Monday | August 23, 2021

[0] Thousands of U .S. citizens remain in Afghanistan as the Taliban takes over the country.

[1] There are Taliban checkpoints all across the city.

[2] Some of them are more aggressive.

[3] Some of them are less aggressive.

[4] But it is extremely difficult, extremely dangerous for people to get to the airport.

[5] What's the plan for evacuating remaining Americans from Afghanistan?

[6] And how are America's allies responding to the situation?

[7] I'm John Bickley with Georgia Howell.

[8] It's Monday, August.

[9] is 23rd, and this is Morning Wire.

[10] The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan could empower other U .S. enemies in the region, including al -Qaeda.

[11] How much of a presence does al -Qaeda have in Afghanistan, and how will the country's collapse impact the terrorist group?

[12] And businesses in New York are suing the mayor over the city's new vaccine mandate, which bars those who are unvaccinated from many indoor activities.

[13] We'll discuss the lawsuit and why many businesses say the vaccine mandate is discriminatory.

[14] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.

[15] Stay tuned.

[16] We have the news you need to know.

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[22] As the evacuation from Afghanistan continues, the Biden administration is facing heavy pressure, for what many are saying was a failed military strategy.

[23] Here to update us on the ongoing crisis is Daily Wires Ian Hauerth.

[24] Morning Ian.

[25] Morning, John.

[26] So what's the latest on the evacuation efforts from Afghanistan?

[27] Quite frankly, there are almost too many moving parts to cover.

[28] Looking first at the raw numbers, in a Pentagon press conference on Saturday, major general Hank Taylor said that only 2 ,500 Americans had been evacuated, so.

[29] far.

[30] This means that at least 7 ,500 are still stuck in the country.

[31] Americans who are stuck outside the airport perimeter are being warned by U .S. officials not to travel to the Kabul airport because of potential security threats outside the gates.

[32] Pentagon spokesman John Kirby refused to confirm or deny whether groups like ISIS and Al -Qaeda were operating outside the airport.

[33] Can you explain what is this threat?

[34] Is it Taliban?

[35] Is there an ISIS or an al -Qaeda angle to this?

[36] Yeah, I think you can understand, Courtney, why we're not going to get into specific details about the threat environment.

[37] And the situation outside the airport is becoming more precarious by the day.

[38] According to some reports, the Taliban are threatening to shoot evacuees while stealing their passports.

[39] This past weekend, the Pentagon contradicted President Biden when they confirmed that the Taliban are harassing and beating American citizens who are trying to reach the airport.

[40] And as veterans scramble to help thousands of Afghans escape the country before they are captured by the Taliban, the Defense Contract Management Agency is telling its personnel not try and help friends and former colleagues.

[41] According to an internal email, instead they should be told that the State Department is the appropriate organization to contact.

[42] Over the weekend, the president actually enlisted commercial airlines to help.

[43] Can you tell us about that?

[44] Yeah, on Sunday, the Pentagon activated what is known as the Civil Reserve Air Fleet for just the third time in the history of the U .S., allowing them to use commercial airlines to assist with the evacuation efforts.

[45] The 20 airlines affected by this order won't fly to or from Afghanistan, but will instead ferry evacuees from bases in Germany, Qatar, and Bahrain.

[46] Okay.

[47] How are America's allies responding to all this?

[48] Well, allies like the United Kingdom are also having to scramble to get their own citizens out of the country.

[49] Right.

[50] And mainly what we're hearing abroad is criticism of the administration's handling of the situation.

[51] Despite Biden, claiming quite the opposite during his speech on Friday.

[52] I have seen no question of our credibility from our allies around the world.

[53] This simply isn't true.

[54] For example, Vice President of the European Commission described the U .S. withdrawal as a catastrophe, while Angela Merkel's likely successor said it was the greatest debacle that NATO has seen since its foundation.

[55] An former Prime Minister of the UK, Tony Blair, who sent troops into Afghanistan 20 years ago, said the withdrawal was based on an imbecilic slogan about ending Forever War.

