Donald Trump has slammed Joe Biden for handing over a list of approved Afghan evacuees to the Taliban amid fears it will now be used by the extremist group to kill those named on it.
Calls for Biden's resignation and impeachment have mounted after at least 103 people, including 13 U.S. service personnel, were killed by ISIS terrorists in a double suicide attack on Kabul airport on Thursday.
In an emotional address to the nation, Biden vowed to 'hunt down' and 'make the terrorists pay' as he mourned the 'selfless heroes' who died helping vulnerable people flee the country.
But defense experts and Republican opposition slammed the president, saying that the tragedy only served to underscore the disastrous decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and hand power back to the Taliban.
Trump called the crisis the 'most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to our country.'
Flights resumed on Friday morning with as many as 1,000 Americans and thousands more Afghans still hoping to flee.
But their hopes are fading fast as the US and its allies start to pack up. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Friday the 'gates were closed' and that the UK's final evacuation flights would end within hours.
Biden has pledged to 'rescue the Americans, we will get our Afghan allies out, and our mission will go on.'
However, in the latest blow to his handling of the crisis it was reported Thursday that U.S. officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the airport's outer perimeter.
The move was described as a gross security lapse, with one defense source telling Politico: 'Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list.'
Trump told Fox News: 'Now we're giving lists of Americans to the Taliban so now you just knock on the door and grab them and take them out ... What you are watching now is only going to get worse, it can only go one way.'
'We look like fools all over the world. We are weak, we are pathetic, we are being led by people that have no idea what they are doing,' he added.
Joe Biden (left) on Thursday was asked about a possible 'kill list' of U.S. citizens and Afghan allies, handed over to the Taliban. The list was designed to inform the Taliban who to let through to Kabul airport for evacuation. Biden said he was unaware of a specific list, but it was indeed possible. Donald Trump (right) slammed his successor last night, saying: 'Now we're giving lists of Americans to the Taliban so now you just knock on the door and grab them and take them out... What you are watching now is only going to get worse, it can only go one way'
A Taliban fighter stands guard at the site of the terrorist attack which killed at least 90 people outside Kabul airport
Thousands were seen trying to make their way to the airport gates today as the US and its allies began wrapping up their operations
Taliban fighters using an American-made armored car stand guard outside the airport on Friday
Taliban fighters stand guard outside the airport in Kabul on Friday. In one location the Taliban have been preventing anyone from getting through
A taliban member is seen at the explosion site near the airport on Friday
Wounded women arrive at a hospital for treatment after two blasts outside the airport in Kabul on August 26, 2021
Afghan refugees crouch in a group as British military secure the perimeter outside the Baron Hotel, near the Abbey Gate, in Kabul following yesterday's double bombing
ISIS has claimed responsibility for Thursday's sequence of attacks. A fighter is shown in a grab from the group's Telegram account, where they are allowed to operate
The blast was outside The Baron Hotel, at the Abbey Gate of Kabul airport. Westerners were staying in the hotel before their evacuation flights
Trump appeared on Hannity last night, saying he feels 'very very badly' for the Americans and Afghan allies whose names are on it.
'I think they are in great danger... whether it's interpreters or others, they were very loyal to our country,' he added.
The list was reportedly handed to the Taliban after the fall of Kabul on August 15. The Taliban has been controlling the checkpoints on the road to the airport, deciding who can get in.
It was believed that the list would help them to let US citizens and allies through the gates - but it is now feared it could be used by the Taliban as a list of its enemies to be wiped out.
As the chaos around the airport mounted, the State Department on August 25 began telling Afghans hoping to leave the country not to come, and to wait for answers instead. After August 25, Afghan names were not on the list, Politico reported.
Yet for 10 days the Taliban were being handed documents detailing those who had worked with the U.S.
The existence of the kill list was revealed days after it emerged that the Taliban have obtained the biometric data of thousands of Afghans who helped the United States, according to a Republican congressman, who said Joe Biden will have blood on his hands if the data is used to hunt down Afghan allies.
Jim Banks, who represents Indiana in the House, attacked Joe Biden on Tuesday for the fact that a significant amount of weaponry was left in Afghanistan after the U.S. troops withdrew.
A Navy reservist who served in Afghanistan in 2014 and 2015, while a state senator, Banks told a press conference on Capitol Hill that the Taliban had obtained a large cache of arms and equipment left behind by the U.S, after receiving a series of intelligence briefings.
But, he added, most 'unfathomable to me and so many others' was the biometric database, which was harvested and stored on Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment (HIIDE) devices to help ID locals working with the coalition.
The Taliban has, according to multiple reports, been going door-to-door and hunting down Afghans who worked with the Americans or the fallen government.
Biden on Thursday said he was unaware of the details of the list - but said it was quite possible that it had been handed to the Taliban, with which the U.S. is cooperating during the evacuations.
