Thread by @JJSchroden

Comments on #Afghanistan from today's presser w/@PentagonPresSec in this THREAD. 1/n

defense.gov/Newsroom/Trans…

@PentagonPresSec MR. KIRBY: @SecDef & the Chairman were proud & delighted to greet GEN Miller earlier this morning when he arrived at Andrews Air Force Base. I think you saw some of the coverage of that. & the Secretary, I think, will have a little something more out today... 2/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef ...but @SecDef deeply appreciates GEN Miller's leadership, not only over the last three years in #Afghanistan but over the long course of his career. Certainly there's very few military officers who have as much experience as he does in AFG over the last 20 years &... 3/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef ...of course his exceptional record of success over the course of the continuing drawdown. Again, that we've been able to get as much of this drawdown complete with no one hurt is a real testament to GEN Miller's leadership & to his staff's acumen in terms of how to manage... 4/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef ...a very complex process. Again, that drawdown continues, but thus far, extraordinarily successful. & I think one of the things that @SecDef really admires about GEN Miller is that he understood that speed was critical to a successful retrograde & moving out as quickly... 5/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef ...as possible, & he did that. So again, it was a great morning for @SecDef & I know the Chairman enjoyed going out there, as well.

Staying on #Afghanistan, I think as you heard earlier, this afternoon, at @POTUS's direction, the US will begin relocation flights for... 6/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...the first group of eligible & interested Afghan nationals & their families who have supported the US & our partners & who are in the Special Immigrant Visa pipeline, & we'll begin those relocation flights by the end of this month. The dept's role in Op Allies Refuge... 7/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...will continue to be one of providing options & support to the interagency effort that's being led by the State Dept. To date, we have identified overseas locations & we're still examining possibilities for overseas locations, to include some departmental installations... 8/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...that would be capable of supporting planned relocation efforts with appropriate temporary residences & associated support infrastructure. We have not been asked at this date to provide military transportation. As we've said before, the locus of our efforts right now... 9/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...is in helping identify possible locations. Moving forward, we will remain in close coordination with our interagency partners & we will assign a small number of military & civilian liaison officers to the State Dept to help ensure streamlined coordination on this... 10/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...important endeavor. This, of course, comes in addition to & as part & parcel of our own departmental internal action group who will continue to pursue & analyze & provide options to the broader state-led effort. In sum, DOD remains eager & committed to doing all that... 11/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...we can to support collective US government efforts to help those who have helped us for so long.

Q: I think you said that some overseas locations have been identified, meaning you've decided on some locations?

MR. KIRBY: We have identified some as potential candidates...12/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...We have not made final decisions on them. & I would remind, that some of these locations are not US installations & therefore would require -- if they're in foreign countries, require those host nations to agree. & so we're just not at that final stage yet. 13/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS Q: OK. You mentioned briefly yesterday, I believe, a possibility of continental US military installations being used. Has that been considered?

MR. KIRBY: I would say we're looking at all options. All options are being considered & that would include the potential for... 14/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...short term use of CONUS base US installations, but no final decisions made right now.

Q: Is there an advantage to having them in the US as opposed to overseas?

MR. KIRBY: I think that we're trying to provide as many options to the State Dept-led effort as we can... 15/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...It's one of the things we do and so we are looking at potential options there but no final decisions have been made & the State Dept is in the lead. 16/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS Q: (Inaudible) providing any names to state of Afghan interpreters who maybe aren't in the SIV program but are on the books somewhere as having been... 17/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS MR. KIRBY: I would really rather not get into the details of the data collection. But one of the things that are action group is going to be doing is helping with the information data pool of who we know & we can certify that we work with over the last 20 years... 18/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...And it doesn't have to be just bounded by translators and interpreters.

Q: And is there any talk of uniformed personnel going to #Afghanistan to help with the security part of all of this?

MR. KIRBY: Of the relocation of these individuals? Not at this time, no. 19/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS Q: So #Taliban continues to make gains in #Afghanistan. And you've been very clear from the podium that the Afghan forces have the capabilities, they have the technology and they need the will to take the fight to the Taliban... 20/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS However, on the ground with whatever has remained inside of #Afghanistan, are you engaged with the govt, with the Afghan forces on potential ways to reverse these gains? Can you share something with us on that front? 21/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS I mean, apart from just saying that you should be able to take the fight to the #Taliban, are you discussing any ideas?

MR. KIRBY: I don't think we put in those stark terms. You know, they should just take the fight to the #Taliban. What we've said is... 22/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...they have the advantage. They have numerous advantages & I don't want to detail them all again, I've done that. & it's really going to come down to their ability & their willingness to use those advantages to their benefit. We have the authorities to provide support... 23/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...to the Afghan forces when feasible. & I'm not going to speak with great specificity about what that's going to look like or in what scenarios we won't. But they have the advantages. They have better capabilities than the #Taliban in the air & on the ground... 24/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...& they are certainly going to continue to have American support financially, logistically & through assistance in maintenance. & it really is going to come down to an internal leadership decision there, politically & militarily, to take advantage of those gains &... 25/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...those benefits that they have. But I'm not going to get into a specific back and forth of what's going on on the ground.