[56] In the United States, when Fox News Chris Wallace asked Secretary of State Anthony Blinken about the concern of many that President Biden doesn't have a full understanding of what's unfolding in Afghanistan, he said that it was an emotional time.

[57] The president said al -Qaeda is gone.

[58] It's not gone.

[59] The president said he's not heard any criticism from the allies.

[60] There's been a lot of criticism from the allies.

[61] Words matter, and the words of the president matter most.

[62] Chris, all I can tell you is what I've heard.

[63] And again, This is a powerfully emotional time for a lot of allies and partners, as it is for me, as it is for us.

[64] One more thing before we let you go.

[65] Last week you mentioned that huge amounts of military equipment had fallen into the hands of the Taliban.

[66] Are there any plans to handle this problem?

[67] There have been reports that the Biden administration is now looking into launching air strikes against larger equipment left behind, but they apparently also fear that these strikes could provoke the Taliban.

[68] Fear of provoking the Taliban?

[69] That's what they're saying.

[70] I'm sure we'll have more updates in the coming days.

[71] Thanks for joining.

[72] Of course.

[73] Daily Wires, Ian Howarth.

[74] Coming up, a closer look at al -Qaeda's presence in the Middle East.

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[78] One of the many concerning factors about the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan is the safe haven the group may provide for other terror groups.

[79] According to President Biden's Defense Department Press Secretary, Al -Qaeda is still present in the country.

[80] Daily Wire investigative reporter Marade McArdle is here to give us some background on this.

[81] Mairead, thanks for coming on.

[82] Good morning.

[83] So last Friday, President Biden claimed that al -Qaeda no longer has a presence in Afghanistan.

[84] We went to Afghanistan for the express purpose of getting rid of al -Qaeda in Afghanistan as well as, as well as getting Osama bin Laden.

[85] And we did.

[86] So the president said al -Qaeda's gone.

[87] Is that correct?

[88] No, it isn't.

[89] Al -Qaeda is still active in Afghanistan.

[90] This is the same terrorist group that was responsible for the 9 -11 attacks on the U .S. And it absolutely still has a presence in Afghanistan, although the presence has been significantly diminished since the U .S. invaded in 2001.

[91] As recently as June, the United Nations Security Council released a report that estimated al -Qaeda is still operating in at least 15 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.

[92] On Wednesday, the Defense Department's Inspector General said in a report that, quote, the Taliban continued to maintain its relationship with al -Qaeda, providing safe haven for the terrorist group in Afghanistan.

[93] Fifteen out of 34 provinces, so nearly half, that's a significant presence.

[94] Right, it is.

[95] Also on Friday, after the president made his comments, Defense Department Press Secretary John Kirby was asked how many al -Qaeda operatives are still in Afghanistan.

[96] Kirby wasn't able to give an exact number, but he said that, quote, we know that al -Qaeda is a presence as well as ISIS in Afghanistan.

[97] Kirby added that while al -Qaeda still operates there, the terrorist group's presence is not significant enough to be a, quote, threat to our homeland.

[98] And how large is al -Qaeda these days?

[99] We don't know exactly how many operatives they have at this point, but a United Nations report from last year estimated that there are between 400 and 600 armed operatives in Afghanistan alone.

[100] And what about other countries?

[101] Does al -Qaeda operate anywhere else?

[102] Actually, yes, the group today does have a presence outside of Afghanistan as well.

[103] One of its direct affiliates called al -Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula operates primarily in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

[104] This branch is considered by the U .S. government to be the most active and dangerous.

[105] And in Iraq, al -Qaeda's affiliates eventually became ISIS.

[106] The group is also known to operate in other countries as well, Russia, Pakistan, and India, just to name a few.

[107] Some affiliates have specifically said that they intend to attack American targets in their regions.

[108] Wow.

[109] And look, al -Qaeda is the reason the U .S. went to Afghanistan to begin with, so the idea that they will be empowered by the Taliban takeover is of deep concern for American security.

[110] Definitely.

[111] Thanks, Mairead.

[112] Thanks, Georgia.

[113] Daily Wire investigative reporter, Marade McCartle.

