Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Biden Defends Decision To End America's Longest War; Taliban Celebrate Following U.S. Withdrawal; Pakistan Refusing To Allow Additional Afghan Refugees. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired September 01, 2021 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM. The end of the forever war. Joe Biden says the U.S. exit from Afghanistan was long overdue, but vows to keep going after terrorist targets. Emotional reunions for Afghans once separated in the chaotic exit. We will have some of their stories.
Also ahead, Hurricane Ida causing havoc days after slamming ashore with power outages, flooded homes and scorching heat.
Thanks for joining us. Well, U.S. President Joe Biden delivered a defiant and forceful defense of his decision to withdraw the U.S. from Afghanistan. One day after the remaining U.S. troops left the country. Since then, the Taliban have been celebrating at the Kabul airport and on the streets. They are vowing a more moderate rule this time around. But many Afghans are skeptical of that pledge and fear what this new phase could bring.
In the City of Khost, Taliban supporters held a fake funeral as they carried coffins draped in U.S., British, French and NATO flags. Meanwhile, the U.N. Secretary General is warning of a deepening humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan, saying nearly half of the country's population is in need of assistance to survive.
In Washington, President Biden said the end of the war in Afghanistan was long overdue, and he tried to counter criticism of a chaotic withdraw. CNN's Jeff Zeleny reports from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I was not going to extend this forever war. And I was not extending a forever exit.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Biden defiantly marking the end of America's longest war.
BIDEN: I take responsibility for the decision. Now some say we should have started mass evacuation sooner. And couldn't this be done, had been done in a more orderly manner. I respectfully disagree.
ZELENY: The President defending the chaotic departure from Afghanistan as a military success, the final act of a 20-year odyssey filled with triumphs like the killing of Osama bin Laden and tragedy at failing to defeat the Taliban,
BIDEN: Maybe in August the 31st is not due to an arbitrary deadline. It was designed to save American lives.
ZELENY: The President said more than 5500 American citizens were evacuated with 100 to 200 still remaining behind in Afghanistan. He vowed to rescue them if they choose as a diplomatic mission, not a military one.
BIDEN: For those remaining Americans. There is no deadline. We remain committed to get them out if they want to come out.
ZELENY: But leaving Americans behind is at odds with a pledge the President made two weeks ago in an interview on ABC News.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC HOST: Are you committed to making sure that the troops stay until every American who wants to be out goes out?
BIDEN: Yes. Yes.
ZELENY: The President held the success of the evacuation led by the U.S. military with more than 124,000 people airlifted to safety from Kabul, but starting it sooner, he said what have sparked even more chaos.
BIDEN: The extraordinary success of this mission was due to the incredible skill, bravely and selfless courage of the United States military and our diplomats and intelligence professionals.
ZELENY: He said the war should have ended a decade ago, as he argued as vice president during the Obama administration. He also noted he inherited a deal President Trump signed with the Taliban to remove troops by May 1st.
BIDEN: We're left with a simple decision, either follow through on the committee made by the last administration on leave Afghanistan, or say we weren't leaving, and committed another tens of thousands more troops going back to war.
ZELENY: Gripping images of the last soldier shown leaving Hamid Karzai International Airport just before midnight in Afghanistan. Major General Chris Donahue who leads the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg and was deployed 17 times to the country. Not long after, celebratory gunfire from the Taliban. Now fully back in control of the country. And these images of Taliban fighters serving U.S. military equipment left behind.
[02:05:11]
ZELENY: History will show the wars remarkable toll with 2461 American Service Members killed, including 13 just last week. More than 20,000 injured, and more than $2 trillion in U.S. spending.
BIDEN: For those asking for a third decade of war in Afghanistan, I asked, what is the vital national interest? In my view, we only have one. To make sure of Afghanistan can never be used again to launch an attack on our homeland.
ZELENY: On that front, the commander-in-chief delivered a blistering warning to those who launched last week's deadly attack.
BIDEN: To ISIS-K, we are not done with you yet. We'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth and we will -- you will pay the ultimate price.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY: And President Biden there vowing a tough, precise and targeted strategy. He did say that he believes Now is the time for the U.S. to go after terrorists where they are not where they were two decades ago. Of course, many questions still to be answered about how the relationship between the U.S. government and the new Taliban government, if you want to call it that actually will work.
So far, of course, the Biden administration not recognizing the Taliban as an official form of government. The biggest questions now, how will those some 100 or 200 American citizens still in Afghanistan be released? This is something the Biden administration say they're focused on, again, no deadline for that. But this now is a diplomatic mission, not a military one. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, the White House.