Q: If I could just follow-up on my colleague's question about the interpreters & the role that the dept will play in helping to determine who leaves...26/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...& I get that this is a White House/State Dept deal. But as you know, there are folks that have been in the paperwork pipeline for years & years, especially those who are out with infantry & don't necessarily have the best paperwork trails -- employment & so forth... 27/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...will the department be playing a role in actually identifying those -- especially those who might be lost in the paperwork shuffle -- for evacuation? How much will you play a role in the prioritization, as it were?

MR. KIRBY: One of the purposes that the action group... 28/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...is going to take on, the one that @SecDef stood up here in the dept, is to help the State Dept identify those who maybe aren't in the program & should be in the program. There's a data collection piece of this. But there's already thousands that are in the process... 29/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...Some are farther along than others. & as my colleague at the White House said today, the focus is really on that first group -- as we've talked about in this briefing room, the first group that is really the farthest along & working to get them relocated. But yes, we... 30/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...will do what we can to help the State Dept in terms of the identification of those who should be validly considered as part of the SIV process.

Q: Is there any clarity on what happens to applicants who are removed from #Afghanistan or pulled out of the country... 31/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...& then their application is rejected? Are they sent back to #Afghanistan somehow?

MR. KIRBY: That's a better question for my State Department colleagues. I don't -- I'm not an expert on how the process works. 32/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS Q: I've been contacted by a number of Afghan interpreters who for various reasons are not eligible for a visa. One was disqualified because his supervisor didn't put the date on the form & that was 2014. Is there any point of contact at DOD that I can refer these people... 33/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...to so they can see if they can get help?

MR. KIRBY: I would refer them to the US Dept of State, in particular our embassy in Kabul, which takes care of consular issues. That's the best & most appropriate place for you to refer them to. 34/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS Q: Thank you. Someone showed me a response from the embassy & they said there is no fast track for any type of visa, which is why I ask again, considering these people work for the US military, is there anyone at DoD who might be able to help them? 35/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS MR. KIRBY: The most appropriate place for them to contact is the State Dept. 36/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS Q: I wanted to also follow up on the SIVs. Number one, how are these people going to get to Kabul? & will the US military be helping them in any way? & then secondly, will the SIVs that go to a CONUS installation have to go through the normal asylum process? 37/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS MR. KIRBY: Number 1, as I said we have not been asked for any military support in transportation of these individuals. & for op security purposes, I think I need to leave it at that. The State Dept is in the lead for the initial relocation here of these individuals... 38/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...Our role right now is to help identify possible locations for their temporary residence while they complete the process. & your second question, I'd refer you to my colleagues at the State Dept to speak about the asylum process, that's not something that we do here at DOD.39/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS Q: Has any location for the SIVs actually been finalized? It sounds like everything on the list so far is a possibility? So I'm wondering if there is indeed at least one location that these people can definitely go to? 40/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS MR. KIRBY: (Inaudible) have any announcements on specific locations at this time. Obviously when those decisions are made and we can talk about them, we certainly will. But I don't have anything to say about it today. 41/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS Q: We've heard a lot about why details aren't being shared because of operational security. Wondering what role is the Pentagon playing in helping to make sure that those who are enrolled in the program are safe while they're in #Afghanistan? 42/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS & does the Pentagon have any indications that the #Taliban are looking to attack Afghans who are being evacuated by the US & whether or not you're willing to talk about that? What would you say to any #Taliban commanders who might be contemplating launching attacks... 43/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...against Afghans who are going to be evacuated through the SIV program?

MR. KIRBY: I would say that the reason why we're being careful about the info we're putting out is because just like we've been careful about the information regarding the US drawdown... 44/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...we don't want to see anybody get hurt. This is a true interagency effort, it's not just DoD, and it's a State Dept led effort inside the interagency to help get those who are interested & eligible in the SIV process, & want to leave #Afghanistan, to leave safely... 45/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...& I won't get into details about how we're going to execute that process, for the same reason why we wouldn't get into much detail about how the retrograde is progressing in terms of locations, & times, & force protection measures. That's just something I don't think... 46/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...would be useful at all. As for your last questions about the #Taliban. The TB have said publicly that they want to return to the table, that they want to contribute to a political process, & a peaceful solution here. & so, what's important is we see them act on that... 47/n

@PentagonPresSec @SecDef @POTUS ...that's what we want to see them act on. Now, unfortunately in places around the country that's not what we're seeing them act on. They've said they want to make that commitment, we'd like to see them follow through on that commitment. END. 48/48