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Taliban forces blocked the Kabul airport on Saturday, allowing most Afghans who wish to evacuate to enter, because the United States and its allies are ending a chaotic airlift that will end their military’s two decades in Afghanistan.
Western leaders acknowledged that their withdrawal will mean leaving some of their citizens and many locals who have helped them over the years, and they vowed to continue working with the Taliban to allow local allies to leave after President Joe Biden’s withdrawal deadline on Tuesday. nation.
Although most of its allies have completed evacuation flights, the United States plans to maintain its all-weather flights before the deadline, saying there are 113,500 people Evacuated since August 14, The day before the Taliban occupied Kabul.Biden warned on Saturday that the commander told him that another attack was “Most likely in the next 24-36 hours,” Earlier on Sunday, the US Embassy issued a new warning, requiring all Americans to avoid the airport area completely.
Britain ended its evacuation flight on Saturday, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s promise to “turn upside down” and transfer more people at risk from the Taliban to the United Kingdom through other means.
The British ambassador to Afghanistan Laurie Bristow said in a video from Kabul Airport and posted on Twitter that “it’s time to end this phase of operations”.
“But we have not forgotten those who still need to leave,” he said. “We will continue to do our best to help them. We have not forgotten the brave and decent Afghan people. They should live in peace and security.”
As the flow of planes leaving Kabul slowed, other planes carrying Afghans arrived around the world. These Afghans managed to secure positions on the last evacuation flight, including the Washington area, Philadelphia, Madrid and Birmingham, England. Some passengers breathed a sigh of relief and looked forward to starting a new life far away from the Taliban, but others felt anguish of having to flee.
In Spain, Shabeer Ahmadi, a journalist targeted by the Taliban, said that by allowing the rebel groups to regain power, the United States was doomed to make Afghanistan a better place by him and others.
“They abandoned the new generation of Afghanistan,” Ahmadi said.
According to Turkish media reports, after the crew sent a baby girl into the air, an evacuation flight to the UK landed, carrying an additional passenger. Her parents named her Havva or Eve, and she is at least the fourth known baby. These babies were born to Afghan mothers. Give birth on an evacuation flight.
At the same time, the families of the Afghans were killed in a suicide bomb attack at the airport on Thursday. Daesh Group Subsidiary Continue to bury their dead-at least 169 Afghans and 13 American soldiers were killed. Among them is Belal Azfali, a 36-year-old US-funded project contractor who went to the airport alone without a wife. Relatives said that his body was very disfigured, and his identity could only be recognized when someone answered his family members and made multiple calls to his mobile phone.
The United States announced on Saturday the names of the 13 Marine Corps, Navy and Army personnel killed in the bombing. One of the Marines-recently promoted to sergeant. This month, 23-year-old Nicole Gee appeared in a widely circulated photo of an Afghan baby who was temporarily rescued from a crowded crowd outside the airport gate.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed on Saturday that the organization’s troops had some positions in the airport and were prepared to peacefully control it when US troops flew out. But the Pentagon spokesman John Kirby denied this statement.
The Taliban did deploy additional troops outside the airport to prevent large crowds from gathering after Thursday’s bombing. New checkpoints appeared on the road to the airport, some of which were operated by Taliban armed men in uniform, armed with Hummers and night vision goggles seized from the Afghan security forces. The areas where crowds have gathered in hopes of fleeing the country in the past two weeks have been largely empty.
Officials said that the US military is taking all precautions at the airport because there are fears that the Islamic State, which is much more radical than the Taliban, may launch another attack.A new security alert issued by the U.S. Embassy on Sunday morning stated that due to “Specific and credible threats”, All U.S. citizens should avoid certain gates at the airport and avoid going to the area.
Biden said in an earlier statement A drone attack he ordered killed The two “high-profile” Daesh militants believed to be involved in planning or assisting in the attack by military officials were not his “last” response to Thursday’s suicide attack.
An Afghan who works as an interpreter in the US military said he was with a group of people who were allowed to leave and they tried to arrive at the airport later on Friday. After three checkpoints, they stopped at the fourth checkpoint. A dispute ensued, and the Taliban said that the Americans told them to let only American passport holders pass.
“I feel very desperate about my future,” the man later told the Associated Press, requesting anonymity for security reasons. “If the evacuation is over, what will we do?”
Pentagon spokesman Kirby said on Saturday that Afghans who have worked with the US military are still allowed to enter.
According to a State Department spokesperson, 5,400 Americans and possibly more have been safely evacuated from Afghanistan since August 14, including nearly 300 Americans on the last day. Another 350 people are still seeking to leave the country, and these are the only people the department can confirm that they are still in Afghanistan.
Biden has said that he will abide by the deadline set by himself on Tuesday to withdraw all US troops, and the Taliban have refused any extension. They encouraged the Afghans to stay, and even expressed amnesty to those who opposed them, and stated that commercial flights would be resumed after the United States withdrew, but it is not clear whether airlines are willing to provide services.
With the deadline approaching, the Taliban took control of almost the entire country. Hundreds of protesters, including many civil servants, gathered outside a bank, and countless people lined up in front of the cash machine. They said they had not received payment for three to six months and were unable to withdraw cash. The ATM is operating, but withdrawals are limited to approximately US$200 every 24 hours. Later on Saturday, the central bank ordered the opening of commercial bank branches and allowed customers to withdraw $200 a week, calling it a temporary measure.
The Taliban’s takeover of the previous economic crisis may have influence on Western countries as they urge the new Afghan ruler to form a moderate and inclusive government and allow people to leave after Tuesday.
Afghanistan relies heavily on international aid, which accounts for approximately 75% of the budget of the overthrown Western-supported government. The Taliban have stated that they hope to maintain good relations with the international community and promised to adopt a more moderate form of Islamic rule than when they were in power last time, but many Afghans are deeply skeptical.
The Taliban can barely use the central bank’s US$9 billion reserves, most of which are held by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The International Monetary Fund also suspended transfers of approximately US$450 million. Without a regular supply of U.S. dollars, the local currency is at risk of collapse, which may cause the prices of basic commodities to soar.
The United States and its allies have stated that they will continue to provide humanitarian assistance through the United Nations and other partners, but any broader involvement—including development assistance—may depend on whether the Taliban fulfills their promise of a more moderate rule.
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