The Latest: Stoltenberg says NATO troubled by Taliban blitz
The Latest developments on Afghanistan, where a weeklong Taliban blitz has taken large swaths of territory just weeks ahead of the final pullout of all American and NATO troops from the war-torn country:
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BRUSSELS - The NATO chief says the military alliance is troubled by the Taliban offensive in Afghanistan and is warning the insurgents that they won´t be considered legitimate by the West if they seize the country by force.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters after chairing talks on Friday with NATO ambassadors that the "allies are deeply concerned about the high levels of violence caused by the Taliban´s offensive, including attacks on civilians, targeted killings, and reports of other serious human rights abuses."
He says "the Taliban need to understand that they will not be recognized by the international community if they take the country by force," and that NATO is "committed to supporting a political solution to the conflict."
The Taliban have been emboldened by the Biden administration´s decision earlier this year to withdraw U.S. troops and to wind up the NATO training mission in Afghanistan. Most NATO troops have already left, with the remainder due to pull out by Aug. 31.
Taliban fighters patrol inside the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the country's south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war. (AP Photo/Gulabuddin Amiri)
Stoltenberg says NATO´s aim "remains to support the Afghan government and security forces as much as possible." This will almost exclusively happen from outside the country.
Several nations, including the United States, are starting to reduce and evacuate embassy staff from the Afghan capital. Stoltenberg says the 30-nation alliance intends to "maintain our diplomatic presence in Kabul, and continue to adjust as necessary."
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MORE ON THE CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN:
- Taliban sweep across Afghanistan´s south; take 4 more cities
- Bitter blow: UK´s former hub in Afghanistan taken by Taliban
- US rushes in troops to speed up evacuations in Afghanistan
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HERE´S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
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MADRID - Spain´s defense ministry said Friday it would evacuate Afghan translators who have worked with Spanish forces in Afghanistan "as soon as possible."
The ministry said in an emailed statement that it had identified translators who felt threatened by remaining in the country and was working with the Interior and Foreign Ministries to bring them to Spain in the coming days.
Spanish media reported that around 50 translators were expected to leave Afghanistan along with their families.
Also Friday, Italy´s foreign ministry said it was keeping in close contact with the U.S. State Department "in the light of the advance by the Taliban."
It said that the ministry´s secretary general, Ettore Sequi, spoke on Thursday with Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, "with whom he agreed on further reinforcement of the coordination between the embassies of both countries as well as on a bilateral level."
Sequi, who is a former ambassador to Afghanistan, also discussed initiatives, both present and "which can be undertaken in consideration of the deterioration of the security context on the terrain,´´ the ministry said.
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COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Denmark´s foreign minister on Friday urged Danes in Afghanistan to leave the country, calling the fast-evolving crisis "a very serious situation" as Taliban take even more territory across the war-torn country.
Jeppe Kofod confirmed that the Danish Embassy in Kabul was closing but that "for security reasons, we cannot say exactly when the embassy will close."
On Wednesday, Danish lawmakers agreed to evacuate 45 Afghan citizens who worked for Denmark´s government in Afghanistan and to offer them residency in the European country for two years. Denmark opened its embassy in Kabul in 2006.
In Oslo, Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said the Norwegian Embassy in Kabul also was closing. She said it was temporary and that "the safety of our employees is our highest priority."
The Norwegian government has said it will not bring home former employees out of the war-torn country. Soereide said the evacuation includes embassy employees - both Norwegians and locals "with immediate family."
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BERLIN - Germany´s foreign minister says that his country is reducing its embassy staff in Kabul to "the operationally necessary, absolute minimum" due to the tense security situation in Afghanistan.
Heiko Maas told reporters on Friday that a "crisis support team" is immediately being sent to the Afghan capital to increase security at the embassy. He called on all German citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately, adding that planned charter flights would be brought forward to fly diplomats and local staff working for the embassy out of the country.
Maas said visas for Afghan will also be issued in Germany in future to speed up the process of getting people out of the country.
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BRUSSELS - NATO envoys were meeting Friday in Brussels to discuss developments in Afghanistan amid a rapidly deteriorating security situation in the wake of the relentless Taliban offensive there.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and 30 national ambassadors were taking part in the meeting in Brussels, according to a NATO official who spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with regulations.
"Allies are constantly consulting on the situation on Afghanistan," the official said, adding that Stoltenberg was "in regular contact with allies and the Afghan authorities."
"NATO is monitoring the security situation very closely. We continue to coordinate with the Afghan authorities and the rest of the international community," the official said.
NATO took charge of international security operations in Afghanistan in 2003 - its first major mission outside Europe and North America - aiming to help stabilize the government, build up local security forces and remove a potential rear-base for militant groups.
The U.S.-led military alliance wound down combat operations in 2014 to focus on training Afghan security forces. The Afghan armed forces, with some 300,000 personnel, outnumber the Taliban by roughly four to one but have been unable to halt the insurgent offensive.
The Taliban have been emboldened by the Biden administration´s decision earlier this year to withdraw U.S. troops and to wind up the NATO training mission in Afghanistan. Most NATO troops have already left, with the remainder due to pull out by Aug. 31.
The NATO official said that the organization continues to have a "diplomatic presence in Kabul. As the security of our personnel is paramount, we will not go into any operational details."
-Lorne Cook in Brussels
Taliban fighters stand guard inside the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the country's south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war. (AP Photo/Gulabuddin Amiri)
Taliban fighters stand guard over surrendered Afghan security members forces in the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the country's south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war. (AP Photo/Gulabuddin Amiri)
Taliban fighters patrol inside the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the country's south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war. (AP Photo/Gulabuddin Amiri)
Internally displaced Afghans from northern provinces, who fled their home due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, take refuge in a public park Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the country's south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Internally displaced Afghans from northern provinces, who fled their home due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, take refuge in a public park Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the country's south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