CHURCH: And for the tens of thousands of Afghans who managed to flee the country and escaped Taliban rule, they don't know what comes next, or will they'll be able to make a new home. The European Union doesn't know either. On Tuesday, the block met and offered to boost aid to Afghanistan and its neighbors, but they're sharply divided when it comes to offering asylum to evacuees.
Western allies evacuated about 100,000 people from Afghanistan before the airlift ended. European leaders say they do not want to repeat the region's immigration crisis of 2015.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YLVA JOHANSSON, E.U. COMMISSIONER FOR HOME AFFAIRS: It's important to see what we can do now, to avoid a humanitarian crisis. This is the best way to avoid a migration crisis, it's to avoid a humanitarian crisis. And that's why we need to support Afghans in Afghanistan. It's important that we do not only focus on our -- own external borders. We should not wait until people are here.
We need to work comprehensively in the region with Afghans in Afghanistan and in the neighboring country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Well, meantime, Afghans hoping to cross into neighboring Pakistan at the Torkham border crossing not having much luck. Pakistan says it simply can't handle any more refugees right now. CNN's Clarissa Ward is at the Pakistan-Afghan border with the details.
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're here at the border crossing that separates Pakistan from Afghanistan. And you can see behind me a lot of Taliban fighters. They're standing here under the white Taliban flag, that is the official flag at this border crossing. Now, what you're not seeing a lot of if you come over here with me, are people getting into Pakistan.
This is the line of Afghans who are waiting to get into Pakistan but only people who have Pakistani documents or residency are being allowed in at this stage. And that has been a rule that's been in place for a few months now partly because of COVID regulations, partly because Pakistan says it can't cope with the flow of refugees. Now if you look over here, just behind me, you can see this grouping here of people who are very sick.
I want to draw your attention to a particularly serious looking woman with a young boy. He has some kind of bandages with blood on them on his lap. And these people are basically appealing to Pakistan for immediate medical attention. Some people have been allowed through to go to hospitals. But basically what Pakistan is saying now is we have more than one million Afghan refugees, and we simply can't cope with anymore.
CHURCH: And the German Chancellor says there are thousands of local staffers working for development organizations in Afghanistan, who have a right to be evacuated to Germany. Angela Merkel explain Germany did not stop its work with U.N. organizations after the NATO troop withdrawal. Organizations like the World Food Programme, UNHCR and UNICEF still remain in the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[02:10:05]
ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELOR (through translator): For us, the focus at the moment is local staff and that's not 300 people, that's probably more like 10 to 40,000 people. And we will have to see how many of them want to leave the country and how many don't. This number will be influenced by the Taliban decided to rule the country. That is our position, as well as offering humanitarian aid as we've seen, nobody takes the decision to leave their home lightly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Among the many elements of the U.S. evacuations at Kabul airport was a secret agreement negotiated with the Taliban. It involves having the militant group of scored departing Americans to the airport gates. CNN's Barbara Starr explains how it worked.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: This separate arrangement involved Americans being told to go to certain muster points, if you will, rally points. And the arrangement called for the Taliban to go there as well pick them up and get them past the crowds at the airport and guide them towards the gates that were manned by American forces, who would be watching for them and could get them through the gate and onto the airport ground.
Officials that describe this to say they really do believe that it had a success in getting hundreds of Americans out. While they acknowledged many Americans had problems with the Taliban.
CHURCH: And CNNs Anna Coren has covered Afghanistan for years. She joins me now live from Hong Kong. Good to see you, Anna. So President Biden called the withdrawal from Afghanistan and extraordinary success in an address that focused Of course, on a domestic audience. What is the view from Afghanistan on how all this went down and what lies ahead?
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, as we've been discussing, there are thousand, if not tens of thousands of Afghans who are stranded there and want to leave the country. So, I guess they listen to what President Biden, you know, says. And they say, well, you've left us behind. And many of the people that I'm in touch with say exactly that. That they feel abandoned and they feel betrayed.
One woman in particular who worked for a U.S. organization whose company is based in Washington, D.C. who promised that they would evacuate them, you know, early August. She says that she is still there. Let me read to you what she wrote to me a short time ago. She said, please don't forget the Afghan allies you've left behind. To the media, do not forget us. We have been silenced by the Taliban and have no way to raise our voices openly. I am scared and have a heavy pain in my heart. Please do something for us.