[114] Businesses in New York City are suing the mayor over the city's new vaccine mandate, which bars the unvaccinated from certain indoor activities.

[115] The lawsuit claims that the vaccine mandate unfairly targets businesses that are already struggling due to the pandemic.

[116] Daily Wire editor Ash Short is here to give us the latest.

[117] Ash, thanks for being here.

[118] Thanks for inviting me. So businesses in New York, are claiming the vaccine mandate is discriminatory.

[119] Tell us what's going on here.

[120] Well, a group of small businesses in New York City filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, claiming that the vaccine mandate is arbitrary and capricious because it targets certain establishments, but not others.

[121] The businesses said that there should be religious and medical exemptions to the mandate, which currently doesn't have.

[122] They also said the mandate prevents people who don't want to get a COVID -19 vaccine from even earning a living, since it applies to employees as well as customers at many businesses.

[123] The lawsuit is seeking a permanent injunction against the mandate, which would stop it from being enforced.

[124] What does the vaccine mandate look like exactly?

[125] What activities does it restrict?

[126] Quite a few, actually.

[127] New Yorkers have to show proof of vaccination just to take part in everyday activities, like dining indoors at restaurants and bars, going to the gym, or attending indoor events like concerts and plays.

[128] The mandate went into effect last Tuesday, but it won't be enforced until September 13th.

[129] Businesses that fail to comply face a $1 ,000 fine for a first violation, a $2 ,000 fine for a second, and $5 ,000 fines for each further violation.

[130] Many businesses are already requiring proof of vaccination to enter, but some have had to scramble to cobble together a bouncer system to keep out the unvaccinated.

[131] Bouncers, wow.

[132] Yeah.

[133] How has this impacted the lives of New Yorkers so far?

[134] Quite a bit.

[135] For context, 25 % of New York City adults are still unvaccinated.

[136] The people most affected are actually minorities.

[137] Only a third of black New Yorkers and 44 % of Hispanic New Yorkers are fully vaccinated.

[138] Brooklyn and the Bronx have a much higher minority population and a much lower vaccination rate than Manhattan.

[139] So the mandate effectively punishes minorities since nearly 50 % of whites in the city are fully vaccinated.

[140] What about the mayor?

[141] Has he commented since his first announcement?

[142] He has.

[143] As you know, the mayor said earlier this month that, quote, if you want to participate in our society fully, you've got to get vaccinated.

[144] Then on Wednesday, he suggested that he's not worried about the lawsuits challenging the mandate, saying that he has, quote, tremendous confidence that we are in a very strong.

[145] strong legal position.

[146] Should we expect to see more of these kinds of mandates in the U .S.?

[147] It's very possible.

[148] New York is leading the way on this.

[149] It's the first city to implement this kind of mandate.

[150] But other areas are following suit.

[151] Los Angeles is taking a similar but more narrow approach and is requiring all city employees to get the shot, including firefighters and police.

[152] Unlike New York, though, Los Angeles's mandate does make room for medical or religious exemptions.

[153] With so many affected, this is obviously a very explosive issue.

[154] It is.

[155] Thanks, Ash.

[156] Anytime.

[157] Daily Wire editor, Ash Short.

[158] Other stories we're tracking this week.

[159] President Biden's approval rating has dropped below 50%, reaching the lowest point of his presidency so far.

[160] According to a new NBC poll, only 25 % of Americans approve of the president's handling of Afghanistan.

[161] And police in Australia arrested more than 250 ,000.

[162] people on Saturday as protests swept across the country in response to renewed lockdown orders.

[163] Police used pepper spray in Melbourne where a crowd of 4 ,000 gathered and riot police cracked down on a smaller group in Sydney.

[164] Residents of Sydney and its state, New South Wales, face a fine of up to $5 ,000 for violating stay -at -home orders.

[165] And a charitable fund started by radio host Glenn Beck raised more than 20 million in less than three days to help evacuate Christians from Afghanistan.

[166] The Nazarene Fund is hoping to extrad.

[167] around 5 ,000 people, mostly women and children.

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