For over a week now, American citizens have been stuck at an airport in Afghanistan, unable to board and depart on chartered flights out of the country. RedState has reported extensively on the ongoing crisis.

In response, we’ve seen the State Department attempt to shift blame, at times acting as if they are bystanders with no obligation or responsibility at all to help bring an end to the current standoff. What the Taliban want in order to allow the flights to leave isn’t known yet, but it’s obvious they are looking for some kind of concession, monetary or otherwise.

For their part, the media have largely blacked out the story. A Newsweek editor did a report on the issue, but he did so in order to argue that people being held against their will by terrorists aren’t actually hostages. You know, because admitting that would make Joe Biden look bad.

But now, the State Department seems to finally be admitting we’ve got a serious situation on our hands. It’s not just a matter of paperwork as formerly described. Rather, the Taliban are holding the flights of their own accord.

Biden Secretary of State Antony Blinken: “The Taliban are not permitting the charter flights to depart.”

These flights include American citizens. pic.twitter.com/HbJVMAsFHt

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 8, 2021

When a terrorist group is refusing to let charter planes with Americans on them leave while they negotiate with the US government, I’m pretty sure we can safely call that a hostage crisis at this point. That it took the State Department this long to even truly acknowledge the situation is a travesty. But what should we expect from a guy who said this prior to the rise of ISIS?

America's Tony #Blinken – "the sky did not fall diplomacy"

Keep in mind that after this, "ISIS took over nearly half the country, and the United States had to go back to war."https://t.co/ibGPDHRuX8 pic.twitter.com/azoChs8izp

— Heather Champion (@winningatmylife) August 23, 2021

The question is what happens next? The US government has essentially no leverage. They can’t threaten economic sanctions as China has already buddied up to the Taliban, including possibly taking over Bagram Air Base. We certainly aren’t going to do anything militarily as Joe Biden signaled we are a paper tiger with his premature pullout while Americans were still stranded.

That leaves only paying a ransom, and that’s no doubt what’s being negotiated right now, whether it comes via cash payment or as part of some “economic development” giveaway to the Taliban government down the road. You, the taxpayer, get to pay money to terrorists to rescue American hostages that never should have been left behind in the first place.

This country continues to put the dumbest, least impressive people into high positions of power. That includes Joe Biden, but it also includes perpetual mediocrities like Antony Blinken. This is a guy who couldn’t negotiate or manage his way out of a wet paper bag. Yet, he’s largely in charge of US foreign policy. How’s that going? I think it’s safe to say it’s not going well.