WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden said the US was in the “speed” to complete the evacuation mission in Afghanistan on August 31 and did not plan to have troops in the country, but the settlement of the deadline depends on the Taliban cooperation.
The US currently has around 5,800 troops at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
“We are currently in speed to complete (evacuation mission) on August 31.
The faster we can complete, the better.
Every day the operation carries the risk of adding to our troops,” Biden told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
“But the completion on August 31 depends on the Taliban which continues to work together and allow access to airports for those who are transported out and there is no disruption to our operations,” he said.
Taliban – who seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US will resolve the withdrawal of his troops after the war two decades are expensive – has warned that the US must end the evacuation mission on August 31.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid at a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday said the US must hold on to the forced deadline.
“After that we will not let Afghans be brought out” on evacuation flights, he said.
Every decision by the US to stay longer can cause war between them and US forces who execute a plane at Kabul Airport, the Taliban said.
Biden said he had asked the Pentagon and the Ministry of Finance to the Continence plan to adjust the August 31 schedule to leave Afghnaistan, “must be necessary”.
“I am determined to ensure that we complete our mission.
I also pay attention to the increased risk that I have brands and the need to take into account the risks.
They are a real and significant challenge that we must also take into consideration.
We live, starting with the risk of attack Acute and growing by a terrorist group known as Isis-K, an ISIS affiliation in Afghanistan, which is also an enemy sworn from the Taliban, “he said.
“Every day we are on the ground is another day we know Isis-K tries to target the airport and attack US forces and allies and innocent civilians,” Biden said.
Afghan Afghanistan Islamic groups, Isis-K, are known for performing suicide attacks on civilians.
Biden said even though the Taliban cooperated “so we can remove our employees.
But it’s a weak situation”.
“We have decided waste,” he said.
Previously, the Secretary of the White Press Building Jen PSaki told reporters that the US in direct contact not only with Americans, but with SIV (Imigrant Visa) and Afghanistan applicants, the US departure facilitated, about how and when to the airport.
“Our hope, which we also convey to the Taliban, is that they must be able to get to the airport.
It is true that there are a number of Afghans who may not qualify for this program.
And we have seen, for the last nine days, encouraging people Trying to come to the airport.
We certainly understand that, but it also creates security risks and the one we are worried about, “he said.
In a statement at night, the Press Secretary of the Pentagon John Kirby said that retrograde from US non-rombing operations in Afghanistan had not been ordered and did not need to be ordered at this stage.
“Its mission remains the same, and as you heard from the president today, it remains in the same timeline.
We focus on evacuation as much as possible people before the end of the month.
Secretary and the military are drafting contingency.
The plan must be a need to reconsider this timeline.
There was no decision made, “he said.
“As we have made consistently clear, the commander in the land is empowered to make whatever adjustments they want, when they look right.
It includes changes in footprints.
For this reason, we can confirm the report about Afghanistan from several hundred US troops, “He said.
These troops represent a mix of staff headquarters, maintenance and other functions that are scheduled to go and whose mission at the airport is complete.
Their departure represents wise and efficient strength management.
It will not have an impact on the mission faced, said Kirby.