(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) National Security spokesperson John Kirby sounded uncertain when asked Sunday whether the Biden-Harris administration has a plan to evacuate Americans from Lebanon if the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel escalates.
During an interview on ABC News’s This Week with host Martha Raddatz, Kirby was asked about the escalating conflict between Hezbollah, a foreign terrorist organization, and Israel.
Raddatz asked, “If the situation does escalate, and we certainly hope it does not, are you absolutely certain we are prepared to get Americans out of Lebanon or even Israel?” She then reminded Kirby of the deadly chaos during the Afghanistan withdrawal.
In response, Kirby dodged the question, vaguely referring to “contingency plans for evacuations in just about every corner of the world.”
Kirby added that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is working to ensure the U.S. has the capability for a potential evacuation scenario.
“We are working our way through that,” Kirby claimed. “I would add that right now the State Department does not feel the need for that, that there are still commercial operations, commercial air… that is getting out of Beirut and are still available to those Americans that want to leave.”
Kirby then issued a warning to Americans in Lebanon: “If you are in Lebanon, and you want to go, go now while these options are available to you.”
Tensions in the region are at an all-time high after the Israeli military killed Hezbollah’s long-time leader and co-founder, Hassan Nasrallah, in airstrikes on Saturday.
Hezbollah is a designated foreign terrorist organization based in Lebanon, a country north of Israel—and has the backing of the Iranian government and Hamas.
