Australia will NOT land planes in Kabul to evacuate citizens and Afghani translators after harrowing scenes of civilians falling from planes in a desperate effort to flee
- Defence Minister Peter Dutton confirmed Australia won't land planes in Kabul
- Comes as swarms of citizens look to flee after Taliban took over Afghanistan
- Australian troops will carry out an evacuation mission, working closely with US
Australia won't send planes into Afghanistan's Kabul airport while it's engulfed by chaos as people attempt to flee the Taliban.
Videos have emerged of people swarming Kabul's airport to try and get on military evacuation flights.
Footage has shown people clinging to planes taking off, with some seen falling to their deaths.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton has authorised plans for troops and equipment to help evacuate citizens still in Afghanistan.
Residents in Afghanistan are fleeing in droves after the Taliban takeover (pictured, an Afghan family rushes to the Hamid Karzai International Airport)
In chaotic scenes, hundreds of people were spotted running alongside a US transport plane on the runway at the international airport in Afghanistan (pictured) - a handful later fell to their deaths after falling off the jet mid-air
'We won't be landing into Kabul in these circumstances and obviously we've got a base close by which is safe and secure in the UAE,' he told the Nine Network on Tuesday.
'That's where we'll stage from, but we'll work with the Americans and others including the Turks to make a very difficult, tragic situation the best it could be.'
More than 250 Australian defence personnel will be deployed to support three RAAF aircraft to evacuate citizens and visa holders under a US-led operation.
The government will help citizens working with NGOs, contractors and dual nationals, who had stayed since Australia shut its embassy in May.
'We'll provide assistance to withdraw them and that will take some time,' Mr Dutton said.
He took no issue with the way the US had handled the withdrawal.
Share this article
'They're either damned if they're in place and they're damned if they withdraw,' Mr Dutton said.
'We would have, I think, suffered multiple terrorist attacks of a significant scale had we not gone into Afghanistan 20 years ago. It was always going to be a difficult departure.'
The defence minister stressed allied troops who served in Afghanistan should be proud of their service.
'You could stay in Afghanistan for another 20 years, another 100 years and you may or may not see peace,' he said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said Afghan people in Australia on temporary visas would be supported and none made to return to their home country for now.
Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong criticised the government's efforts as too little, too late.
Thousands of Afghan residents (pictured) rushed to the international airport in an attempt to flee the capital Kabul
The Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul is swarmed with people (pictured) following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan
Families were spotted on foot (pictured) heading to the airport in a bid to flee Afghanistan
'We have both Australian citizens, but importantly, people who have helped us, who have not yet been able to have their visas considered, who are still in Afghanistan, who are still in Kabul,' she said.
'That is something that has been on the cards for a long time
'Our national interest is in ensuring those who helped us are helped.'
Since April, 430 Afghan employees, as well as their families, have been brought to Australia.
More are expected to be evacuated in coming weeks.
The US has sent about 3000 extra troops to evacuate embassy staff and others as the capital fell.
The UK is also deploying troops to help British nationals and local translators flee.
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