'There have been occasions when our military has contacted their military counterparts in the Taliban and said this, for example, this bus is coming through with X number of people on it, made up of the following group of people. We want you to let that bus or that group through,' he said.
'So, yes there have been occasions like that.
'To the best of my knowledge, in those cases, the bulk of that has occurred and they have been let through.'
Biden said that he was not aware of any specific list.
'I can't tell you with any certitude that there's actually been a list of names,' he added.
'There may have been. But I know of no circumstance. It doesn't mean that it doesn't exist, that here's the names of 12 people, they're coming, let them through. It could very well have happened.'
Trump last night accused Biden of being 'weak' for allowing the Taliban to return to power, claiming he warned the Taliban they would be wiped out by F-18 jets if they tried to take Kabul.
The former president spoke on the deal he says he made with Taliban's political leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar on Sean Hannity's show Monday night.
Trump said 'Abdul, as I like to call him, Abdul was just going to wait on us.'
Trump argued his administration 'had them totally under control'.
'Every time we saw movement we hit them with an F-18 and the movement stopped,' he said of keeping the Taliban out of Afghanistan.
'Before, they would've gotten blown away. (Now) zero resistance,' Trump said as he called Biden's decision to take the US military out of Afghanistan 'the dumbest move anybody has ever made perhaps in the history of our country, allowing this to happen'.
'This country has never seen stupidity like this and our country is really in trouble,' Trump said on the segment.
A man injured in the Kabul terrorists attacks on Thursday arrives at hospital to be treated. Among those killed in the two bomb attacks were 12 US Marines and one Navy medic
Medical staff bring an injured man to a hospital in an ambulance after two powerful explosions, which killed at least six people, outside the airport in Kabul on August 26, 2021
British troops guarding the airport last night after the bombing. Britain said Friday its evacuations from Afghanistan will end within hours, and the main British processing center for eligible Afghans has been closed. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News there would be 'eight or nine' evacuation flights on Friday, and they will be the last. British troops will leave over the next few days.
In this frame grab from video, people attend to a wounded man near the site of a deadly explosion outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021
Wounded Afghans lie on a bed at a hospital after a deadly explosions outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. Two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul's airport Thursday, transforming a scene of desperation into one of horror in the waning days of an airlift for those fleeing the Taliban takeover
'It's only going to get worse... We had something where they didn't get near us, they were petrified of us,' he added after suggesting that this is no longer the case.
He attributed the Taliban staying out of Middle Eastern country to the deal he cut with Abdul - 'who turns out to be the leader' - in Doha, Qatar, in February of last year.
'I dealt with the leader of the Taliban. This is not a very simple man. This is not a boy scout, to put it another way,' Trump said. The former president spoke to the Taliban leader nine times over the course of 18 months before they settled on an agreement.
'This is a tough, hardened person that has been fighting us for many years, and we are using them now to protect us? Look what happened with their protection,' he added.
He then said he thinks the Taliban 'couldn't believe it' when they heard the US military was leaving and pulling out of the war'.
'In my opinion... they sent some fighters in and they was zero resistance,' he said, claiming he 'had everything under perfect control' before 'Biden came in and they saw weakness'.
'He (Biden) didn't do anything,' Trump said in frustration. 'And they took over and then we ran out and we've just destroyed the image of America, of our great country, of our incredible warriors - and they are incredible warriors but they still need leadership at the top and they don't have it.'
Trump, who released a presidential-style statement on the suicide bombing screened at the start of Hannity's show, also told how the rescue efforts to get American soldiers out of Kabul 'is about withdrawal'.
'It is not about getting out because getting out is something,' he said, calling the entire crisis a 'disgrace' and blaming Biden for the death of 13 Americans in Kabul.
Meanwhile, Trump insisted that if he were reelected his administration would've upheld the terms of his agreement with the Taliban and 'you would have seen something very nice'.
'Nobody would have even realized we had gone. Everybody would have been out. The equipment would have been out. I would have blown up all of the bases,' he said.
Taliban fighters are seen outside Kabul airport on August 19. They control the perimeter of the airport and are coordinating with U.S. officials to decide who can enter
Afghans are seen waving their paperwork at soldiers outside Kabul airport on Thursday
Taliban fighters are pictured in central Kabul on August 19
'We would have kept Bagram because of China and Iran and Afghanistan - to a much lesser extent - and literally nobody would have even known,' he added.
The former president harshly criticized the Biden administration for veering off his original plan with Abdul, which said the US was to get out of Afghanistan in 14 months and, in exchange, the Taliban agreed to stop attacking US military members while stopping Afghanistan from becoming riddled with terrorists.
The Taliban also agreed to start working towards a peace agreement with the Afghan government and consider a cease-fire.
