in a briefing call with Austin and other top officials.
Austin’s remarks to House members appeared to directly contradict President Joe Biden’s assessment from minutes earlier, in which Biden said the US was not aware of Americans having trouble getting through Taliban checkpoints and to the airport in Kabul – the only evacuation point in the country for Americans and Afghan allies.
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During the briefing call, Austin called the reports of Taliban beatings “unacceptable”, but did not elaborate on efforts to ensure Americans’ safe passage to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan’s capital city.
“We’re also aware that some people, including Americans, have been harassed and even beaten by the Taliban,” Austin said on the call, according to multiple sources. “This is unacceptable and [we] made it clear to the designated Taliban leader.”
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