Trapped in Kabul: Why has America left its citizens in Afghanistan to fend for themselves?

News reports indicate that British and French forces are rescuing their citizens trapped in Kabul behind Taliban lines. Why isn’t the United States?

Thousands of American forces were rushed to Afghanistan to deal with the surprise success of last week’s Taliban offensive. Their mission was to secure Hamid Karzai International Airport and assist in evacuating American citizens and Afghan refugees.

Those people who make the dangerous and harrowing run through Taliban checkpoints can expect American assistance in fleeing the country. But the Biden administration has not committed to bringing in thousands of Americans still outside the wire.

The White House policy seems to be that they are on their own.

Meanwhile, the Military Times reports that British and French troops have been fanning out through Kabul to retrieve their nationals and former Afghan officials who worked with International Security Assistance Force and NATO forces who could expect rough treatment from the victorious Taliban.

Several hundred British and French paratroops and special forces deployed earlier this week as the Taliban took control of Kabul and began rescue operations for isolated civilians. The Taliban have thus far not attempted to interfere.

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General Sir Nick Carter, the UK chief of the Defence Staff, told the BBC that the Taliban were “keeping the streets of Kabul calm, and on that basis I think we're pretty confident that we're being given the space to do what we need to do."

The deal the United States struck Sunday with the Taliban apparently promised that the insurgents would provide airport security to allow foreigners to exit. There were no provisions in the “deconfliction mechanism” for U.S. troops to conduct rescue operations. Whether other countries have negotiated separate deals to allow their forces to operate in Kabul is unclear.

The tension between Washington and its coalition partners for the Biden administration’s failure to alert other embassies in Kabul that a rapid pullout was imminent has extended to the rescue phase.

UK troops are picking up British, Irish and Afghan nationals and other nationalities if they are at the pickup location. The Taliban have not stopped those rescue efforts so far. However, these daring operations are getting pushback from American senior commanders who think it threatens the airport security deal.

Biden's team is risk averse

Perhaps the Biden national security team is so risk averse in light of the embarrassing collapse of its Afghanistan withdrawal strategy that they do not want to run the risk of U.S. forces engaging Taliban or rogue Afghan elements while mounting similar rescue operations.

But this approach is short-sighted and sets the conditions for future crises.

The Americans trapped in Taliban-controlled Kabul will not simply vanish. Many of them no doubt chose not to make the run for the airport in the initial stages of the crisis after the U.S. Embassy ill-advisedly issued a “shelter in place” order.

Those who hunkered down have no way safely to get to Karzai International and would have to rely on the good graces of the Taliban should they reach the airport’s outer perimeter, which is far from secure.

Speed is of the essence. The international evacuation effort uses Karzai Airport at the Taliban’s sufferance. A few well-placed artillery rounds could shut the whole operation down.

Taliban won't be patient indefinitely

It is unknown how long Kabul’s new rulers will allow the United States and other countries to continue to evacuate citizens and refugees, but the clock is ticking. Those left behind when the last transport departs will wind up hostages or casualties.

The Biden team should more aggressively find ways to seek out and rescue the thousands of trapped Americans.

It also is what our British colleagues might call poor form for the world’s superpower to lack the fortitude to mount these types of rescue missions. It makes the Biden administration look even more weak and indecisive.

It would be useful to add a touch of heroism to what has been one of the greatest national security fiascos of recent years. Let’s go get our people and get them out of there all together.

James S. Robbins, a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors and author of "This Time We Win: Revisiting the Tet Offensive," has taught at the National Defense University and the Marine Corps University and served as a special assistant in the office of the secretary of Defense in the George W. Bush administration. Follow him on Twitter: @James_Robbins

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brits are rescuing citizens trapped in Afghanistan: Why isn't America?