(The Daily Signal)—As a cannibalistic gang war rages through Haiti, President Joe Biden last week dispatched a Marine Corps special unit to protect the evacuation of nonemergency personnel as well as fellow Marines from the U.S. Embassy in the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
With that evacuation of the embassy in Haiti, the Biden administration has presided over more evacuations of U.S. embassies—a total of 11—than any other presidential administration in U.S. history.
Since Biden took office in January 2021, his State Department has partially or fully evacuated 11 U.S. embassies via what are known as authorized or ordered departure directives.
President Barack Obama presided over the second-most embassy evacuations of any administration with a total of eight over two terms (Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Central African Republic, and South Sudan), or about one a year. Donald Trump presided over three partial evacuations in his four years as president.
Authorized departure advisories consist of the State Department suggesting that diplomats, their families, and other Americans leave the country in question—often through special travel arrangements made by the department.
Ordered departures are directives from the State Department for all Americans and nonessential embassy staff to leave the country in question immediately.
Military protection was required to ensure that Americans were escorted safely in the evacuations of America’s embassies in Kabul, Afghanistan; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; and Khartoum, Sudan.
Here are some details:
Burma, 2021
On March 30, 2021, the State Department ordered its first embassy evacuation during the 2-month-old Biden administration.
The agency ordered the departure of “non-essential diplomatic personnel and all personnel family members” over two months after a military coup in Burma, also called Myanmar.
In the year following Biden’s threat to sanction the military junta there, a series of improvised explosive devices were detonated within a mile of the U.S. Embassy in the capital of Rangoon. No American casualties or injuries were reported.
Chad, 2021
In April 2021, the U.S. Embassy in Chad issued a statement that the “reported death of the Chadian president” likely would result in unrest, ordered staff to “shelter in place,” and predicted that no evacuation would be necessary.
The following November, however, the State Department ordered nonessential staff to leave Chad as rebel fighters approached the capital, N’Djamena.
Afghanistan, 2021
Biden’s July 8, 2021, announcement that the U.S. was going to suspend all military operations in Afghanistan was met with chaos inside the war-torn country.
The telegraphed U.S. evacuation gave antagonists, including the Taliban and other fundamentalist, radical Muslim groups, time to prepare a triumphant march through Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul.
Photos and videos from the U.S. Embassy evacuation in Kabul evoked painful memories of the botched 1975 evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon. Some Afghan civilians clung to the final planes’ landing equipment in a desperate move to escape the incoming Taliban.
Thirteen American service members died in a terrorist bombing outside the airport during the final evacuation Aug. 26, 2021, along with over 150 Afghan civilians.
Biden promised to retaliate for the terrorist attack, but did not.
Ethiopia, 2021
Threats from rebel forces in Ethiopia’s civil war, known as the Tigray War, led the State Department in November 2021 to create a special task force to evacuate “nonemergency government personnel” from the country and the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa.
The Ethiopian government criticized the State Department’s decision as “playing into rebel propaganda.”
Rebels didn’t enter Addis Ababa, and although a tenuous peace deal was signed a year later, the region remains in conflict.
Ukraine, 2022
On Feb. 12, 2022, the State Department issued “Do Not Travel” notifications to American citizens for Ukraine. It also closed the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on Feb. 14, evacuating most staff.
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The department relocated a small team to operate from Poland 10 days before Russia invaded Ukraine, when 30,000 Russian troops were conducting a staging drill on the Ukrainian/Belarusian border.
The U.S. Embassy reopened in Kyiv on May 18, 2022, after the Russian advance toward Ukraine’s capital stalled.
Belarus, 2022
Four days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, largely using Belarus’ border with Ukraine as a staging ground, the State Department ordered Americans to evacuate Belarus.
The State Department also closed the U.S. Embassy in Minsk on Feb. 28. It has not reopened.
Russia, 2022
On the same day as its Belarus announcement, the State Department issued an authorized departure for “non-emergency employees and family members” from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
American citizens also were encouraged to leave Russia “immediately” on commercial flights before airlines quit operating in Russian airspace.
Unlike the U.S. Embassy in Minsk, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow is still open and has issued warnings to the Russian government concerning threats of terrorism.
Nigeria, 2022
The State Department issued an ordered departure for nonemergency U.S. government employees and family members in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Oct. 27, 2022, citing an “elevated risk of terror attacks.”
In May 2023, “unknown attackers” fired on an American convoy, killing four, including two staffers at the U.S. consulate. The bodies were set on fire.
Two staffers from the U.S. mission to Nigeria also were kidnapped, but it appears that the State Department chose not to report the kidnappings to the media or the public.
According to State Department statements to CNN and the department’s official website, the two hostages weren’t mentioned until they were rescued two days later.
Sudan, 2023
Following an April 18, 2023, attack on an American convoy in Khartoum, Sudan, the situation at the U.S. Embassy there deteriorated rapidly.
The U.S. Defense Department deployed over 100 special operations forces to escort diplomatic staff and their families as well as the Marine Corps detachment assigned to guard the embassy.
Two Americans were killed in terrorist attacks in the Sudanese civil war before other Americans were evacuated successfully.
Niger, 2023
In August 2023, the State Department issued an ordered departure to “non-emergency U.S. government personnel” of the U.S. Embassy in Niamey, the capital of Niger.
The department coordinated evacuation of staff via military flights, since commercial flights were limited.
Although violent demonstrations had occurred for two years near the U.S. Embassy without sparking departure directives, violent attacks on the nearby French embassy and an attempted coup led the State Department to issue the ordered departure.
Haiti, 2024
In Biden’s last presidential campaign, he paid special attention to Haiti, promising in 2019 that he would “press for dialogue to prevent further violence and instability.”
Since the Biden administration began in January 2021, Haiti has fallen into further disarray as prison gangs broke out and laid waste to the Caribbean nation.
U.S. embassies elsewhere were evacuated only once during the Biden administration. But the State Department ordered the partial “authorized departure” or “ordered departure” evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince four times: in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The department issued an alert for embassy staff to “avoid demonstrations and any large gatherings of people” in early February.
With Haiti’s prime minister under U.S. protection in Puerto Rico, a gang leader and cannibal nicknamed Barbecue has taken leadership over the country. On March 10, nonessential U.S. Embassy staff were airlifted out by the Marine Corps in a nighttime operation.
Hundreds of Americans remain trapped in Haiti as the situation deteriorates further. But the Biden administration hasn’t mentioned Americans trapped on the island or announced any plans for their rescue. It has announced, however, that the U.S. will provide support for a U.N. mission based in Kenya.
The world stage doesn’t appear to be calming down anytime soon. Over 110 armed conflicts are in progress around the globe, and over 30 consist of civil wars and coups that flared up in the past four years.
Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow in the Border Security and Immigration Center of The Heritage Foundation, argues that many of these evacuations of U.S. embassies were stoked by “weakness and indecision.” (The Daily Signal is the news and commentary outlet of The Heritage Foundation.)
“World events are unpredictable, and no U.S. administration can be blamed for each and every wild-card coup in Africa or blowout in the Middle East,” Hankinson said, adding:
But the Biden administration has projected weakness and indecision from the beginning to both allies and enemies. From the botched Afghanistan pullout, which cost unnecessary American lives and left equipment and people in the lurch, to the current attempt to balance domestic political constituencies with heretofore bipartisan historical support of Israel, the pattern is one of hedging and hoping.
The Daily Signal sought comment from the White House. Although deputy press secretary Andrew Bates responded to the inquiry, he refused to answer any questions and referred The Daily Signal to the White House Office of Public Engagement.
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Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
