JOE Biden appeared to admit that the US may have handed Taliban henchmen a “kill list” to target Afghans who previously helped Americans in the country.
Evacuation efforts are being ramped up as the president’s self-imposed deadline to withdraw all American troops by August 31 inches closer.
Officials reportedly gave militants lists of American citizens, green card holders, and Afghan allies so they could safely enter the perimeter of the airport in Kabul, according to Politico.
The move has angered some lawmakers as one defense official told the outlet: “Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list.”
During Thursday’s press conference, Biden didn’t deny that names may have been handed over to the Taliban.
He said: “There have been occasions when our military has contacted their military counterparts in the Taliban and said this, for example, this bus is coming through with X number of people on it, made up of the following group of people.
“We want you to let that bus or that group through. So yes, there have been occasions like that. To the best of my knowledge, in those cases, the bulk of that has occurred and they have been let through.”
Officials at the US Central Command refused to comment when approached by Politico.
Biden made the remarks while he was being quizzed by reporters following the terror attacks in Kabul.
At least 13 US troops and dozens of Afghan civilians were killed following the blasts.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack as the terror group released a picture of one of the suicide bombers Abdul Rehman Al-Loghri.
Biden said he would “hunt down” the perpetrators of the attack.
The president said: "For those that carried out this attack as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: "We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay. I will defend our interests and our people with every measure at my command."
He said the evacuation mission would continue, adding America "will not be deterred by terrorists".
Former President Donald Trump claimed that the terror attack wouldn’t have happened on his watch.
He told Fox News: “This tragedy should never have taken place. It should never have happened and it would not have happened if I were your President."
Trump said the crisis was the consequence of “the dumbest move ever perhaps made in US history”.
'A DUMB MOVE'
The Republican blasted Biden’s strategy to withdraw US troops before civilians.
He said: “It’s so sad. It’s probably from the standpoint of military tactic and just embarrassment, the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to our country.
"This is the dumbest thing — I think it was the dumbest move anybody has ever made perhaps in the history of our country, allowing this to happen, taking the military out and then say ‘Oh, we hope to get the people out'.
“We are weak, we are being led by people that have no idea what they are doing.”
The brash New Yorker said America had been made to “look like fools” as he branded the situation in Kabul as “very dangerous” for the country.
A growing number of outspoken Republicans are calling for President Biden’s impeachment or urging him to resign for his handling of the Afghan crisis.
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said the president is to blame.
He tweeted: “To say that today’s loss of American lives in Kabul is sickening does not begin to do justice to what has happened. It is enraging and Joe Biden is responsible.”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, of Tennessee, called for Biden, vice president Kamala Harris and several security officials to swiftly leave their positions.
And Rep. Elise Stefanik railed: “This horrific national security and humanitarian disaster is solely the result of Joe Biden’s weak and incompetent leadership.
“He is unfit to be Commander-in-Chief.”
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