Exclusive: Before Afghan collapse, Biden pressed Ghani to 'change perception'

[FBaggins]

WASHINGTON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - In the last call between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Afghanistan counterpart before the Taliban seized control of the country, the leaders discussed military aid, political strategy and messaging tactics, but neither Biden nor Ashraf Ghani appeared aware of or prepared for the immediate danger of the entire country falling to insurgents, a transcript reviewed by Reuters shows.

The men spoke for roughly 14 minutes on July 23. On August 15, Ghani fled the presidential palace, and the Taliban entered Kabul. Since then, tens of thousands of desperate Afghans have fled and 13 U.S. troops and scores of Afghan civilians were killed in a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport during the frenetic U.S. military evacuation.

Reuters reviewed a transcript of the presidential phone call and has listened to the audio to authenticate the conversation. The materials were provided on condition of anonymity by a source who was not authorized to distribute it.

In the call, Biden offered aid if Ghani could publicly project he had a plan to control the spiraling situation in Afghanistan. “We will continue to provide close air support, if we know what the plan is,” Biden said. Days before the call, the U.S. carried out air strikes to support Afghan security forces, a move the Taliban said was in violation of the Doha peace agreement.


https://www.reuters.com/world/exclusive-call-before-afghan-collapse-biden-pressed-ghani-change-perception-2021-08-31/

IMO - The real news here is the part that I emphasized above. Someone leaked a both a transcript and a recording of a call between the President and the leader of another country. That was a really big deal when it happened a couple of years ago (just talking about the contents of a transcript).

[Klaralven]

1. Probably recorded at the Afghan end of the call.

And Ghani doesn't have many friends left there.

Possibly the leak is Ghani?

[Budi]

3. Treachery & Betrayal at every level from the top & down the line.

There was no decision left than to do exactly what Biden & his team did.

The 120,000+ that got out alive is itself a miraculous feat, all things considered.

The 1st decision, as they rushed to carry out such a task against all odds with little time to organize, was the call by Biden to his allies for assistance & before that, was the freezing of billion$ by the US, Germany & Finland.

I do believe this was a series of rapid paced decisions, perfectly executed by a most skilled team in the war room.
To accomplish what they did in just days, & on a global scale was far more than we will ever know.

[VarryOn]

2. This fact this was leaked is a very big deal...

especially if it came from our side. No one except the President should have the right to say if/when a transcript or recording is made public.

I’m sure there are a lot of calls like this where the President has to twist the balls of someone noncooperative, flatter a tyrant, threaten an enemy, and project US power in salty and quite direct ways. He/she should not have to be concerned some questionably motivated and ambitious underling will reveal how the sausage is made.

I hope they find who leaked this.

[Turbineguy]

4. Ghani's plan was likely

to grab dah money and run, but he couldn't very well tell Biden that.