© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Biden reportedly ghosted UK, ignored PM Johnson for 36-plus hours amid Afghanistan fallout
OLIVIER MATTHYS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Biden reportedly ghosted UK, ignored PM Johnson for 36-plus hours amid Afghanistan fallout

As chaos unfolded in Afghanistan over the last week, President Joe Biden reportedly left America's greatest ally and leading partner in the region in the dark.

According to fresh reports from the Times and the Telegraph this week, the United Kingdom — despite having suffered the second most casualties in the Afghanistan war — had very little input regarding Biden's decision to withdraw from the region and was put on hold after the situation unraveled.

The abject failure of communication has allegedly sparked outrage among British lawmakers, who in recent days have taken to reminding the U.S. president that the war in Afghanistan was not a solo campaign, but a NATO effort.

What are the details?

In the Times report published Thursday, political editor Steven Swinford stated that "senior military commanders have also not been party to key discussions between the U.S. and the Taliban, so were left in the dark about when they could be forced to pull out."

That report was later confirmed by Politico London, which cited an unnamed British official who claimed "the U.S. did not communicate to the U.K. how it planned to withdraw nor the pace of its withdrawal," a decision which has fueled anger within the British government.

But the Biden administration didn't just cut the U.K. out of talks prior to the wholesale troop withdrawal. As things grew more dire, Biden reportedly ghosted U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson for more than 36 hours, as well.

According to the Telegraph, "Johnson had been attempting to get Biden on the phone to discuss Kabul falling from Monday morning. The pair eventually talked at close to 10 p.m. on Tuesday."

The reports were highlighted in Tuesday's edition of Politico London's Playbook newsletter. In the newsletter, editor Alex Wickham called Biden's failure to communicate nothing short of "astonishing."

Most of the British troops exited in July when the U.S. troops left. The U.K. had decided it did not want to remain without U.S. support. About 900 British troops are currently in Afghanistan to help evacuate British passport holders and other local staff from the Kabul airport.

What else?

Biden's chaotic and hasty departure from Afghanistan has not gone over well across the pond. The New York Times reported Wednesday that the president's actions have "left British officials embarrassed and embittered."

"He hasn't just humiliated America's Afghan allies," Rory Stewart, a former British cabinet minister with lengthy experience in Afghanistan, told the Times. "He's humiliated his Western allies by demonstrating their impotence."

"I hope 'America First' hasn't become 'America Alone,'" Tom Tugendhat, a conservative member of Parliament and chairman of the foreign affairs committee, added.

Tugendhat, a British military veteran who served alongside U.S. and Afghan troops, lashed out at Biden in a fiery floor speech Wednesday, calling Biden's recent questioning of the courage of Afghan troops "shameful."

"Those who have never fought for the colors they fly should be careful about criticizing those who have," he said.

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?