Joe Biden does not hold back his tears by speaking live to the nation of “heroes who died in Kabul for a selfless mission”. He then he promises: “We will not forget, we will catch you and make you pay. And America will not be intimidated, the evacuation goes on and we are ready to send more troops if necessary”.
For the American president these are the most difficult and dramatic hours. In front of him the most tragic scenario that could arise from the Afghan crisis and his irrevocable decision to leave the country by 31 August. The worst nightmare has come true and, in the chaos that followed, there are now at least 12 American soldiers killed by a kamikaze attack while they were working to evacuate thousands of people. Another thousand Americans to take away for the Pentagon, which admits: “The attacks will continue”.
His words on TV come after a whole day in the Situation Room bunker, constantly updated by the national security team, following the developments of the situation step by step. While the White House appears increasingly besieged by fierce controversies and among the Republicans the front of those calling for impeachment, if not the immediate resignation of the president, is growing. Among the latter Donald Trump: “It shouldn’t be a big deal since he wasn’t legitimately elected,” says the former president.
Surrounded by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin, National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan, and U.S. Military Chief of Staff Mark Milley, Biden seeks a no-easy way out, while still news from Kabul are fragmentary and the exact balance of the double explosion is expected to be known, while the responsibilities of Isis Kohrasan are now clear.
It is difficult to imagine a retaliation in the short term, given the control of power in Kabul now in the hands of the Taliban and the difficulty of identifying targets among the ISIS militants who are likely authors of the attack.
Despite this, the American president had confirmed the face to face with the new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (later postponed) to try to begin to turn the page and take over the Iran dossier. The day then took a completely different turn.
“At this point the president has to step down,” said Republican Congressman Mike Garcia first, coming out and stating what many in his party think, not just Trump. Even former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, whom many see as a candidate for the presidential elections of 2024, shakes the specter of resignation while warning that replacing Biden with deputy Kamala Harris would be even worse. So far the impeachment hypothesis, also supported by a big name like Senator Lindsay Graham, or that of removal through the mechanism of the 25th amendment of the Constitution, had been taken into consideration only with the possible regaining by the Republicans of control of at least one of the two chambers of Congress, in next year’s mid-term elections. Now everything could fall apart.
The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, sent the following message to the President of the United States of America, Joseph R. Biden: “On behalf of the Italian people and my personal, I wish to extend to you, Mr. President, and to all American citizens the expressions of the most heartfelt condolences for the very serious attack that yesterday cost the lives of 13 soldiers on duty at the Kabul airport. In this tragic circumstance our thoughts go first of all to the families of the victims, to whom I send the sincere condolences of the Republic of Italy, and to the wounded, to whom we wish a prompt recovery “.