Instead, 'we have been put in the worst position we could possibly be put in,' Trump told Hannity during the hour-long segment.
'It's hard to believe, actually, because a child would have understood. You get the military out last. A child would have understood that. How could they have done this to our country?'
As a result, 'the Taliban and others are dictating,' Trump said.
'They are the ones saying get out on the 31st. I think Biden wanted to stay,' he added, claiming the leader of the Taliban told Biden: 'We want you out by the 31st of there will be consequences.'
'What kind of stuff is this?' Trump questioned in disbelief, shocked that people he had 'at bay to a level that you wouldn't believe' have now killed American soldiers.
Trump repeatedly described the events unfolding in Kabul not only as 'so sad' but also as 'the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to our country'.
'We look like fools all over the world. We are weak, we are pathetic, we are being led by people that have no idea what they are doing,' he added.
He cited how Biden 'botched' his plan 'and took the military out first' rather than last, leaving $80billion worth of equipment behind.
The Taliban now has 'the best equipment, best rockets, best tanks and helicopters,' Trump said, fearing that 'this country has never seen stupidity like this and our country is really in trouble'.
Criticism of Biden's handling of the crisis continued to mount throughout Thursday as the president remained out of sight before his address to the nation.
Biden began his speech with a tribute to the personnel who died, his voice cracking with emotion.
'These American service members who gave their lives - it's an overused word, but it's totally appropriate - were heroes ... heroes who have been engaged in a dangerous, selfless mission to save the lives of others,' he said.
'They are part of an airlift, an evacuation effort unlike any seen in history.'
The White House announced soon after that flags would be flown at half staff from federal buildings. At least 60 Afghans also died on Thursday when the two bombs went off amid the desperate clamour to escape Kabul.
The first bomber was being searched by troops when he detonated a suicide vest. The second was a car bomb attack. It's unclear how the first bomber got through Taliban checkpoints and close enough to the Marines to kill them.
The death toll is thought to be the highest in a single incident in Afghanistan since 30 died when a helicopter was shot down in 2011.
In a statement, Islamic State claimed responsibility and said one of its suicide bombers had targeted 'translators and collaborators with the American army.'
General Kenneth F. McKenzie, commander of CentCom, promised that the evacuation effort would continue despite the growing threat from ISIS and said he would 'go after' those responsible for the blasts.
He said the US military had Apache attack helicopters, MQ-9 Reaper drones, F-15 fighters and AC-130 Gunships flying over Afghanistan and warned further attacks by the terrorists were imminent.
'We expect these attacks to continue,' General McKenzie said, saying he was particularly concerned about the risk of further car bomb attacks.
Despite the danger, he said there was no alternative but to have troops continue to search people on the ground before they board flights, and that more than 100,000 had already been checked.
One thousand Americans remain in Afghanistan but McKenzie said not all of them want to leave. He said his personnel would work to get those who do want to leave out, but that the operation was becoming increasingly difficult as the deadline approached.
The ex-Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden Robert O'Neill called it a 'sad day' and said there is 'a lot of anger and frustration from veterans' who predicted such a disaster.
'I learned a long time ago, long before the bin Laden raid - when we were in combat with these same groups of people - one of my jobs I had after we assaulted the target was called a battlefield interrogator, where we caught these weaklings who they really are and interrogated them,' O'Neill told Fox.
'What I learned and we're learning right now is they're going to lie. They lied to us. They don't need to tell us the truth because it's not a legitimate government. These are what we call terrorists.
'It's just a sad day…you saw a lot of anger and frustration from veterans [who] were predicting what's going to happen then. It's sadness and now it's a shame.'
Republicans stepped up their attacks on Biden. Nikki Haley, former US ambassador to the UN, and others demanded he resign or be impeached for his handling of the the withdrawal.
H.R McMaster, Trump's national security adviser, said Thursday's attack was 'just the beginning.'
'We are going to see horrible image after horrible image.
'We're going to confront the steady drumbeat of horrors inflicted on the Afghan people. What are we going to do about it?
'Are we going to give a damn? Or is this going to be like Rwanda?' McMaster told Yahoo News, referring to the 1994 slaughter of 800,000 people in Rwanda.
'I would not be surprised at all if ISIS-K — in fact, I'd be surprised if it wasn't the case — is being used by the Haqqani network as a cutout to attack us and humiliate us on our way out,' he added.
With the Taliban in charge of the city, there has not yet been any official death toll. Witnesses suggested as many as 60 Afghans had died.
Scenes from the ground show injured Afghans being removed in wheelchairs.
Injured Afghans flee Kabul airport on Thursday night after two explosions and gunfire ripped through crowds
Crowds of people wait outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday as the evacuation mission continues
Norway, Poland, Holland and Canada have all stopped evacuating citizens.
