Biden news: Psaki shuts down GOP impeachment threat as Israel PM extends ‘condolences and deep sadness’
White House and Pentagon provide updates on response to Kabul attack as hundreds continue to be evacuated from Afghanistan
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Following a suicide bombing at Kabul airport that left 13 American service members dead and 18 wounded, among dozens of others killed, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett extended “condolences and deep sadness for the loss of American lives” during a meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday.
After pledging to “hunt down” those responsible for the attack, the president was briefed by military officials on Friday on the likelihood of “another terror attack” and the “maximum force protection measures” underway at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Military officials also updated the president and vice president “on plans to develop Isis-K targets,” according to statement from White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
“The next few days of this mission will be the most dangerous period to date,” the statement said.
Injured US service members have been transported to the US Army’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
Isis-K, a sworn enemy of the Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Ms Psaki told reporters on Friday that the president has made clear “that he does not want them to live on earth anymore.”
A number of Republican lawmakers have called on the president to resign over the ongoing crisis. GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy said there will be “day of reckoning.”
Ms Psaki dismissed calls from GOP lawmakers, adding that “the backdrop” of their calls “is the men and women of the US military deployed on the ground are bravely continuing to implement a mission to save lives on the ground.”
“Yesterday they lost 13 of their own and the president made absolutely clear that we’re going to hunt down, go after and kill the terrorists who are responsible,” she said. “Everyone should be supportive of that.”
US military officials have stressed that the attack has not stopped evacuations, which will continue until the end of the month as planned. US forces have evacuated roughly 12,500 people over a 24-hour period into early Friday morning, according to the White House. Since the end of July, the US has relocated approximately 110,600 people, the White House said on Friday.
Follow live updates as they happenened
Joe Biden addresses Kabul airport bombing
“It’s been a tough day,” said Mr Biden in a speech from the White House and blames ISIS-K for the attack.
President says troops killed in Kabul were ‘heroes’
“These American service members who gave their lives, it is an overused word, were heroes, heroes who have been engaged in a dangerous and selfless mission to save the lives of others,” said Mr Biden.
president added that his and first lady’s hearts “ached” for the US military and Afghan families who had lost members in the attack.
Biden says he will ‘hunt down’ terrorists behind Kabul airport attack
The president warned ISIS-K, who have claimed responsibility, that the US would exact revenge for the attack.
“Know this; We will not forgive. We will not forget. We. will hunt you down and make you pay,” said the Commander-in-Chief.
He said that he had asked military commanders to draw up plans to strike back at the terrorist group.
Biden leads moment of silence for victims
The president bowed his head and appeared to say a prayer quietly to himself during the moment of silence.
“We have to remain steadfast, we will complete our mission, we will continue after the troops have been withdrawn and find means to find any American who wishes to get out of Afghanistan. We will find them and get them out,” said Mr Biden.
He said that he had offered the US military whatever resources they needed but said that commanders had told him that they would get out as many people as they could in the timeframe given to them.
He added that they would “get” the terrorists without a large-scale military operation.
‘We will hunt you down and make you pay’: Biden vows to avenge 12 Americans killed in Kabul
President Joe Biden pledged to avenge the 12 American service members killed in an attack in Kabul on Thursday.
“To those who carried out this attack as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this, we will not forgive, we will not forget, we will hunt you down and make you pay,” the president said.
Eric Garcia has the story.
Biden vows to avenge 12 Americans killed in Kabul: ‘We will hunt you down’
President Joe Biden pledged to avenge the 12 American service members killed in an attack in Kabul on Thursday.
Biden says military wanted to close Bagram Air Base
The president said that the US military told him they wanted to concentrate the evacuation effort on Kabul’s international airport.
“I followed their recommendation,” he told reporters at White House.
The president said he did not know if there had been a list of American citizens of Afghans who had helped the US given to the Taliban.
Biden tells Fox News reporter he stands by decision to pull out of Afghanistan
“I bear responsibility for, fundamentally, all that’s happened of late. But here’s the deal: You know, I wish you’d one day say these things, you know as well as I do, that the former president made a deal with the Taliban,” he told the channel’s Peter Doocy.
The president then put his head in his hands as Doocy refused to acknowledge Mr Trump’s Taliban deal.
Mr Biden said he still did not believe that the White House should “sacrifice American lives” to create a democracy in Afghanistan.
And he asked the press if they really thought the US should have gone to Afghanistan if al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden had launched the 9/11 attack from a country like the Yemen.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it was time to end a 20-year war,” he concluded.
White House announces flags to be lowered
Joe Biden’s press secretary announced at her briefing that US flags were being lowered to half staff at the White House, military bases and federal buildings until 30 August.
Biden has not yet called family members of killed US troops
Jen Psaki said that the Pentagon was still notifying the families of troops killed in Kabul and that the president would speak to families after that had been done.
Biden rests head on his hands during tense exchange with Fox reporter after Kabul statement
President Joe Biden concluded his news conference on Thursday by igniting a back-and-forth with Fox News’s Peter Doocy, whose questions left Mr Biden resting his head on his hands in an exasperated manner.
John Bowden has the story.
Biden puts head in his hands during tense exchange with Fox reporter
Exchange occurred after president called Peter Doocy ‘most interesting’ man in media
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