With security rapidly deteriorating in Afghanistan, the United States is evacuating some personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, and U.S. troops will be assisting at the Kabul airport, officials said Thursday.
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JOHN KIRBY: "The president has ordered the reduction of civilian personnel at our embassy in Kabul."The United States on Thursday urged U.S. citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately and said it was significantly reducing staff at its embassy in Kabul, as Taliban fighters continued their rapid advance across the country.Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. was also sending 3,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in the next 24 to 48 hours to assist at the airport.REPORTER: "So, are you concerned that they're going to be under attack?"KIRBY: "Our commanders will have the right of self-defense and any attack upon our forces will be met with a swift and appropriate response."News of the embassy drawdown, first reported by Reuters, is one of the most worrying signs for the Biden administration about the security situation and the failure of the Afghan government to protect key cities. On Thursday, the country's second and third largest cities were on the verge of being captured by the Taliban. On the same day, the militant group also established a foothold in the strategic city of Ghazni, some 90 miles away from Kabul. NED PRICE: "This is not abandonment. This is not an evacuation."State Department spokesman Ned Price on Thursday insisted that the embassy in Kabul remains open but that staff would shrink to a "core diplomatic presence." PRICE: "This is about doing all we can to ensure the safety and security of our personnel as we reduce the size of our civilian footprint in Kabul." Earlier, a notice on the embassy's website urged U.S. citizens to leave the country immediately using available commercial flight options, citing the deteriorating security conditions. Meanwhile, the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan is set to end on Aug. 31, and roughly 650 troops are currently in the country to protect the airport and embassy.A U.S intelligence assessment this week said the Taliban could isolate Kabul within 30 days and take it over in 90.
As Taliban forces advance on more provincial capitals, the U.S. is warning that its fighters are committing atrocities that could amount to war crimes. The State Department will also begin reducing its staff levels at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, due to the "evolving security situation," State Department Spokesman Ned Price said Thursday. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul has also urged Americans to evacuate Afghanistan immediately, amid fears that the capital could fall into Taliban hands in a matter of weeks.
The United States is sending in an additional 3,000 troops to help evacuate some personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, officials said Thursday. (Aug. 12)
The United States on Thursday urged U.S. citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately using available commercial flight options, a notice on the website of U.S. Embassy in Kabul said, amid a speedy Taliban advance across the country. Taliban fighters captured the strategic Afghan city of Ghazni on Thursday. This took them to within 150 km (95 miles) of Kabul, the latest in their rapid takeover as the United States withdraws its troops from the country, leaving the Afghan government to fight the Islamist group on its own.
The reported executions are "deeply disturbing & could constitute war crimes," according to the embassy in Kabul, as the Taliban continue to take territory.
The Pentagon is preparing for a possible evacuation amid fears that the Taliban may overrun the compound in the coming days.
"The secretary of defense has directed the department to position temporary enabling capabilities to ensure the safety and security of U.S. and partner civilian personnel," Kirby said.The news of the embassy drawdown, first reported by Reuters, is one of the most significant signs of concern in President Joe Biden's administration about the security situation and the failure of the Afghan government to protect key cities.
The United Nations said on Thursday it is particularly concerned about a shift in fighting in Afghanistan to urban areas, warning that if a Taliban offensive reaches the capital Kabul it would have a "catastrophic impact on civilians." The Taliban claimed control over the third largest city, Herat, on Thursday and appeared close to capturing Kandahar, the second largest city and the spiritual home of the Taliban, which now control about two-thirds of Afghanistan. "It is clear that urban fighting in the city of the size of Kabul would have catastrophic impact on civilians and we very much hope that this does not happen," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
A contingent of 3,000 U.S. troops “will temporarily deploy” to assist the withdrawal of American diplomats from Afghanistan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s team announced Thursday, adding that the U.S. Embassy in Kabul will remain with limited personnel.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Faced with unexpectedly rapid military gains https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-battle-government-forces-us-fears-kabul-could-fall-90-days-2021-08-12 by the Taliban, the United States decided on Thursday to dramatically scale down its embassy in Kabul and send about 3,000 troops temporarily to aid the evacuation of staff. News of the drawdown, which was first reported by Reuters, underscored Washington's rapidly deteriorating hopes that diplomacy will halt the Taliban's advance and keep the capital in the Afghan government's hands. The Taliban could isolate Kabul within 30 days and take it over in 90, U.S. intelligence assessments concluded this week.
The Pentagon will send troops to Afghanistan's international airport to facilitate a partial evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, the State Department announced Thursday.Why it matters: The Taliban has captured 12 provincial capitals in the last week, stunning Biden administration officials who did not believe the country's security would collapse so quickly during the U.S. withdrawal.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeA new U.
The Taliban captured two major Afghan cities, the country's second- and third-largest after Kabul, and a strategic provincial capital on Thursday, further squeezing the embattled government just weeks before the end of the American military mission in Afghanistan. The seizure of Kandahar and Herat marks the biggest prizes yet for the Taliban, who have taken 12 of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals as part of a weeklong blitz.
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Taliban captures Kandahar and Herat as Biden sends troops to evacuate U.S. personnel
The Taliban captured a provincial capital on the road to Kabul on Thursday, the tenth the militant group has taken during a weeklong blitz.
The Taliban have captured Kandahar, the birthplace of their movement and the second-largest city in Afghanistan, the AP reports. Why it matters: It's the 12th provincial capital overrun by the Taliban in about a week, delivering a hugely important strategic and symbolic victory for the insurgents.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeThe big picture: The Taliban first seized Kandahar in the 1990s before toppling the Afghan government
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The Taliban seized three more provincial capitals in Afghanistan and a local army headquarters completing their blitz across the country's northeast and pressing their offensive elsewhere, officials said. (August 11)
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Many of the US airstrikes launched recently have reportedly destroyed captured equipment, such as tanks, artillery, and personnel carriers.
