It’s Sunday.
For Sunday August 29th, 2021, President Biden will have traveled with the First Lady to Dover Air Force Base to meet with the families of the American service members killed in terror attack outside the Kabul airport. At noon D.C., time they will participate in a dignified transfer.
Found in the comment section from the Owl.
There are lots of tweets saying that President Biden and his admin had not planned to send members to receive the bodies of the fallen Service members. The above connects with another tweet seen in the Owl…
Why does it connect to the first set of hot takes….well…
The above tweet was sent two hours after Buzz, who says he’s running for Congress in CA in his Twitter bio, blasted President Biden for not being at the dignified transfer that hadn’t happened yet, and hours after CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale debunked the claim.
The lowering of his head occurs toward the end of the Oval Office pool spray. The video is cued to when President Biden bows his head.
The exchange:
PM Bennett: So, Mr. President, today, you and I — and you’ve been so generous with your time in these difficult days [that’s when President Biden lowers his head] — you and I are going to write yet another chapter in the beautiful story of the friendship between our two nations: The United States of America and the Jewish and democratic State of Israel — both of us who seek to do good and need to be strong, both of us who are a lighthouse in a very, very stormy world. Thank you, Mr. President. I look forward to working with you now and for many years forward. Thank you.
President Biden: Well, thank you. And you give me credit, much of which should go to Barack Obama, for making sure that we committed to a qualitative edge you would have relative to your friends in the region. So, he’s the one that deserves the credit.
So, he wasn’t napping…
Now with that out of the way, let’s move over to check out APP Same…now, right out of the gate, this account shows they aren’t serious…
Pinned Tweet:
I’ll be honest, I don’t know the first guy pictured, I can only assume it’s the YouTube/Google person. The second guy is Twitter’s own @jack and of course the last high school yearbook looking photo is of Facebook creator-ish Mark Zuckerberg.
All three big tech guys apparently equal to a known terrorist org., that’s recorded as murdering thousands of people since their founding in 1988…
Near as I can tell these bad hot takes came when on Friday, neither Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby or White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki would confirm whether or not President Biden would be there to receive the bodies of the fallen Service members. So, instead, of reporting that, or being annoyed at that, they decided to lie.
This is my friendly PSA:
Buzz Patterson issued two very bad takes on Twitter while he attempts to run for Congress as a “Conservative” candidate, in CA; we learn that when we click on Buzz’s name and read his Twitter bio.
AppSame a “Conservative SuperPac,” believes that social media moguls are equal to a known terrorist group that has reportedly killed thousands of people including the recorded 2,977 people that perished on 9/11/2001.
We learned both of those things, by clicking on the user’s feed. It’s important in this day and age to expand the tweet, even if it’s someone you agree with, because sometimes, like in the case of AppSame, we learn that the pinned tweet pretty much negates the whole account as lame and worthless.
With that off my chest we move on.
President Biden tweeted 2 times and retweeted 2 times for Saturday.
His full statement:
This morning, I met with my national security team in Washington and my commanders in the field. We discussed the strike that U.S. forces took last night against the terrorist group ISIS-K in Afghanistan. I said we would go after the group responsible for the attack on our troops and innocent civilians in Kabul, and we have. This strike was not the last. We will continue to hunt down any person involved in that heinous attack and make them pay. Whenever anyone seeks to harm the United States or attack our troops, we will respond. That will never be in doubt. I thanked General McKenzie for his leadership of that mission, and for his commitment to the safety of our troops in Afghanistan.
The situation on the ground continues to be extremely dangerous, and the threat of terrorist attacks on the airport remains high. Our commanders informed me that an attack is highly likely in the next 24-36 hours. I directed them to take every possible measure to prioritize force protection, and ensured that they have all the authorities, resources and plans to protect our men and women on the ground. They assured me that they did, and that they could take these measures while completing the mission and safely retrograding our personnel.
Despite the treacherous situation in Kabul, we are continuing to evacuate civilians. Yesterday, we brought out another 6,800 people, including hundreds of Americans. And today, we discussed the ongoing preparations to help people continue to leave Afghanistan after our military departs.
The 13 service members that we lost were heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our highest American ideals and while saving the lives of others. Their bravery and selflessness has enabled more than 117,000 people at risk to reach safety thus far. May God protect our troops and all those standing watch in these dangerous days.
White House.gov. 08/28/2021.
CNN reported late Saturday/early Sunday; The US military carried out a drone strike against what it said was an ISIS-K planner in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province, amid warnings of possible further terror attacks targeting the last-ditch US evacuation effort from Kabul.The desperate mission to airlift US citizens and Afghans who assisted US forces and officials from the country by the end of the month is now in its final phase.According to locals in the area where the strike was carried out Friday night, at least three people were killed — a man, a woman and a child — and several people were injured. However, the US Defense Department said in a briefing Saturday that two “high-profile” ISIS-K (Islamic State- Khorasan) targets were killed in the strike, and one other was injured.
