Written by: William Heckman
Today, the Pentagon announced that evacuations out of Kabul after August 31st would require “additional conversations” with the Taliban to ensure that American citizens and Afghan allies could safely leave the country.
To complicate matters, even more, the Pentagon announced that any extension for evacuations would need approval from the Taliban, according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. Kirby reiterated the administration’s goal of completing evacuations by August 31st by stating: “We are focused on doing everything we can inside that deadline to move as many people out as possible.”
Despite this statement from the Pentagon, the U.S Embassy in Kabul warned the U.S government that they could not ensure safe passage. Contradicting U.S Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who formerly stated that the United States would evacuate everyone “until the clock runs out.” A statement many perceived as abandoning Americans in Afghanistan.
The United States reportedly had a deal with the Taliban to allow people to reach the airport for flights. Still, there have been reports that the Taliban have been harassing and attacking people, which the Pentagon confirmed. Social media posts have documented some of the dangers many Afghans have faced in their attempts to flee the country, such as attempting to get through barbed wire and grasping onto plane wheels.
Picture From: Hindustan Times
