<p>President Joe Biden has favoured the Taliban against US' traditional friends and allies, a top Republican leader has alleged, slamming the government's Afghan policy.</p>.<p>“The president's misguided decisions run the risk of creating the largest international hostage situation we have ever faced as a nation,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference on Wednesday.</p>.<p>Ripping apart the Afghan policy of the Biden administration, McCarthy said the president has ruined America’s reputation on the world stage, not for a week, but for decades to come.</p>.<p>“Our own allies are criticising us...asking us to extend the (August 31 withdrawal) deadline so they can get their own citizens home, not for any other reason,” he said.</p>.<p>“The allies that we have fought for years together, he (Biden) said no, and yes to the Taliban. So, no, none of that would have happened under a different administration. And, yes, that was a failure, one of the biggest failures I watched from a foreign policy in my lifetime. It is going to do a lot of damage to us, not just in the short run, but a long run,” McCarthy said.</p>.<p>“What does China believe now about Taiwan? What does Russia think about the Baltics or the Eastern Europe? And not only when you talk, Jake, about the base, think of the location of where it is. The president talks about looking over, having eyes ahead of time, that base proximity to Russia, to China, to Pakistan; the idea of terrorists coming again from Afghanistan,” he said.</p>.<p>A day earlier, McCarthy said, Biden made the decision not to shift the August 31 deadline to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, even though some of America's strongest allies like France, Britain and Germany requested for it.</p>.<p>“Think for one moment, why is the UK and France, and Germany there?” he asked.</p>.<p>“Because 20 years ago, America was attacked. They were there to help defend us and they requested us stay, to go longer so their own citizens could get removed. The president now made the announcement that he will not, allowing the Taliban to direct our foreign policy,” McCarthy said.</p>.<p>And now, with the very real prospect of thousands of Americans still stranded in Afghanistan on September 1, the Biden administration is willing to accept the fact that they'll be leaving Americans behind in a Taliban stronghold, he added.</p>.<p>McCarthy said the US is less safe today than it was 20 years ago based upon the actions that have just taken place.</p>.<p>“Allowing Taliban to control our foreign policy, weaponising them, reports now that they have more Black Hawks than Australia. From the aircraft to the drones to weaponry. They have more support than they had before just from their own military buildup of the weapons that they've taken from America. Now, a border that is open and the fear of what the future holds,” he said.</p>
<p>President Joe Biden has favoured the Taliban against US' traditional friends and allies, a top Republican leader has alleged, slamming the government's Afghan policy.</p>.<p>“The president's misguided decisions run the risk of creating the largest international hostage situation we have ever faced as a nation,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference on Wednesday.</p>.<p>Ripping apart the Afghan policy of the Biden administration, McCarthy said the president has ruined America’s reputation on the world stage, not for a week, but for decades to come.</p>.<p>“Our own allies are criticising us...asking us to extend the (August 31 withdrawal) deadline so they can get their own citizens home, not for any other reason,” he said.</p>.<p>“The allies that we have fought for years together, he (Biden) said no, and yes to the Taliban. So, no, none of that would have happened under a different administration. And, yes, that was a failure, one of the biggest failures I watched from a foreign policy in my lifetime. It is going to do a lot of damage to us, not just in the short run, but a long run,” McCarthy said.</p>.<p>“What does China believe now about Taiwan? What does Russia think about the Baltics or the Eastern Europe? And not only when you talk, Jake, about the base, think of the location of where it is. The president talks about looking over, having eyes ahead of time, that base proximity to Russia, to China, to Pakistan; the idea of terrorists coming again from Afghanistan,” he said.</p>.<p>A day earlier, McCarthy said, Biden made the decision not to shift the August 31 deadline to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, even though some of America's strongest allies like France, Britain and Germany requested for it.</p>.<p>“Think for one moment, why is the UK and France, and Germany there?” he asked.</p>.<p>“Because 20 years ago, America was attacked. They were there to help defend us and they requested us stay, to go longer so their own citizens could get removed. The president now made the announcement that he will not, allowing the Taliban to direct our foreign policy,” McCarthy said.</p>.<p>And now, with the very real prospect of thousands of Americans still stranded in Afghanistan on September 1, the Biden administration is willing to accept the fact that they'll be leaving Americans behind in a Taliban stronghold, he added.</p>.<p>McCarthy said the US is less safe today than it was 20 years ago based upon the actions that have just taken place.</p>.<p>“Allowing Taliban to control our foreign policy, weaponising them, reports now that they have more Black Hawks than Australia. From the aircraft to the drones to weaponry. They have more support than they had before just from their own military buildup of the weapons that they've taken from America. Now, a border that is open and the fear of what the future holds,” he said.</p>