KABUL (AP) Taliban forces closed Kabul's airport to all Afghans seeking evacuation Saturday. Most NATO countries flew out their troops following two decades of combat in Afghanistan. This was to end a frantic airlift which Western leaders acknowledged was leaving many of their local allies behind.
According to the United States, 117,000 people have been evacuated by multinational flights since Aug. 15 when the Taliban took Kabul. The United States was continuing airlifts in advance of President Joe Biden's Tuesday withdrawal deadline.
Britain was also carrying out its last evacuation flights on Saturday. However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that he would shift all things to help more people at risk from the Taliban to Britain through other means.
Laurie Bristow (Britain's Ambassador to Afghanistan) stated in a video posted from Kabul Airport that it was time for the end of this phase.
He said that we don't forget those who need to go. We will continue to do all we can to assist them. We also have not forgotten about the Afghan people, who are brave and decent. They are entitled to live in security and peace.
As the flow of planes from Kabul slowed down, other aircraft arrived with Afghans. These Afghans were able to get onto the last evacuation flights in places around the globe, including the Washington area, Philadelphia and Madrid. While some were relieved and eager to start their new lives away from the Taliban, others were disappointed to have to flee.
Spanish journalist Shabeer Ahmadi (29 years old) claimed that the United States had destroyed the efforts he and others had made to make Afghanistan a better country by allowing insurgent groups to reclaim power.
Ahmadi stated that they had abandoned the new generation in Afghanistan.
Turkish media reported that an evacuation flight to Britain arrived with an additional passenger after the cabin crew gave birth mid-air to a baby girl. Her parents named her Havva (or Eve) and she was at most the fourth child to be born to Afghan mothers during evacuation flights.
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Families of Afghans who were killed in the suicide bombing attack on the airport by Islamic State group members continued to bury their loved ones. At least 169 Afghans died and 13 U.S. military personnel were injured in the attack. Belal Azfali (36-year-old contractor who was working on a U.S. funded project) was among those killed. He had traveled alone to the airport without his wife. According to relatives, his remains were so badly disfigured that it was impossible for anyone to identify him except by picking up the repeated calls from the family to the cellphone he carried.
On Saturday, the U.S. released the names of the 13 Marines and Navy personnel who died in the bombing. These names included at least one Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, 23, were photographed cuddling Afghan infants that they had temporarily saved from the chaos outside the airport gates.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesperson, claimed that some Taliban forces held positions in the airport and were ready for peaceful control as American forces flew away. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesperson, denied this claim.
To prevent large crowds gathering after Thursday's bombing, the Taliban did send additional forces to the airport. On the roads leading to the airport, new checkpoints were set up. Some were manned by uniformed Taliban fighters equipped with Humvees or night-vision goggles seized from Afghan security forces. The areas where people had gathered in hopes of fleeing the country for the past two weeks were mostly empty.
Officials stated that U.S. forces had taken every precaution at the airport to prevent IS from striking again. IS is far more radical than Taliban. Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor stated that the drone strike Biden ordered had killed two IS militants who were believed to be involved in planning or facilitating attacks. This was not the initial report.
Afghan translator for the U.S. military claimed he was in a group of people who had permission to leave and tried to get to the airport on Friday night. After having passed through three checkpoints, they were stopped at the fourth. The Taliban claimed that they were told by the Americans not to allow U.S. passport holders through.
"I am so hopeless about my future," the man said to The Associated Press later, speaking under condition of anonymity due to security concerns. "If the evacuation has ended, what will happen?
Kirby, a Pentagon spokesperson, stated Saturday that Afghans who have worked with American forces are still being allowed in.
A spokesperson for the State Department stated that 5,400 Americans have been evacuated safely from Afghanistan since August 14, with nearly 300 Americans being evacuated in the last 24 hours. The department was unable to confirm that 350 more were trying to flee the country.
With Tuesday's deadline approaching and the Taliban in control of most of the country, hundreds of protestors including civil servants gathered outside banks while many others waited at cash machines. They claimed they had not been paid in three to six months, and that they were unable withdraw cash. Although ATMs were still operational, withdrawals were restricted to $200 per 24 hours. The central bank opened commercial banks on Saturday and allowed customers to withdraw $200 per week. It called it a temporary measure.
The West could use the economic crisis that predated the Taliban takeover to their advantage and urge Afghanistan's new rulers form a moderate, inclusive government. They should also allow people to flee after Tuesday.
Afghanistan heavily depends on international aid. It provided 75% of the budget for the toppled Western-backed government. While the Taliban claim they want to have good relations with the international community, and they have promised a more moderate Islamic regime than the one they had when they last governed Afghanistan, many Afghans remain skeptical.
The Taliban can't access the $9 billion worth of central bank reserves. Most of it is held by New York Federal Reserve. The transfer of approximately $450 million has been also stopped by the International Monetary Fund. The local currency could collapse without a steady supply of U.S. Dollars, which could cause the price of basic goods to soar.
Biden stated that he would adhere to the Tuesday deadline for the withdrawal of all U.S forces. The Taliban, however, have refused any extension of this date. Biden and other NATO leaders said that they would work with the Taliban in order to allow Afghan nationals and Afghans who have worked with them to go.
The Taliban encouraged Afghans to remain, offering amnesty to all those who fought for them. They also stated that commercial flights would resume following the U.S. withdrawal. However, it is not clear if airlines will offer service.
The U.S. and its allies said that they will continue to provide humanitarian aid through the U.N., other partners, but any wider engagement including development assistance will likely hinge on the Taliban's ability to fulfill their promises of more moderate government.
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Faiez reported from Istanbul. Lawless reported in London, and Knickmeyer from Oklahoma City. Frances D'Emilio, Joseph Krauss and Kathy Gannon contributed to this article.
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More of APs Afghanistan coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/afghanistan