You know, these messages, Rosemary are from people who don't feel they have a future in Afghanistan. Who feel that there will be reprisal attacks on them because of their work with U.S. and foreign companies. Of course, the Taliban has said that there's blanket amnesty that these attacks will not take place. That if you have a U.S. passport or a visa to another country that you will be allowed out of the country.
But, you know, people don't believe them. People are remembering what the Taliban was like when they ruled from 1996 to 2001. And how basic rights of women were taken away. Human rights, you know, they did not exist, particularly for women, you know, they were punished, whether it be public floggings, whether it be amputations. I mean, we've even seen those mass executions. We are not seeing any sign of that just yet.
And the Taliban is saying that they want to be legitimate, that they need to have relationships with the international community. They certainly need foreign aid, you know, the Afghan government that collapse it was propped up by foreign aid. We know that the U.S. government has frozen the Afghan government reserves. We know that the IMF has also stopped any access to those emergency reserves by the Taliban.
And, you know, this is a group that now has to govern for 38 million people. It needs to provide, you know, basic things like water and electricity. It needs to deal with the humanitarian crisis in the country. According to the United Nations, you know, a third of people in Afghanistan are struggling to survive, half of them are malnourished. There are concerns that they won't be enough food to last the coming month. So these are the basic issues facing the Taliban government which is yet to form. You know, we heard from the Pakistani Foreign Minister yesterday saying that government should form in the coming days. Taliban saying it may take weeks. So this is a work in progress, Rosemary, and certainly the Taliban is going to have -- to have ties with the international community to survive.
[02:15:04]
CHURCH: Yes. And of course actions speak louder than words. The world is watching this very closely. Anna Coren, many thanks for bringing us up to date on that situation.
Well, thousands of people on the California Nevada State border being told to evacuated. Coming up. What we are learning about the massive Caldor wildfire that's threatening Lake Tahoe. Plus, the storm may have passed but the danger is far from over along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Thousands now face weeks without power of the Hurricane Ida and with scorching heat and humidity.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: A controversial Texas law banning abortions at six weeks of pregnancy is now in effect. The U.S. Supreme Court and a federal appeals court refused to rule on emergency challenges. The law is one of the strictest in the country and bans abortions before most women even know they're pregnant. The law allows private citizens to bring civil suits against anyone who assists a pregnant woman seeking an abortion in violation of the ban.
The Supreme Court is set to rule next month on a similar Mississippi law that bans abortion at 15 weeks. Well, the U.S. Forest Service has closed California's National Forests as wildfires raged across the state. It comes at a time when the parks are usually bustling with summer tourists. There are 13 large fires actively burning right now in California. The fires are being fueled by dangerously dry conditions as the state suffers through an extreme drought.
CNN's Dan Simon is in the Lake Tahoe region where more than 55,000 people are being told to evacuate.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are looking at a potential worst case scenario with this fire pushing its way into the Lake Tahoe region. This community of South Lake Tahoe has completely emptied out with people heeding the evacuation orders. This is a very popular tourist destination. So you're talking about hotels, restaurants and stores that have no customers. Of course it's going to have a devastating impact on tourism.
But the most immediate concern is people's safety. And I want you to listen out to one resident we spoke to who was packing up her belongings and she was about to head out of town. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANIE BUSBY, CALDOR FIRE EVACUEE: We're all packed up ready to go to Reno. We have friends in Reno, so figure it out.
SIMON: What's going through your mind?
BUSBY: Everything relieving, you know. Our whole town, our jobs, everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON: California officials had been predicting a very active and challenging wildfire season. Of course we have seen that at more. The Caldor fire is the number one firefighting priority in the country. So the race is on right now to save this and other nearby communities, Dan Simon CNN, South Lake Tahoe, California.
[02:20:07]
CHURCH: Along the U.S. Gulf Coast, the death toll from Hurricane Ida has climbed to at least five people. More than a million are without power mostly in Louisiana. Crews are hoping to restore some servers to New Orleans by Wednesday night. But other places are facing weeks without power. And sweltering heat and humidity will only make matters worse. CNN's Brian Todd reports from New Orleans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even as hundreds of flood water rescues have been carried out, the death toll inches up. The damage is assessed and the cleanup begins. Millions of residents along the Gulf Coast who survived Ida's wrath now facing new threats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please don't come home before they tell you that it's time.
TODD: More than a million people are still without power. Officials warning that could last as long as a month for some customers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not satisfied with 30 days. The energy people aren't satisfied with 30 days. Nobody who's out there needing power is satisfied with that.
