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U.S. officials said on Wednesday that the United States is exploring ways to evacuate American citizens and Afghan allies who wish to leave Afghanistan, including evacuation by land, and reiterated its commitment to help eligible people who are not airlifted.
After the last two days U.S. flight departure At Kabul Airport, State Department and Pentagon officials said Washington is also focusing on moving evacuees from temporary residences to permanent settlements in the United States or other countries.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Newland said that the Biden administration is carrying out “intensive diplomatic work in progress” to help American citizens and Afghan allies who wish to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban take over.
She said at the press conference: “We are considering all possible options-air routes, land routes, to continue to find ways to help them evacuate and support their evacuation.”
Newland welcome Qatar Coordinated with Turkey and the Taliban to reopen Kabul Airport. “They have relatively optimistic predictions about when this will happen, but we need to see it happen obviously,” she told reporters.
She said that the government’s “first task” is to get the remaining 100 to 200 American citizens to leave the United States.
Nulan declined to disclose details about possible land routes in order to minimize the potential risk to people who might have to take these routes.
In addition, on Wednesday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Washington fully supports efforts to reopen Kabul Airport, which he said will allow American citizens to leave Afghanistan and be able to deliver humanitarian aid.
He said: “Turks and Qataris and ground forces are reopening civilian airports as soon as possible.” “This is an effort that we will continue to support as much as we can, because we believe it is important to our own interests.”
Since mid-August, the United States has evacuated more than 120,000 people, including 6,000 American citizens, and then on Monday the United States officially announced the end of its 20-year military presence in Afghanistan.
“I will not extend this eternal war, nor will I extend the eternal withdrawal,” President Joe Biden Said Defended withdrawal on Tuesday. “The decision to terminate the military lift operation at Kabul Airport is based on the unanimous recommendations of my civilian and military advisers.”
The Taliban occupied Afghanistan with a lightning offensive earlier this month, when the United States was withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan.The team arrived in Kabul on August 15 as President Ashraf Ghani Fled this country The government army collapsed.
Biden faced criticism from U.S. allies and Republican lawmakers for withdrawing troops, as well as the chaotic scene at Kabul Airport when Afghans desperately tried to take the evacuation flight because of fear of Taliban suppression.
Earlier Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin praised the evacuation, but said he was “proud” of the role the U.S. military played in the conflict.
“Now that the war is over, we are entering a new chapter-our diplomats and our interagency partners will take the lead,” he said. “We are part of the emergency team’s efforts to move Afghan evacuees from temporary housing in transit bases in the Gulf and Europe and start a new life.”
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said that the United States hopes to temporarily accommodate up to 50,000 Afghan refugees at military bases until they are resettled. “With the capability, we are working hard to make our military base able to accommodate up to 50,000 people,” she said.
US officials emphasized that they will let the Taliban keep their promises to ensure safe passage for those who wish to leave.
The U.S. military coordinated with the organization during the evacuation operation-Washington described this relationship as pragmatic, not acknowledgment.
The top US general and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milly, told reporters on Wednesday that the Taliban had been “relentless” in the past, but stressed that Washington must cooperate with the organization to ensure the safety of the evacuation operations.
Millais does not rule out future cooperation with the Taliban against the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K), ISIL’s affiliates. When asked if Washington would coordinate with the Taliban against ISKP, he replied: “It is possible.”
Austin, who was standing next to Milly, interrupted and said that he “does not want to make any predictions.”
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