- A White House official said that after the Taliban took over Afghanistan, so far, the U.S. military has evacuated about 3,200 people.
- According to the White House, there are still 11,000 American nationals remaining in the country, including diplomats, contractors and others, most of whom are waiting to be evacuated.
- The White House stated that the Taliban had promised that civilians could go to Kabul Airport safely.
WASHINGTON-The White House said on Tuesday that the Taliban had promised that civilians can go to Kabul Airport safely because the U.S. military has stepped up airlifts to Americans and Afghans fleeing the Islamic organization.
A White House official said that so far, the U.S. military has evacuated about 3,200 people, of which 1,100 were on Tuesday alone — U.S. citizens, permanent residents and their families took 13 flights.
Earlier on Tuesday, the White House stated that there were still 11,000 American nationals remaining in the country, including diplomats, contractors and others, most of whom were waiting to be evacuated after the Taliban took over.
Washington hopes to complete the evacuation before the August 31 withdrawal deadline. Thousands of American soldiers are at the airport because the Pentagon plans to increase the number of flights of its huge C-17 transport aircraft to two dozen per day.
The White House official, who asked not to be named, provided the latest evacuation data on Tuesday. He said: “Now that we have confirmed the flow of people, we expect these numbers to escalate.”
‘Interaction without hostility’
U.S. officials said they are in contact with the Taliban commander to ensure that flight operations at Hamid Karzai International Airport are protected from attacks and to ensure the safe passage of citizens and Afghans seeking to leave.
Major General Hank Taylor said at the Pentagon: “We have not had hostile interactions, have not been attacked by the Taliban, or threatened.”
But State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday that the United States can decide to retain its core diplomatic presence, which is now operating outside the airport after the U.S. Embassy closed on August 31.
Price said: “If it is possible for us to stay longer safely, that is something we can consider.”
He also called on the Taliban to honor their commitment to respect the rights of citizens, including women.
Afghans who had obtained U.S. refugee visas were also airlifted, mainly because they had acted as translators for U.S. and NATO troops, other foreign nationals, and other unspecified Afghans “at risk”.
Taliban guarantee
Despite reports that people were harassed or even beaten as they tried to leave, the White House National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan stated that “a large number of people” have been able to reach the airport.
“The Taliban have informed us that they are ready to provide civilians with a safe passage to the airport, and we intend to let them comply with this promise,” he told reporters.
As Taliban insurgents entered Kabul after being siege by lightning across the country and seizing power, the U.S. Department of Defense has sent troops to the airport since Saturday to protect those who fled.
Taylor said the number of US troops will increase from 2,500 on Monday to about 4,000 later on Tuesday.
He said that the United States’ goal is to increase air transport to one plane per hour in order to transport 5,000 to 9,000 passengers per day.
Some other countries, including Germany and France, have also been able to pick up their nationals and Afghans who are eligible to travel to these countries.
Airport chaos
Taylor made a speech a day after the security check at the airport. The video showed hundreds of Afghans running next to C-17, some holding it tightly.
The video seems to show that after a plane took off, two people fell from the plane and died. Another person was later found dead in the wheel well.
US Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said they are investigating these incidents.
“Before the crew unloaded the cargo, the plane was surrounded by hundreds of Afghan civilians,” she said.
“Faced with the rapidly deteriorating security situation around the aircraft, the C-17 crew decided to leave the airport as soon as possible.”
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