TODD: This as heat advisories are in effect for the entire region where Ida made landfall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heat index it will be 100 degrees for the next two weeks. Now is really the most dangerous time over the next week, couple of weeks. And so we're asking people to be patient. We're asking people to be careful.
TODD: Add to that limited drinking water, a lack of cell service, shuttered grocery stores and gas lines that are three hours long, making the situation dire. The deck is stacked against us at the moment. We're going to dig our way out of it. We always do but people shouldn't underestimate how tough this is going to be and how long it's going to take. In a lower income neighborhood of the Algiers section of New Orleans, residents are on edge. LEA MACK, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA RESIDENT: The biggest failure is this colossal failure of energy cooperation. They are the only game in town. Nine parishes or counties without power. Nine really?
TODD: The Entergy Corporation has given no specific timetable for when power will be restored, saying it's still working to assess the damage and that residents should be prepared for the recovery to take some time. This line at a food and water distribution center in Algiers snakes around several blocks.
The food issue, the water issue, I don't think that they have these things out quick enough.
TODD: Yolanda Teague (ph) lives with her eight children, her mother and others in this house where the roof and ceiling were damaged by Ida.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When it rained last night it was water all over. With no end in sight to the power outage just getting basic supplies is a huge concern.
What's your biggest worry right now, Yola?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're already running out of food and beverages and I have a son with a heart condition. So that's my biggest concern is him.
TODD: Teague is concerned that the oppressive heat that set in following Hurricane Ida will make her son's condition deteriorate even more. And she's worried about others in her neighborhood. As desperation seeps in.
TODD: How worried are you about how bad that's going to get as the days go by with no power?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eventually, people, it's going to get rough. You know what I'm saying? No electricity. People don't know what's their next move. So, it's probably going to get rough.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: Yolanda Teague says her 10-year-old son has enough heart medication for now, but if he runs out, she says she's had to make her own arrangements with a local Children's Hospital to send an ambulance for him. Brian Todd, CNN New Orleans.
CHURCH: Our Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us now to tell us more about that oppressive heat in Louisiana but let's begin with that enormous Candor fire. Pedram?
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Rosemary, yes. We're on 17 days now with this fire expanding every single day. About 80 percent containment at this hour. You take a look at the thermal signature of the fires across northern portions of California and we know some 80,000 hectares of land have already been consumed. The concern is the weather remains windy, remains very dry and the long range forecast into the latter portion of next week actually warms the temperatures up just a little bit.
So hazy conditions expected to continue in South Lake Tahoe. Work your way towards Sacramento. Noticed these temperatures climbing from the 20s into the 30s. Really is challenging as it gets. As you know that this time of year of course the activity begins to pick up for people wanting to get outdoors, the air temperature typically begins cooling off in the latter portion of September.
So we kind of see this transition take place hasn't happened and doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon, unfortunately, but you'll notice the near surface smoke forecast here really brings a significant amount of smoke push into directly eastward and the initial landing zone for that is going to be right there in South Lake Tahoe. And of course really going to be a challenging scenario which is why evacuations in place across parts of town.
But here's the forecast for September 6th through September 10th. Again, looking at the extended range forecast here puts another area of high pressure in place. So rainfall really going to be hard to come by across that region. Now when it comes to excessive heat. Also watching that across portions of Louisiana, temperatures as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit, that is about 42 or so degrees Celsius.
Incredible heat building in an area of course, very expensive power outages remain in place in southern and central Louisiana. But here's what's going on with what is left of Ida at this hour.
[02:25:00]
JAVAHERI: It is still raining quite heavily across parts of the Tennessee Valley into the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Flood watch is widespread in this region. And yes, even the Storm Prediction Center taking this very seriously increasing this to a high risk, a four out of four day for excessive rainfall, including some of the major Metro cities of the northeastern United States. Rainfall here, Rose, could exceed 250 to 300 millimeters.
Some of these areas could be a 100-year flood potential in place with the amount of rainfall that is, of course originated across the Gulf of Mexico into Louisiana and exits off here towards the Northeast. So, a lot of rain still to be had.
CHURCH: Incredible. All right, Pedram. Thank you so much for staying abreast of all of that weather action. Appreciate it.
Well, the World Health Organization has identified a new variant of interest. The Mu variant was first detected in Colombia in January, and has since been reported in 39 countries. Experts say it shows signs of being able to escape immune system functions, but needs more research to be sure of that. At least 4500 people around the world have contracted this new variant, with the most cases reported in Colombia and Ecuador.
