Pentagon: U.S. Military is relying on the Taliban to ‘protect us’ at Kabul airport

Commander of the United States Central Command General Kenneth F. McKenzie announced in a press conference on Thursday that the U.S. Military is relying on help from the Taliban to “protect us” from further terrorist attacks in Afghanistan.

McKenzie reported the military is taking several actions to ensure the safety of U.S troops and civilians against additional attacks. One way the Defense Department is doing that is coordinating with the Taliban “to make sure they know what we expect them to do to protect us.”

However, when asked by a reporter if the U.S. Military trusts the Taliban or if it has any inclination that the Taliban might be behind the attacks, General McKenzie hesitated to answer the question and could not confirm if the Taliban aided in the attacks. The government has since blamed ISIS-K for the horrendous bombings.

“As to whether or not I trust them…that’s a word I use very carefully. You’ve heard me say before it’s not what they say, it’s what they do,” McKenzie said. “We share a common purpose. As long as we’ve kept that common purpose align, they have been useful to work with.”

According to Politico, U.S. officials in Kabul have reportedly given the Taliban a list containing names of American citizens, green card holders, and Afghan allies to grant them entry into the outer perimeter of the Kabul airport.

Considering the Taliban has a history of murdering Afghans who have aided the U.S., this decision to hand over names to the Taliban has prompted backlash from lawmakers and military officials.

“Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list,” said one defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “It’s just appalling and shocking and makes you feel unclean.”

Former Navy SEAL and Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, slammed the military’s decision to collaborate with the Taliban, saying “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Unleash our military power NOW,” Crenshaw demanded.

12 American soldiers were left dead following the bombings in Kabul, while 15 others have been wounded. No U.S. civilian casualties have been reported.

Stay tuned to RSBN for updates.

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