Tajikistan has summoned the US ambassador over the offensive remarks President Joe Biden made about Tajik people during his visit to Pennsylvania.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Central Asian country took offense to a jibe Biden used to deflect criticism from his handling of the chaotic US withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

In a statement, Tajikistan\u2019s foreign affairs ministry said Ambassador John Mark Pommersheim was summoned and \u201ca verbal note of protest was conveyed” to him “in connection with the statements by the President.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe verbal note stated that such statements do not correspond to the spirit of friendly relations and partnership,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n

During his visit to Pennsylvania at the 20th anniversary of Sep.11, Biden, who was trying to defend the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, said people in Tajikistan would also be \u201changing in the well of the wheel\u201d if the US pulled up a C-130 Hercules aircraft from the country.
\nHe was referring to a tragic incident that occurred at the Kabul international airport in the early days of the evacuation operation when Afghans seeking to flee the country tried to climb aboard a cargo jet as it rolled down the runway.<\/p>\n

The desperate scene was caught on video that showed two people falling to their deaths from the aircraft’s landing gear to the city below, well after takeoff.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeventy percent of the American people think it was time to get out of Afghanistan … But the flip of it is, they didn\u2019t like the way we got out,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s hard to explain to anybody how else could you get out. For example, if we were in Tajikistan, and we pulled up with a C-130 and said, \u2018We\u2019re going to let, you know, anybody who was involved with being sympathetic to us to get on the plane,\u2019 you\u2019d have people hanging in the wheel well. Come on,\u201d the president said.<\/p>\n

Read More:\u00a0 Donors pledge $1.1 billion in aid for Afghanistan amid looming catastrophe<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 as part of the so-called war on terror. While the invasion ended the Taliban\u2019s rule in the country back then, it is now ended with the return of the group to power
\nThe unfolding situation in Afghanistan raised concern over security threats against Tajikistan.<\/p>\n

Russia, an ally to Tajikistan, said previously that Washington\u2019s chaotic, hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan had aggravated stability in the Central Asia region.<\/p>\n

Last week, the Russian defense ministry said it sent armored vehicles and military equipment to its military base in Tajikistan amid \u201cgrowing instability\u201d near the southern border.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tajikistan has summoned the US ambassador over the offensive remarks President Joe Biden made about Tajik people during his visit to Pennsylvania. The Central Asian country took offense to a jibe Biden used to deflect criticism from his handling of the chaotic US withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan. In a statement, Tajikistan\u2019s foreign affairs ministry said<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":6242,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[459,3105,35,1076,273,1156,223],"class_list":["post-6241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","tag-american","tag-central-asia","tag-nigeria21","tag-president-joe-biden","tag-russia","tag-tajikistan","tag-united-states"],"yoast_head":"\n