Meantime, researchers are conducting tests on another COVID variant in South Africa, known as C. 1. 2. The variant has been detected in at least eight countries. Scientist are testing to see how well it can be neutralized by antibodies. They say it has many of the same hallmarks as other strains. But so far, they're not sure whether it's more contagious.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. RICHARD LESSELLS, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST: The two main things that were worried about were -- are that it could have enhanced transmissibility, so it could spread more efficiently from person to person. And it could like -- some of the other variants, it could partially get around some of the immune response either from a previous infection or from vaccination. And so, those are the things we now need to get a better understanding of.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Well, meanwhile, about 70 percent of all adults in the E.U. that's more than 250 million people are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Here is the President of the European Commission speaking about it on Tuesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: We reached an important milestone in our vaccination campaign. 70 percent of adults in the European Union are now fully vaccinated. And that is more than 250 million people who are immunized. And this is a great achievement which really shows what we can do when we work together. But the pandemic is not over. And we must remain vigilant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: But the spread of vaccination is on even with Eastern Europe lagging way behind, and the WHO warns another 236,000 people could die from COVID by December.
A Taliban leader returns to Afghanistan after years of exile. We will take an in depth look at the man who looks set to represent the militants on the world stage.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.
Well, U.S. President Joe Biden is offering his most forceful defense yet of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. He called the pull out an extraordinary success, and said 20 years in Afghanistan was long enough. He didn't want to extend forever war or create a forever exit. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: We succeeded in what we set out to do in Afghanistan over a decade ago. And we stayed for another decade. It was time to end this war. The fundamental obligation of a president, in my opinion, is to defend and protect America, not against threats of 2001, but against the threats of 2021 and tomorrow. That is the guiding principle behind my decisions about Afghanistan.
I simply do not believe that the safety and security of America is enhanced by continuing to deploy thousands of American troops, and spending billions of dollars a year in Afghanistan. We all maintain the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan and other countries. We just don't need to fight a ground war to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, the Taliban are making themselves at home at Kabul Airport, getting the facility working again, it's critical for flying in badly needed humanitarian aid. Taliban fighters got a close-up look at some of the equipment left behind by the U.S., even posing for pictures and helicopters. The Pentagon spokesman explained why he's not worried by scenes like these.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: They can inspect all they want. They can look at them. They can walk around. But they can fly them. They can't operate them. We made sure to demilitarize, to make unusable all the gear that is at the airport. All the aircraft, all the ground vehicles. The only thing that we left operable are a couple of fire trucks and some forklifts to -- so that the airport itself can remain more operational going forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Joining me now is CNN global affairs analyst, Susan Glasser.
Thank you so much for being with us.
SUSAN GLASSER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: Well, in what was a very defensive address Tuesday, President Biden said he finished the war in Afghanistan because it no longer served in the national interest. And he called the exit successful. But did he meet the moment and adequately address the criticisms of a very chaotic, unplanned and bungled exit that left behind Americans and Afghan allies?
GLASSER: Well, you know, it's interesting. President Biden was nothing, if not, vehement, I thought, in his speech today, marking the end of American's longest war, 20 years' war in Afghanistan. Certainly not something that anyone anticipated back in 2001 with the United States went into Afghanistan, in the immediate aftermath of the September 11th attacks.
You know, to me, Biden is playing for the American political audience with that speech very much. Broadly speaking, there's a lot more support across the American political spectrum for the overall policy of withdrawing from Afghanistan, and not necessarily so much for how it was done in the manner it was done. And you'll see that Biden is much more defensive on that issue, and much more interested in talking about the overall decision that he made, and sticking with that decision to withdraw.
CHURCH: So, what's your take on what America's allies' takeaway from this pullout? Does President Biden's unilateral decision to stick to this deadline impact future relations, do you think?
GLASSER: Well, you know, it is certainly a contrast in some ways. President Biden came in, of course, trying to present different with Donald Trump and his treatment in particular of U.S. allies. Biden said, America is back in the world, and particularly, that he was going to value alliances and partnerships in a way that Trump had not throughout the previous four years.
[02:35:00]
But I think one takeaway for some of America's partners, remember, you know, this was the aftermath of 9/11, it was the only time in the entire history of NATO that NATO actually invoked its Article 5 collective defense provision, and it was to be there and stand alongside the United States. And yet, although Britain and France and Germany were there for the full 20 years with the United States, this was a decision that the U.S. took unilaterally in April when President Biden decided to withdraw. I think there were some bruised feelings.