General McKenzie said the US would keep evacuating its citizens despite Thursday's attack and despite an 'imminent' threat of more attacks.
The threat they are most concerned about is another car bomb, he said, but there is also intelligence to suggest ISIS wants to launch a rocket attack too.
Gen. McKenzie said the US would go after ISIS to retaliate if they can find the right groups. The threat of a suicide-born vehicle threat is 'very high.'
He also said the US was working to determine how the suicide bomber got through, and that it may have been down to Taliban incompetence.
He said there was no evidence the Taliban helped facilitate the attack.
'Clearly, if they get up to the Marines, there was a failure here. The Taliban operate with varying degrees of competence - some of these guys are good and scrupulous, and some are not,' he said.
General McKenzie is the only person from the government to speak to reporters about the fiasco. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken only tweeted about it.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement: 'On behalf of the men and women of the Department of Defense, I express my deepest condolences to the loved ones and teammates of all those killed and wounded in Kabul today.
'Terrorists took their lives at the very moment these troops were trying to save the lives of others. We mourn their loss. We will treat their wounds. And we will support their families in what will most assuredly be devastating grief.
'But we will not be dissuaded from the task at hand. To do anything less - especially now - would dishonor the purpose and sacrifice these men and women have rendered our country and the people of Afghanistan.'
Republicans, outraged about the terrorist attacks in Kabul that left US personnel dead, accused President Biden of having 'blood on his hands,' as Sen. Lindsey Graham urged the US to take back control of Bagram airbase after reports of two explosions at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
'I have advocated for days that the Bagram Air Base should be reopened as the Kabul airport is very difficult to defend and has been the only evacuation outlet,' the South Carolina Republican wrote on Twitter.
'We have the capability to reestablish our presence at Bagram to continue to evacuate American citizens and our Afghan allies. The biggest mistake in this debacle is abandoning Bagram.'
'I urge the Biden Administration to reestablish our presence in Bagram as an alternative to the Kabul airport so that we do not leave our fellow citizens and thousands of Afghan allies behind. It is not a capability problem, but a problem of will,' Graham said.
'The retaking of Bagram would put our military at risk, but I think those involved in the operation would gladly accept that risk because it would restore our honor as a nation and save lives.'
Lawmakers were briefed on the situation this week by Biden's national security team.
Meanwhile, Democrat Foreign Affairs Committee chair Sen. Bob Menendez, said: 'This is a full-fledged humanitarian crisis and US government personnel ... must secure the airport.'
'As we wait for more details to come in, one thing is clear: We can't trust the Taliban with Americans' security.'
House GOP leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring back the House so that lawmakers can be briefed on the situation.
'Today's attacks are horrific. My prayers go out to those who were injured and the families of those who were killed. I also continue to pray for the safety of our troops, the stranded American citizens, our allies and Afghan partners who remain in the area. Our enemies have taken advantage of the chaotic nature of the withdrawal,' the California Republican said in a statement.
'It is time for Congress to act quickly to save lives. Speaker Pelosi must bring Congress back into session before August 31 so that we can be briefed thoroughly and comprehensively by the Biden Administration and pass Representative Gallagher's legislation prohibiting the withdrawal of our troops until every American is out of Afghanistan.'
Other lawmakers submitted an outpouring of prayers for American troops on the ground and Afghans on Twitter as they, along with the rest of the world, watch and wait to see how a series of attacks on Kabul airport unfold.
Still others demanded a forceful response and called for 'resignations' out of the White House. Some warned the worst could be yet to come.
Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., reupped a call for Biden to resign.
'Biden Admin views abandoned people in Afghanistan as a political nuisance. Maybe looking at them as real people instead of 'papers to push' would produce rescues rather than deaths. It's time for Biden to RESIGN NOW!!!'
'Should Biden step down or be removed for his handling of Afghanistan? Yes,' Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, tweeted.
'But that would leave us with Kamala Harris which would be ten times worse. God help us.'
'My biggest fear is these attacks today are just the beginning of what we will continue to see as the Administration fails to get Americans and our Afghan allies out and to safety,' Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, wrote on Twitter. 'We don't need statements from the Administration right now - we need immediate resignations.'
'At what point does Afghanistan turn from 'Biden's Saigon' to 'Biden's Tehran Moment?'' questioned Rep. Ralph Norman, R-SC. The Iran hostage crisis from 1979-1981 was considered a major failure and contributor to President Jimmy Carter's loss in his reelection bid.
'President @JoeBiden- you had one job. That job continues and American lives & security depend on it. Act like it,' Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, wrote on Twitter.
Despite the escalating violence, the US's top diplomat made the astonishing claim on Thursday morning, before the explosion, that it was 'relatively safe' on the ground and people should still be able to make their way there.
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