Staff Reports
President Joe Biden’s recent weekend phone calls with the families of three Americans left behind in Afghanistan have raised eyebrows, and for good reason. After all, this is the same administration that managed to bungle a withdrawal so badly that it could almost be called an Olympic event in poor planning. Yet here we are, years later, watching as the fallout from that debacle continues to unfold.
Amidst all the chaos, Biden assured the families of Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann, and Mahmood Habibi that he was dedicated to bringing their loved ones home. This announcement sounds heartfelt on the surface, but one has to wonder how much of it is genuine and how much is just another attempt to placate worried citizens as the consequences of the Afghanistan fiasco linger. The Biden administration is still negotiating with the Taliban, and judging by their track record, negotiators might as well be trading candy for gold.
Joe Biden is paying the Taliban 🇦🇫 $80 million dollars every 10 days
WE STILL HAVE 3 Americans being held and Biden can't even get them out – Family of American held by Taliban reveals 'devastating' phone call with Biden
Biden spoke with families of Americans detained in… pic.twitter.com/VY0GBPkMyR
— Joni Job (@jj_talking) January 13, 2025
In a twist that could almost qualify as a soap opera plotline, Biden’s administration is attempting to barter the freedom of these Americans for a Taliban bigwig named Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, currently enjoying the luxurious accommodations of Guantanamo Bay. The irony is rich: an administration that once claimed to stand against evil is now bargaining with it. Meanwhile, the success of these negotiations has so far been about as elusive as a unicorn in the wild.
Ahmad Habibi, brother of Mahmood, reported that Biden promised not to leave his brother behind in this mess, which raises more questions than it answers. How does one make such promises while simultaneously negotiating with an adversary notorious for breaking their word? One can only hope that Biden’s assurances aren’t meant to serve as a mere distraction from his administration’s myriad of other failures and ongoing foreign policy scandals.
And speaking of failures, the ramifications of Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal have rippled across the globe, with critics asserting that it has contributed directly to emerging crises such as the war between Russia and Ukraine and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Trump and other Republicans have been vocal about these blunders, attributing America’s current woes to this catastrophic withdrawal. Yet, Biden’s team seems to be spinning a fairy tale of success amidst chaos, with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan absurdly arguing that America is “safer” now than it was four years ago. One must wonder just how far these officials are willing to stretch the truth.
With the Biden administration’s final days approaching, it seems the resolution of these hostage situations may fall into the hands of President-Elect Donald Trump. If history serves as a guide, the approach is likely to be far more consistent than the current administration’s attempts at negotiation, which many have dubbed amateur hour. As America gears up for this transition, it’s abundantly clear that while Biden’s promises may sound reassuring, they are layered with complications only exacerbated by his administration’s earlier missteps.
