As mass evacuations continue from Kabul’s major international airport, the US State Department has declared that it cannot guarantee safe passage for those wanting to flee
The former captain of the Afghan women’s football team has urged players to delete their social media accounts and burn their kits in order to remain safe.
The captain made calls to the team to remove any trace of themselves for their safety
US President Joe Biden has just appeared on an exclusive interview with ABC, pressed by George Stephanopoulos on whether America’s exit could have been better executed.
"That was four… five days ago…we have to gain control of this" @POTUS speaking on the image of hundreds of people packed on a cargo plane evacuating out of Kabul #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/EzOoi8VrNh
— ticker NEWS (@tickerNEWSco) August 18, 2021
Cheddar’s Political Director Megan Pratz says Biden is standing firm on his decision, but this isn’t a good look for his Presidency or his legacy.
"Right now it looks incredibly bad for him, this is a very big black mark on what has been a short presidency" Political Director @cheddar @meganpratz on U.S President Joe Biden's firm decision #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/VtOaIc9uO2
— ticker NEWS (@tickerNEWSco) August 18, 2021
Now, this all follows two press conferences that have also recently taken place in the US – one by the State Department and the other by the Pentagon.
This admission completely contradicts the advice and opinions of the Pentagon, with Pentagon officials saying the Taliban is continuing to allow “safe passage”.
In a security alert, the US Embassy in Kabul said:
“THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT CANNOT ENSURE SAFE PASSAGE TO THE HAMID KARZAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT”
The State Department has since confirmed that it is liaising with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar… whilst military personnel are “engaging directly with the Taliban to make clear that the U-S expects all American citizens, all third-country nationals and all Afghans who wish to leave to do so safely and without harassment.”
Meanwhile, during the State Department’s press briefing, the Pentagon assured the public that the Taliban is not in any way interfering with evacuation efforts
This comes as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff admits that the collapse of Afghanistan in just 11 days completely blindsided authorities.
"We have to focus on this mission, because we have soldiers at risk" Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/F8X91LUVf8
— ticker NEWS (@tickerNEWSco) August 18, 2021
In this same briefing, Defence Secretary Lllyod Austin outlined his three main concerns regarding the situation on the ground when it comes to bringing U-S residents and their allies home.
Firstly, it’s the safety and security of Americans and “the people officials are trying to evacuate”.
Austin says there are currently 4,500 troops on the ground who are ready and equipped “to defend themselves and their operations”.
"We are going to get everyone we can possibly evacuate…until the clock runs out or we run out of capability" US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/m3gPMvaAf4
— ticker NEWS (@tickerNEWSco) August 18, 2021
Secondly, US troops are working tirelessly to ensure Kabul’s main airport remains open for secure and safe passage.
Finally, the Department wants to ramp up evacuation efforts over the coming days “increasing the flow of aircraft and people out of Kabul”.
Around 5,000 people have already been evacuated from Afghanistan since the evacuation efforts began… with the U-S military planning to “increase” this number significantly.
Defence Secretary Austin says the US has an obligation to help those who helped his country.
At the same press briefing, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley saying that American troops are engaged in a risky operation… and they need to remain the nation’s priority.
Whilst security at Kabul’s airport is currently stable… Milley says there are still real threats and personnel are continuing to monitor these…
