View of the U.S. Embassy Kabul Thomson ReutersAccording to Bloomberg, US Embassy staff in Kabul were instructed to destroy documents as soon as the Taliban advance.Staff in Afghanistan's capital requested that any item bearing a US flag or logo be destroyed.This memo highlighted the graveness of the Taliban threat, as US officials claimed that the retreat was not an evacuation.Check out more stories from Insider's business page.According to Bloomberg, staff at Kabul's US Embassy were instructed to destroy sensitive material on Friday. This highlights fears that Taliban might soon take over the building in Afghanistan’s capital.According to the report, the American Embassy Facilities Manager sent a notice to American personnel asking that they destroy any items with US logos or flags.According to the memo, diplomats were instructed how they destroy materials. This included using shredders and burn bins for paper, incinerators of medical waste, compactors to crush large items and an electronic disintegrator.According to the Pentagon, 3,000 more US troops will be deployed to Kabul to help with American evacuation. This is in response to rapid gains made by the Taliban across Afghanistan. The Taliban have taken control of Afghan government posts and sent thousands fleeing to Kabul.Bloomberg reported that the memo from the embassy does not apply to ammunition or weapons. Bloomberg also quoted two officials from Biden's administration who stated that the destruction procedure is standard in situations where an outpost of the United States is being "scaled back."A State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the US's actions are not an evacuation during a briefing on Thursday."This isn't abandonment. This is not evacuation. He said that this is not a wholesale withdrawal. This is a decrease in our civilian footprint. This is a drawdown in civilian Americans, who will often be able perform their important functions anywhere in the world, including the United States.Business Insider has the original article.
