The Biden administration is under fire for a “pattern” of leaving Americans behind as private security groups once again step in to rescue U.S. citizens stranded abroad, this time in Sudan.
Project Dynamo co-founder Bryan Stern, Shadow Warriors Project founder Mark Geist and Mighty Oaks Foundation founder Chad Robichaux slammed the White House Friday as private contractors risk their lives to rescue Americans not evacuated by the State Department.
“Project Dynamo has operated in the last 18 months where the U.S. embassy is closed and left Americans behind,” Stern told “Fox & Friends” Friday. “First Afghanistan, then Ukraine, now here. So this pattern or tactic just sends such a terrible message not just to our people, but to the world, to say nothing of the fact of there are Americans stuck in a war zone in very terrible circumstances and they don’t need to be there.”
SECOND AMERICAN DEAD IN SUDAN, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOX JOHN KIRBY CONFIRMS
Jordanians evacuated from Sudan arrive at a military airport in Amman, Jordan, Monday, April 24, 2023. Warring factions trying to seize control of the east African nation of Sudan have plunged the country into chaos, and thousands are fleeing the capital of Khartoum and nearby battle zones. Some countries, including the U.S., have shuttered their embassies and many are coordinating daring evacuations of their staffs and other residents in an array of convoys, flights and frantic getaway drives. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)
After extracting U.S. diplomatic staff from Sudan, the State Department issued a security alert Tuesday that “due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safe to undertake a U.S. government-coordinated evacuation of private U.S. citizens.”
Instead, it advised the estimated 16,000 Americans believed to be in Sudan to remain sheltered in place.
Stern, who is on the ground in Sudan assisting in evacuations, described a “war zone” of gunfire and active fighting in the streets. At least two Americans have been killed in recent weeks as violent paramilitary groups war in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.
Geist, a member of the Annex Security Team that fought the Battle of Benghazi, called out the Biden administration for downplaying the crisis and deflecting responsibility.
“Instead of calling them Americans, are calling them dual citizens, which I think is trying to downplay the importance,” Geist said. “We have people who are legal voters that are trapped and left behind in a country that’s war-torn. And the administration doesn’t want to do anything about getting that done or providing any help.”
“We have an administration that is just not willing to use that power and influence that we could have to protect our American citizens abroad.”
Robichaux, a U.S. Marine veteran and former Department of Defense contractor with eight deployments to Afghanistan, said the White House is repeating its botched withdrawal from Kabul in 2021.
“U.S. Special Operations forces successfully evacuated our embassy, but they took out fewer than 100 U.S. personnel. And this is like a playbook straight out of what we saw in Afghanistan,” Robichaux told “Fox & Friends” Friday. “We’ve abandoned Americans, again.”
While the U.S. says it’s too dangerous to get its citizens out, other countries are proceeding with evacuations of their nationals including France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Holland, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Jordan, South Africa, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
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Stern argued if the administration “can’t or won’t” do the job themselves, they should support organizations like his helping Americans get to safety.
“Certainly there’s a better option than ‘I hope it works out,’” Stern said. “If Project Dynamo can do these operations, certainly other groups can, too. Certainly the U.S. government can, too.”
“Something’s got to give.”
Fox News’ Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.