By Aaron Miller-
U.S President Joe Biden says the US is “on pace” to meet a 31 August deadline for evacuations, following opposition by the military for any extensions. to the deadline.
In a speech on Tuesday, Biden said the U.S. military — which is holding Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, as the Taliban retains its hold on the rest of the city — is on pace to finish evacuations from Kabul by Aug. 31.
Mr Biden was speaking after leaders of the G7 – which consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, plus the EU – discussed the Afghan crisis during a virtual meeting. The UK and other allies had urged the US to stay beyond 31 August to allow more relief fights.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who chaired the talks, said Britain would continue to evacuate people “until the last moment”. He also urged the Taliban to allow Afghans to leave beyond the deadline.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the G7 leaders had “agreed that it is our moral duty to help the Afghan people and to provide as much possible support as conditions will allow”.
Almost 6,000 US soldiers and more than 1,000 from the UK are at Kabul airport to secure it and organize the evacuation of foreigners and eligible Afghans.
Biden resisted persuasions from foreign allies to extend the deadline, arguing that U.S. troops could face heightened safety risks if they stay at the airport beyond August: He pointed to a Monday firefight between Western forces and a gunman in Kabul, as well as possible threats by the Islamic State’s affiliate in Afghanistan.
The president has pressed the Taliban to let evacuees enter the airport and avoid interfering with U.S. operations. The Pentagon and State Department have also been asked to draw up contingency plans to change his timeline if necessary.
Biden confirmed that over 70,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan in the last 10 days, to which he added that military evacuations have been accelerated in recent days.
Risk
“The sooner we can finish, the better. Each day of operations brings added risk to our troops,” Biden said. “But the completion by August 31 depends upon the Taliban continuing to cooperate and allow access to the airport for those who we’re transporting out.”
“The sooner we finish the better,” he said. Some American troops have already been withdrawn, but the president spoke of an acute risk on the safety of Americans the longer they stay in the country.
At least 70,000 people have been airlifted from Kabul, which fell to the Taliban nine days ago.
President Biden said: “The Taliban have been taking steps to help get our people out,” adding that the international community would judge the Taliban by their actions.
“None of us are going to take eaves them stranded.