So, you know, I think there is a sense that Trump may be gone, but certain parts of sort of the America First foreign policy doctrine are living on if -- in a different form because it reflects the American political mood right now, and not just any individual politician.
CHURCH: And, of course, the dilemma here is that all U.S. service members have left, but not all American citizens. And so, critics are highlighting Biden's broken promise made two weeks ago that he would ensure that U.S. troops would stay until all American citizens were out of Afghanistan, but after 200 or so, we understand, is to remain as well as thousands of Afghan allies. How will that broken promise likely impact President Biden going forward, if he can't get them all out?
GLASSER: It's unclear why he made a commitment like that given the enormous logistical difficulties and the fact that no one probably would have held him to the last hundred people had he not chosen to set that standard himself. So, it's not surprising, really, that Republicans, right now in Washington, are complaining about that broken promise.
Realistically speaking, I think there was never really a sense that they were going to get every single person. Now, Biden has said that it will shift into an intensive diplomatic effort to make sure that the Taliban lives up to its commitment and allows free passage of those U.S. citizens and anyone else who wants to leave the country.
CHURCH: And that is a problem in itself, isn't it? Because getting the remaining Americans out, or as many as they can, out of Afghanistan will mean working with the Taliban to make that happen. We've just learned there were secret arrangements made with the Taliban to bring Americans to the airport in Kabul during that mass evacuation. But critics are questioning whether the Taliban turned away some of those people.
Do you trust that the Taliban will help get the remaining Americans out, in essence, work with the United States?
GLASSER: I would say that putting your trust in the Taliban suggests just how little leverage the United States has remaining even after 20 years of war and investment in Afghanistan. That's what happens when you lose a war. And you know, you can cloak it in all the words that you want, I think, again, you know, American across the political spectrum don't support a continued American presence in Afghanistan, military presence in Afghanistan.
But the bottom line is that this is also a day and a moment to recognize that this is a superpower humbled moment. It's an extraordinary thing when you have the Soviet Union intervened and ultimately failed and left Afghanistan. The United States of America, at the time, the world's only real superpower seems to worry 20 years later. And you know, you don't have a lot of leverage. And right now, the Taliban might not be the same Taliban as 20 years ago. Technologically enabled, they could be even worse. It remains to be seen. But I would say that, you know, if you're putting your promises and your trust in the Taliban, it means you don't have a lot of other choices.
CHURCH: Susan Glasser, thank you so much for joining us and, of course, for your analysis. Appreciated.
GLASSER: Thank you.
CHURCH: Well, no country has recognized the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan since they captured Kabul in mid-august. But Qatar is warning that isolating them could make things worse. Listen to the foreign minister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)0
SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL-THANI, QATARI FOREIGN MINISTER: We believe that isolation is not an answer. Yet, the recognition is still not a priority for us. So, this is given our assessment that Taliban being isolated in 1996 has led us to the situation that we were in previously in Afghanistan. Yet, we have seen that the engagement can give us some positive results. We are starting to put conditions and stopping this engagement. We are going to leave a vacuum. And the question will be who is going to fill this vacuum.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:40:00]
CHURCH: The Taliban government is likely be led by a veteran leader. The group's co-founder, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, has already played a key role for the Taliban on the world stage. CNN's Nic Robertson reports on his return to Afghanistan. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): The scale of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar's triumphant return to Afghanistan just days after the Taliban took Kabul is a measure of his importance. Years in exile, many spent in a Pakistani jail, he has run point in all the Taliban's dealings with the U.S. for almost three years.
Most recently, reportedly meeting face to face with CIA chief, Bill Burns. In Doha, February 2020, it was Baradar who signed the U.S. troop withdrawal agreement with U.S. envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, as then U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo looked on. And it was Baradar that the Taliban had negotiated its terms handed out over more than a year, they would not attack exiting U.S. forces.
Baradar was a Taliban original, a founding member in the early '90s and a close friend of its then leader Mullah Omar. The pair fought the Soviet occupation in the '80s and it was Omar who named him Baradar, meaning brother.
In 2001, Baradar dodged invading U.S. forces hiding out in Pakistan, later captured in 2010 and released by Pakistan in 2018 to lead negotiations with the U.S. He is in his early 50s now, although not the Taliban's top official, he can expect to remain at the international face of the Taliban for at least the near future. The Taliban's ultimate authority is Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, the (INAUDIBLE), leader of the faithful, who emerge from the shadows last week after years in hiding.