On Saturday the Department of Defense released the name of the 13 Service members killed in the terror attack outside the Kabul airport.
- Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosariopichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts.
- Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California.
- Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California.
- Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska.
- Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana.
- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas.
- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri.
- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming.
- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California.
- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California.
- Navy Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio.
- Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee.
The Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Office explains the Dignified Transfer:
A solemn dignified transfer of remains is conducted upon arrival at Dover Air Force Base, Del., to honor those who have given their lives in the service of our country.
A dignified transfer is the process by which, upon the return from the theater of operations to the United States, the remains of fallen military members are transferred from the aircraft to an awaiting vehicle. The remains will then be transferred to the mortuary facility located at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, Dover AFB, Del. The dignified transfer is not a ceremony; rather, it is a solemn movement of the transfer case by a carry team composed of military personnel from the fallen member’s respective service. A dignified transfer is conducted for every U.S. military member who dies in the theater of operation while in the service of their country. A senior ranking officer of the fallen member’s service presides over each dignified transfer.
The sequence of the dignified transfer starts with the fallen being returned to Dover AFB by the most expedient means possible, which typically includes a stop at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is the Department of Defense’s policy, and AFMAO’s mission, to return America’s fallen to their loved ones as quickly as possible. Once the aircraft lands at Dover AFB, service-specific carry teams remove the transfer cases individually from the aircraft and move them to an awaiting transfer vehicle. The vehicle(s) then transport the fallen to the mortuary facility for positive identification by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System and preparation for their final resting place.
Mortuary.Af.Mil.
In April 2009, the Secretary of Defense announced a change in policy that, upon consent of the family of the deceased, allowed media access to cover dignified transfers. The only dignified transfers that will be open to media coverage, with family approval, are those personnel who die in the line of duty supporting current operations. The privacy and desires of the immediate family receive the highest consideration at all times
The White House published the following readout of the briefing.
This afternoon, President Biden convened conversations with the National Hurricane Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to discuss the Administration’s ongoing preparations for Hurricane Ida, which is projected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast as a dangerous major hurricane tomorrow on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall.
National Hurricane Center Director Kenneth Graham provided the President with a briefing on Ida’s projected path and reported that the Gulf Coast was already beginning to feel the effects of the storm. They talked about how Ida will likely be very strong and destructive, with dangerous, life-threatening storm surge and significant rainfall that would impact both coastal and inland areas. The President thanked the Hurricane Hunters, who fly the specially equipped aircraft into hurricanes to enable accurate forecasting, as well as the entire National Hurricane Center team.
The President then called FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell by videoconference. Administrator Criswell was in the National Response Coordination Center, the multiagency center that coordinates disaster response and prioritizes the allocation of Federal government resources. The President began by thanking the 200 Federal personnel on the watch floor who have been working nights and weekends for a long time to assist with the COVID-19 response, Tropical Storm Henri, the tragic flooding in Tennessee, other extreme weather events, and now Hurricane Ida. They discussed ongoing evacuation efforts of Parishes in the storm’s path, as well as the voluntary evacuation of New Orleans. Administrator Criswell told the President that 13 Urban Search and Rescue teams are in place to respond to the needs of people who are not able to get out. The President asked about preparations for nursing homes, and Administrator Criswell said that more than 100 ground ambulances and 20 air ambulances have been deployed to support evacuations of nursing homes in the storm’s path. They discussed the precautions that are being taken at the mega shelters the American Red Cross is opening to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including masking, rapid testing, and social distancing.
They also talked about the impact of anticipated hurricane force winds and concerns about widespread power outages, and Administrator Criswell described how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has prepositioned power restoration experts and hundreds of generators. The President acknowledged the significant assistance the utility sector is prepared to provide to help get the power back on as fast as feasible, though it may take time given the intensity of the storm. The President urged people to prepare thoroughly now, including by visiting Ready.gov, stocking up on supplies for their household, and following guidance from local authorities. The President concluded the call by reiterating his thanks to the FEMA team for its extraordinary efforts and recognizing the importance of the pre-positioning of resources, including FEMA’s deployment of an additional 500 emergency response personnel, one million meals, 1.6 million liters of water, and generators, and the Coast Guard’s proactive advance positioning of vessels for deep water search and rescue efforts.
Yesterday, President Biden spoke with the Governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama to make clear that States have the full support of the Federal government to provide assistance as needed and to aid local emergency response efforts. The President approved an Emergency Disaster Declaration for the State of Louisiana, authorizing emergency preparation and protective measures, including direct Federal assistance such as power generation, air transportation assets, wildlife management assistance, and water management for all 64 parishes in Louisiana.
White House.gov. 08/28/2021.
The White House YouTube account posted a 3 minute and 42 video of his opening remarks.
President Biden has not tweeted for Sunday.
Personal note: I want to take a moment and thank you lovely readers, for being lovely. Your support keeps me motivated. Your patience as I’m late, easily distracted, and sometimes, extremely random, means a lot to me and the News Blender.
This is an open thread
