I don’t know about you, but I’m becoming increasingly concerned about the position of the United States in the world and about who, exactly, is in charge in Washington, DC.

In a meeting with the G7 leaders, those from Great Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Japan, and the U. S., President Biden communicated his intention to have the U. S. troop withdrawal completed by August 31, despite pleas from our allies to extend the mission as it has become obvious that more time will be needed to evacuate Western citizens and Afghan allies.

CIA chief William Burns has met with Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul, and Baradar told Burns that the Taliban would not tolerate the continued presence of U. S. troop at the Kabul airport after August 31. There is the concern that terrorist attacks on Westerners will expand with each day the U. S. troops remain in Kabul past August 31. At his virtual meeting with the G7 leaders, Biden told them the success of their withdrawal by August 31 depends on coordinating efforts with the Taliban, including access by Westerners and Afghan allies to the airport. But, the Taliban has surrounded the airport with checkpoints and has not been allowing people in to the airport. The U. S. embassy in Kabul issued a warning to U. S. citizens in the Afghanistan countryside not to travel to the airport because of security risks. “Because of security threats outside the gates of Kabul airport,” the embassy said, “we are advising U. S. citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a U. S. government representative to do so. … U. S. citizens who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate [of the airport] now should leave immediately.” So much for coordinating efforts with the Taliban!

So, now the United States, the strongest military power in the world, is taking orders from a terrorist group of Islamic extremist intent on destroying any progress made in human and political rights in Afghanistan over the last twenty years. Biden, our president, claims that the success of our withdrawal from Afghanistan depends on coordinating efforts with this terrorist group — a group that is refusing access to the airport for Westerners and Afghan allies and has been actively hunting down and executing Afghans who worked with the U. S. As well, the president of the strongest military power in the world refuses to extend its mission in Afghanistan because this terrorist group of Islamic extremist will not accept it.

Why is Biden pretending to coordinate efforts toward the withdrawal with the Taliban when its clear the Taliban have no intent on allowing anyone into the Kabul airport, and is actively executing those Afghans who worked with the U. S.?

Why is Biden allowing the Taliban to call the shots on when the U. S. troops withdraw from Afghanistan and if the U. S. will be able to evacuate American citizens and Afghan allies? Americans and our allies are trapped in Afghanistan, and Biden seems to have no concern about getting them out because he doesn’t want to upset the Taliban. Is this real?

After a meeting on cybersecurity at the White House, Biden refused to accept questions about Afghanistan from reporters. Except it appeared that he was going to address a question from Peter Alexander from NBC. Alexander asked Biden, “If Americans are still in Afghanistan after the deadline what will you do?” Biden turned to Alexander and seemed about to answer the question when the mic went dead. The audio had been turned off. Get this: the microphone sitting in front of the president of the United States was shut off as he was about to answer a reporter’s question, so no one could hear what he said. Now, some at the White House will try to claim that this was unintentional, that the president had finished his remarks, so there was no need to keep the audio on. But, come on! This is the president of the United States we’re talking about, not some low level government official reading off an official text written by his superiors. (Or, then again, maybe it was!) This isn’t the first time the audio has been cut when Biden was about to take a question. Who, exactly, is in charge at the White House? Biden has already made it known that his staff chooses which reporters he’ll take questions from during his infrequent press conferences. It has already known that his staff doesn’t want him speaking or taking questions off the cuff. After each of the few updates he’s given on the situation in Afghanistan, he’s walked away from the podium, refusing to take questions. If Biden can’t even get a word in edgewise off the cuff with a reporter from an established network, who is making decisions about how the White House is controlling the narrative about Afghanistan and other issues?

Alexander said he heard Biden’s answer to his question. According to Alexander, Biden said, “You’ll be the first person I call.” That’s a rather flippant answer to a serious question regarding a situation where American lives are in danger.

Someone needs to step up to the plate and make this better. We cannot have American civilians trapped in a hostile nation led by a terrorist government because our president is unwilling, unable or incompetent to handle the situation. Prayers are needed, of course. But, so is action. Someone in our government who is in a position to do something, if only to put pressure on the president to do the right thing, needs to step up and get it done.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.