Baradar has rare experience face to face dealings with western powers. How much actual influence he'll have in the day-to-day running's of the country rests an internal Taliban power plays yet to fully emerge. Haqqani Network leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani, and Omar's son Mullah Yaqoob, a powerful military forces within the Taliban. Both with an eye for leadership roles. Baradar will know to watch his back.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Islamabad, Pakistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Tens of thousands of Afghans who managed to evacuate are now waiting for resettlement. The UAE is one of several countries hosting them. Nearly 9,000 Afghan refugees are there right now. CNN's Becky Anderson has that report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voiceover): A moment of sheer relief for this Afghan couple separated from their children during evacuation from Kabul Airport 10 days ago, they're finally reunited in Abu Dhabi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I told my children to sit down somewhere. I went to get medical help. I said, I'll be back. But when I did, my little family was not there. When I asked around, they told me that they had put them on airplane already. I got on the plane myself, but they were not there.
ANDERSON: Nortu's (ph) wife was originally airlifted to Doha in Qatar, while his two children made it here to Abu Dhabi's humanitarian city, a temporary haven for many Afghans who have fled their country.
ANDERSON (on camera): Well, a total of nearly 9,000 Afghans have been hosted by the UAE, many of whom are being housed here at the Emirates Humanitarian City, and it's groups like these that are being processed on a daily basis, hoping that they will move on from here very quickly to the United States.
ANDERSON (voiceover): Among them, thousands of women and children, including Baby Sarah, born here in Abu Dhabi just days after her exhausted family arrived. Her father, Abdul Saba (ph) says he is grateful for all the support.
ABDUL SABA: Yes, yes. I am so much appreciate Abu Dhabi people because everything is good for us. It has facilities better for us than Afghanistan. Everything is good.
ANDERSON (voiceover): Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed has pledged that at-risk families, especially women and children, will be provided with care and social support while on UAE soil. Most Afghans here though just desperate to continue their journey.
Until a couple of weeks ago, Farhad was an interpreter for the U.S.- led coalition forces in Afghanistan.
[02:45:00]
FARHAD, FORMER AFGHAN INTERPRETER: For me, it's really very difficult to go back in Afghanistan because I work more than 10 years with the U.S. government. I don't want to go back there unless we have a perfect security and we feel safe ourself.
ANDERSON (on camera): So, there are flights every day to the United States, you are just hoping you get on one of those flights very soon?
FARHAD: We hope so, yes. We hope.
ANDERSON (voiceover): Nortu (ph) hopes to move on quickly in the shade and safety of humanitarian city, he isn't dwelling on what's happened that day at Kabul Airport. Happy only that he is back with his kids, relieved to have left the horrors of Afghanistan behind.
Becky Anderson, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And still to come, Afghans who spent their life working to make their country a better place are devastated after the Taliban takeover. Their stories, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Well, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has resulted in many fleeing the nation in fear. Afghans who spent years working to improve their country have not had to leave their homes and their dreams behind. Becoming refugees in a foreign land. Barbie Nadeau spoke to some of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): It wasn't supposed to end like this. Despite years of warnings that the United States would someday end their mission in Afghanistan, those who held the future of this country in their hands are devastated.
Dr. Arif two-time refugee. He first fled Afghanistan in 1993 when he was 32 years old, walking for weeks to reach safety in Pakistan and eventually move to Italy. This time, he was forced to leave. He went back into 2006 with the Italian Development Agency to rebuild his country. They worked on infrastructure and roads, they built hospitals and trained medical staff.
NADEAU (on camera): Are the last 20 years lost?
DR. ARIF, ITALIAN DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION AGENCY (through translator): It's not that we have lost everything, but the way we've abandoned them, this is more difficult, more painful. We have had on many, many things but we should not have abandoned them in this way.
NADEAU (voiceover): Arianna Briganti is the vice chairperson with the Italian agency, Nove Onlus, which worked in Afghanistan over the last decade to empower women. The group set up a women's driving school in Kabul and provided a shuttle service so women could get from work and school, home safely.
ARIANNA BRIGANTI, CHAIRWOMAN, NOVE ONLUS: It was a hopeful generation. And I think we lost that. I mean, people that I've been working with for such a long time and even the one that my organization managed to evacuate, they're hopelessly. They don't think there's a future in Afghanistan anymore.
[02:50:00]
NADEAU (voiceover): Amina (ph), not her real name, works for Nove Onlus. She tried three times to get to the Kabul Airport before finally using a red flag the signal Italian soldiers who brought her to safety. She fears for those she left behind but she knows her work was not in vain.
