WASHINGTON Fox News' Chris Wallace confronted Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, Sunday for remarks President Joe Biden made about Afghanistan. He also claimed that al-Qaida has stopped being active in the country.
Biden stated that the United States has no interest in keeping troops from Afghanistan, citing the loss of al-Qaida.
Biden stated that there is no interest in Afghanistan now that al-Qaida has been eliminated. "We went to Afghanistan with the sole purpose of getting rid al-Qaida from Afghanistan and... getting Osama Bin Laden. We did.
During an interview on Fox News Sunday, Wallace said that the president was "flat wrong".
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After playing a clip of Biden's comments, Wallace stated that "What the President said just wasnt truth."
The United Nations published a report earlier this summer stating that al-Qaida was present in at least 15 provinces of Afghanistan, primarily in the eastern, southern, and south-eastern regions. Wallace quoted the report to Blinken.
Blinken attempted to reframe Biden's statement by noting that al-Qaida no longer is the force it was once.
"Chris, take a second to think," Blinken replied. "We all know that we went to Afghanistan 20-years ago with one mission in mind. That was to deal the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11. To bring bin Laden to justice, which we did a decade before, and to reduce the ability of al Qaida to attack us again from Afghanistan.
Blinken stated, "And that, to Presidents point has been successful."
Wallace asked Blinken about Biden's comments. "Simple Question: Is al Qaida gone from Pakistan to Afghanistan?"
"Al-Qaida's ability to attack us, or our allies from Afghanistan, as it did on 9/11 is greatly diminished," Blinken replied.
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When asked if al-Qaida had "gone", Blinken said that al-Qaida members are still present in Afghanistan.
"Are there al-Qaida remnants and members in Afghanistan?" He said yes. "But the president was referring only to its ability to do what it did in 9/11. That capacity has been greatly diminished."
Biden and his government have been criticized by Republicans and members of his party for their handling of Afghanistan. Last week, the Taliban took over control of the country.
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This article first appeared on USA TODAY. Fox News' Chris Wallace confronts Antony Blinken about Biden and al-Qaida
