The White House has affirmed Vice President Kamala Harris's significant role in planning the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
According to Breitbart News, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby made these statements during a CNN News Central interview on September 11, 2024, just hours before a scheduled presidential debate.
Kirby's comments came in response to questions about a House Republican report on the Afghanistan withdrawal. The report apparently suggested that Harris worked closely with President Biden on the withdrawal process, a claim that Kirby largely confirmed.
During the interview, Kirby emphasized Harris's central role in the decision-making process regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal. He stated that the Vice President was actively involved in all relevant national security discussions and planning sessions.
Kirby elaborated on Harris's position, noting that she had publicly expressed her support for ending the war in Afghanistan. He highlighted her contributions to both policy discussions and the planning that went into the withdrawal process.
The National Security Communications Adviser stressed that Harris's involvement was consistent with her role as Vice President, indicating that her participation in such high-level decisions was expected and appropriate.
In his CNN interview, Kirby took the opportunity to address criticisms leveled at the administration regarding the withdrawal process. He firmly rejected assertions that President Biden and Vice President Harris had acted recklessly or without consideration for Afghan civilians, particularly women and girls.
Kirby stated:
She certainly was at the table for all those national security decisions. She's spoken herself about her support for the decision to end the war and her contribution to the policy discussions and the planning that went into the withdrawal, if she was at the center of that, of course, as she would be as Vice President.
He went on to defend the administration's approach, emphasizing that claims of recklessness "fly in the face of the facts."
Kirby also commented on the timing of the House Republican report on Afghanistan, which was released just a day before the scheduled presidential debate. He suggested that this timing was not coincidental and pointed to potential political motivations behind the report's release.
The White House adviser argued that the report's focus on Harris, particularly its timing, demonstrated its partisan nature. He implied that the report's release was strategically timed to influence public opinion ahead of the debate.
Kirby's statements underscore the administration's stance that the criticism contained in the report is politically motivated rather than based on objective analysis of the withdrawal process.
White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby has confirmed Vice President Kamala Harris's central role in planning the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. His statements came in response to a House Republican report suggesting Harris worked closely with President Biden on the withdrawal. Kirby emphasized Harris's involvement in all relevant national security decisions and planning sessions. He refuted claims of reckless decision-making by the administration and questioned the timing of the House Republican report's release, suggesting political motivations.
