During an event in Washington DC with the governors of Western States and members of his Cabinet, Joe Biden addresses the audience. Getty Images
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden will likely keep the timeline he set previously for the complete U.S troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, as the military accelerates a massive humanitarian airlift from that country. Multiple senior administration officials told NBC News. According to White House officials speaking on condition of anonymity they said that the president could extend the mission beyond August 31 for a variety of reasons, including "if the Taliban cease cooperating" with U.S. evacuation efforts. Biden will deliver remarks Tuesday night. This comes on the heels of a G-7 emergency meeting in which leaders from seven of the major industrialized democracies of the world were expected to push the U.S. president for an extension of its Aug. 31 departure date. The group made a joint statement after the virtual meeting to express concern over the degrading security situation in Afghanistan. "The Afghan people have the right to live in dignity, security and peace, as a result of their achievements in politics, economics, and social in recent decades, especially for women and children. The leaders stated that Afghanistan should not be considered a safe haven for terrorists or a target of terrorist attacks on other people. "Our immediate priority will be to ensure safe evacuation of our citizens as well as those Afghans who have supported our efforts over twenty years. We also want to continue safe passage out. The statement said that we will continue to coordinate on this and expect all parties to facilitate it.
A Marine from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit walks alongside the children during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, August 24, 20, 2121. Sgt. Samuel Ruiz | U.S. Marine Corps | via Reuters
Tuesday's statement by the Taliban stated that they will not allow Afghan nationals leave Afghanistan and will not accept extensions beyond the end month. Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesperson, said that the group is against Afghans leaving. He stated that "They [the Americans] have an opportunity, they have all of the resources, and they can take all of the people that belonged to them, but we won't allow Afghans to flee and we will not extend this deadline." Mujahid stated that any foreign force attempting to evacuate Afghanistan after August 31 would violate a Biden administration promise not to end the U.S. military mission in the country. Biden previously stated that he might consider prolonging the departure date beyond Aug. 31, but has not yet done so.
On Tuesday, John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesperson, stated that the mission's timeline has not changed. Kirby stated that the United States is committed to removing all Americans who want to go. "We believe we can increase the flow and capacity, and that we believe that we have enough capability and the ability to do that by the end the month." Kirby was asked about Taliban public statements against a prolonged U.S. military operation in Afghanistan. Kirby replied, "The Taliban have very clearly been about what they expect." During a Monday press conference, Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, stated that the administration believes it can complete its evacuation efforts by mid-October. Sullivan stated that the administration is currently engaging with the Taliban and consulting with them on all aspects of what's going on in Kabul. He added that "Ultimately, it will all be up to the president how this proceeds. No one else's."
A U.S. Marine offers assistance during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan, August 22, 2021. US Marines | Reuters
Biden's party is under pressure to extend the deadline. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. House Intelligence Committee Chairman, stated Monday that after receiving classified briefings with intelligence officials, it was "very unlikely” that the U.S. could evacuate all Americans, applicants for special immigrant visas, and at-risk Afghans within the Aug. 31 deadline. Schiff stated that he was encouraged by the rapid increase in the number of people being evacuated to the point where 11,000 people were evacuated in one day. It's difficult for me to envision that the evacuation of all the people from the airport will be complete by the end the month, due to the logistical challenges and limited workarounds. It's my belief that we should maintain a military presence for as long as necessary to evacuate all U.S. personnel and fulfill our moral and ethical obligations to our Afghan partners. Tuesday's White House statement stated that approximately 58,700 Afghans have been evacuated or assisted in getting out. About 21,600 of these people were airlifted out Monday by the U.S. According to the White House, approximately 63,900 people have been relocated by the U.S. since July. According to the State Department, several thousand Americans are still in need of evacuation.
Crowds gather at the airport in Kabul (Afghanistan), August 23, 2021 via Reuters
Over 5,000 U.S. soldiers are currently on the ground in Kabul supporting the emergency evacuation efforts. A total of nearly 200 aircraft are involved in the evacuation effort in some capacity. According to the Pentagon, evacuees fly from Kabul to temporary safe-haven areas across Europe and the Middle East, including U.S. facilities in Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Bahrain, Italy and Spain. So far, Afghan nationals arriving in the United States will be housed at either Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, Fort Lee in Virginia, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey or Fort Bliss in Texas.
