Afghans gathered on a roadside, near the military section of Kabul's airport. WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty
The Kabul staff of the US Embassy are losing faith in a rescue plan.
According to a cable from the State Department, obtained by NBC News
According to reports, a staffer said that it was better to die under the Taliban bullet than to return to chaos at Kabul's airport.
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According to a cable obtained by NBC News from the State Department on Saturday, Afghans working at the US Embassy Kabul are losing any hope of being evacuated after the fall of the Taliban.
For the past week, scenes of chaos have been visible outside Hamid Karzai International airport in Kabul as Americans and others who were working with Western countries attempt to board evacuation flights from the country. They fear retribution by the Taliban.
Some former employees of the US Embassy in Kabul are among those trying desperately to get through the Taliban guards to get into the airport. They claim their experiences have left them feeling "deeply diseartened", betrayed by the US and finally, they feel resigned to their deaths, according to the cable.
According to NBC News, some staff members were separated from their children and others were hurt so badly by the crowd that they needed to be admitted to the hospital. Others may have succumbed to heat exhaustion.
One staff member said in the cable that "it would be better to live under the Taliban's bullet" rather than facing the crowds again.
According to the cable, another said they were happy to die here but with dignity and pride.
Joe Biden, President, promised that every American would be expelled from the country on Friday, even if that meant staying in Afghanistan beyond the August 31 withdrawal date.
However, Taliban sources said to Reuters Monday that they wouldn't extend the deadline of August 31 for Western forces. The group's spokesman also warned of "consequences," if the deadline is extended.
It is also not clear if Biden's promise applies to US visa holders or other vulnerable Afghans.
Continue the story
Insider reached out to the State Department spokesperson on Monday for comment. He said that they knew of difficulties for local embassy staff getting to the airport for evacuation flights.
"As we've seen, the situation at the airport has become chaotic. We are doing everything we can to help those who are eligible for flights. Because of their commitment to building a better future for Afghans, our local staff and their families have experienced hardship, pain, loss, and even death. "We have a special obligation to them because of that," the statement stated.
A spokesperson stated that John R. Bass, the former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, was in Kabul recently to improve the airlift. However, they did not say much about the steps taken by the department to assist local staff to get to the airport.
Business Insider has the original article.
