Austin Thrown by Question About Taliban ‘Diplomacy’

In his first press conference since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin looked like a deer in headlights after a reporter asked him if the United States is relying on “diplomacy with the Taliban” to allow people safe passage to the Kabul airport.

“So it sounds like you’re saying this depends on diplomacy with the Taliban. That’s it. That’s our only option is getting them to agree to do this,” the reporter asked.

Austin’s face went blank and he remained silent for several seconds, looking away before Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley stepped in with an unsatisfying response. Milley did not directly answer the question, instead stating that the U.S. is manning checkpoints at the airport’s perimeter.

That’s not good enough.

The Biden administration has been forced to negotiate with the Taliban in order to let Americans and others trying to flee through to the airport. Let that sink in for a moment. There are at least 11,000 Americans still stuck in Afghanistan thanks to the Biden administration’s unconscionable abandonment. Any of those Americans who cannot get out will end up either as hostages for whom the Taliban can get whatever they demand, or in beheading videos, unless the U.S. military does whatever is necessary to rescue them.

But under the traitorous Austin and Milley, our military is busy fighting purported “white supremacy” at home and “climate change” abroad.