AMINA: I am proud of the times, all the work we have done by the help of our organization, Nove Onlus that we done there. Since all our projects were related to the women empowerment, women education and their development.
NADEAU (voiceover): Captain Luca at the Italian Air Force flew the first Italian evacuation mission out of Kabul on August 15th. Even though so much has changed since then with security threats and a deadly suicide bombing, he will never forget the people he brought to safety or those he left behind. CAPTAIN LUCA, ITALIAN AIRFORCE: It was a challenge for everybody but when you finally land and you relax just for one second, you look at those people and their eyes, you feel like you did something good. And you really can see the hope in their eyes, you know? It has been a long trip for everybody. But now, we are just getting home and they are going towards something new, a very new kind of life.
NADEAU (voiceover): Many of those who left Afghanistan hope to go back one day. But like the Dr. Arif, they are worried that once the last flight from Kabul leaves, the world will forget about his country.
DR. ARIF: Don't forget about Afghanistan, Afghanistan needs it, not the government. Now, it is about the Afghan population that needs help. They don't have to die from disease, from hunger, from lack of medicines.
NADEAU (voiceover): Will the world listen? Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: One U.S. athlete survived a suicide bombing battling through horrific trauma to reach the Paralympics. The story of her inspiring journey when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Day 8 of the Tokyo Paralympics is in underway. China currently leads the medal count with more than 130 medals so far. With the U.K. a distant second. Among the events, Wednesday, 15 medals are up for grabs in swimming with Columbian world champion, Carlos Serrano, defending his 2016 Rio Paralympic title in the 100-meter breaststroke SB7 in the coming hours.
One of the U.S. athletes competing has already triumphed over a horrific childhood tragedy. When Haven Shepherd was 14 months old, her father detonated a suicide bomb intended to kill the family. Shepard survived. And with the support of her adoptive parents, began a remarkable journey to the Paralympics. She spoke with CNN's Selina Wang.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How does it feel to be here in Tokyo representing Team USA for the first time?
HAVEN SHEPHERD, TEAM USA PARALYMPIC SWIMMER: I mean, it's such an honor. I am so proud of our country and especially, you know, having just such a hard year, it's just so special. Having motivation to, you know, work towards something is hard, but working towards something that you didn't even know that was going to happen was even harder.
WANG: You were born in Vietnam, what happened when you are a baby?
[02:55:00] SHEPHERD: I was born in Vietnam to two parents who had an affair and had me. And in Vietnam, women can't divorce husbands. And so, for their circumstance, they thought the best thing would be best for their family was to commit a family suicide. And they strapped bombs onto themselves, and they held me, and I was blown 40 feet away from the accident and all the damage was done to my legs. I just think it's a miracle that, you know, I survived. And that happened when I was 14 months old. And then, I was adopted later when I was 20 months old.
WANG: But the knowledge of such a traumatic incident happening when you are baby, does that weigh on you?
SHEPHERD: My mom was honest about what happened to me and it's definitely made me the person that I am now. I think of my biological mom's sacrifice. I look at her sacrifice of her life for me, you know, and I got to live this amazing life. I'm here at the Paralympics. You know, I got to have an amazing childhood and I just think about how epic my story has, you know, changed so many people.
WANG: And was it difficult growing up with a disability, and how do you become so confident and secure with yourself?
SHEPHERD: My confidence just comes from choosing my day-to-day life of how am I going to see the world? You know, I could wake up every singly morning and just be so offended that somebody, you know, looked at me at the store and, oh, this person looked at me funny because I had my handicap sticker on in the parking lot and my legs were covered. And I definitely take those moments and I have to choose what am I going to pick? Am I going to choose to be offended of them not knowing any better? But I can also choose that, oh, wow, they are staring at me because my legs are really cool. And I usually choose that point of, like, wow, they think of me because I'm so cool.
WANG: You also serve as an ambassador for other amputees. You've been a role model for so many. What advice do you give them?
SHEPHERD: Going through like an amputation or just growing up without limbs in general, it makes you grew up really fast because you need to choose what the world is going to be to you. Is it going to be somewhere where it's not safe and you never leave your house and you don't want people to look at you? Or do you want the world to know that, hey, we exist, you know? I think that's so special too, to be a learning tool for people of educating them.
And the Paralympics and the disabled community and, you know, my life of how fulfilled it is by not having legs. So, I think that's one of the greatest gifts I've ever had in my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: What an extraordinary woman there. Thank you so much for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Do you stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
