- After the United States withdrew and the Taliban took over, thousands of people were eager to flee Afghanistan, and they still gathered at the Kabul airport.
- According to a NATO official, more than 18,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul since the Taliban took over the capital.
- As images of chaos and despair spread around the world, criticisms of NATO and other Western powers have increased.
Kabul-A NATO official said on Friday that more than 18,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul since the Taliban took over the Afghan capital. NATO officials promised to double their withdrawal as criticism of the West’s handling of the crisis has increased.
Officials who did not want to be named told Reuters that although the Taliban had urged people without legal travel documents to return home, thousands of people had fled the country desperately, still crowding the airport.
As the United States and other foreign troops complete their withdrawal, the speed of the Taliban’s conquest of Afghanistan surprised even their own leaders and left a power vacuum in many places.
The Taliban urged unity before their Friday prayers. This is their first prayer since they took power, calling on imams to persuade people not to leave Afghanistan amidst reports of chaos, protests and violence at the airport.
A witness told Reuters that in the eastern city of Asadabad on Thursday, when Taliban militants opened fire on a group of people demonstrating their allegiance to the conquered Republic of Afghanistan, several people were killed because the Taliban set out. Create an emirate governed by strict Islamic laws.
Two other cities in the east, Jalalabad and Khost, also showed similar contempt, as Afghans used the celebration of the country’s independence from British control in 1919 to vent their anger at the Taliban’s takeover.
Another witness reported that there was a shooting near a rally in Kabul, but it appeared that the Taliban shot into the air.
A Taliban spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment.
Criticism of NATO and the West is increasing
NATO and Taliban officials said Kabul was basically calm, with 12 people killed since Sunday, except inside and outside the airport.
White House National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan said in an interview with NBC News that the United States “focused on” the possibility of terrorist attacks by organizations such as the Islamic State (ISIS) during the evacuation.
As images of chaos and despair spread around the world, criticisms of NATO and other Western powers have increased.
In a scene filmed on social media, a little girl was hung over an airport wall and handed over to an American soldier.
US President Joe Biden will talk about the evacuation at 13:00 (17:00 GMT) on Friday. He has faced a lot of criticism for handling the withdrawal negotiated by the previous US government.
British media reported that its spy chief may face interrogation due to intelligence errors. As the Afghan crisis broke out, several British officials were still on vacation, and Foreign Minister Dominique Raab was severely criticized for his initial response to the ongoing crisis.
The governments of Germany and Australia are also facing calls for more action and accelerated evacuation of citizens and vulnerable Afghans.
On Thursday, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries called on the international community to adopt a unified response to prevent the crisis from worsening. Russia and other countries agreed.
China stated that the world should support rather than pressure Afghanistan.
Fear of revenge
A Taliban spokesperson told Chinese official media that China has played a constructive role in promoting peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and welcomes China’s contribution to the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Since the capture of Kabul on Sunday, the Taliban have shown a more moderate face, saying they want peace, will not retaliate against old enemies, and will respect women’s rights within the framework of Islamic law.
A Taliban official said that as the Taliban worked hard to form a government, including talks with former President Hamid Karzai, they discovered new problems, including hundreds of government officials who did not receive wages for two months.
The official said:
It is too early to say how this problem will be resolved, but this is an urgent challenge.
A Norwegian intelligence organization said in a report that the Taliban had begun to round up Afghans on a blacklist of people related to the previous government or the US-led forces that supported it. Complaints by some Afghan journalists cast doubt on the guarantee of allowing independent media.
Amnesty International stated that an investigation found that the Taliban killed nine Hazara men after taking control of Ghazni Province last month. Hazaras from the Shiite minority.
A Taliban spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment on these reports.
An American congressman stated that the Taliban are using documents from Afghan intelligence agencies to identify Afghans working for the United States.
“They are stepping up their efforts in an orderly manner to surround these people,” said Rep. Jason Crow, who has been leading efforts in the U.S. Congress to accelerate the evacuation of Afghans associated with the United States.
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