ToplineOfficials announced Thursday that the U.S. State Department will be removing many of its staff from Kabul's capital city. The Pentagon will also send military personnel to assist with the departure. This comes amid concerns that the Taliban could seize control of Kabul in the coming months.John Kirby, spokesperson for the Pentagon, speaks at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday. ASSOCIATED PRNSThe Key FactsAccording to Ned Price, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul will reduce its civilian staff from a core diplomatic presence to within the next few weeks as Taliban fighters gain control over large swathes of Afghanistan. The U.S. Marine Corps will send about 3000 additional troops to Kabul's airport in the next 2 days to assist embassy staff leaving. This is despite the fact that the Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby did not give a precise number to Forbes. However, the Wall Street Journal reported that thousands of U.S. personnel are expected to leave Kabul which currently houses about 5,000 U.S. soldiers and civilian staffers. Price maintained that the embassy would remain open. Kirby stated that the Pentagon will send approximately 1,000 troops to Qatar to handle Afghan visa applications.TangentCNN reported that the United States may consider moving its embassy, which is located in Kabul's affluent neighborhood, to Hamid Karzai International Airport. This will make it easier for staff to evacuate. Price declined to comment on whether or not the embassy would be relocated.Important BackgroundAs Afghan security forces fail in their efforts to stop insurgents, the Taliban has quickly swept through Afghanistan. The U.S. military is preparing to withdraw all troops by August 31st. The Taliban now control capital cities in 11 out of 34 Afghan provinces. On Thursday, the Taliban also captured a third-largest city and a regional center located less than 100 miles away from Kabul. According to U.S. intelligence officials, the Taliban could take control of Kabul within 90 days and isolate Kabul in 60.Important QuotePrice expressed grave concern about the increased pace of Taliban military engagement and the resulting instability and violence across Afghanistan.
