U.S. May Ask Airlines to Help With Evacuees: Afghanistan Update
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(Bloomberg) -- Potential threats to Americans in Afghanistan are forcing the U.S. military to get creative on ways to ferry evacuees to Kabul airport. President Joe Biden and his national security team on Saturday discussed security risks in Afghanistan, including a branch of Islamic State active in the region, a White House official said.
Biden said Friday the U.S. had made “significant progress” securing the Kabul airport and evacuating U.S. citizens, Afghan allies and others, even amid evidence the Taliban are cracking down on dissent.
But the U.S. embassy warned U.S. citizens on Saturday to avoid traveling to the airport if possible without “individual instructions from a U.S. government representative to do so” because of “potential security threats outside the gates.”
Senior Taliban leaders, including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, arrived in Kabul to take control. A Pentagon spokesman said U.S. commercial airlines may be asked to help transport the thousands of people fleeing Afghanistan.
Key stories and developments:
Taliban Rattles Gulf States Desperate to Keep Extremists at BayChina’s Warm Welcome for Taliban Sparks Backlash at HomeHere Are the Shadowy Taliban Leaders Now Running AfghanistanBiden Assured Allies in June U.S. Would Ensure Kabul’s StabilityWhy Taliban Triumph Revives Fear of al-Qaeda Revival: QuickTakeWhat Will the Taliban Do to a $22 Billion Economy?: EditorialWorld Must Show Afghan Girls They Aren’t Forgotten: Editorial
IMF Evacuates Employees (9:53 p.m. ET)
Local employees of the International Monetary Fund were successfully evacuated from Afghanistan on Saturday, according to a spokesman for the fund. Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva took to Twitter to thank Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki for assisting in the airlifting of IMF staff, without elaborating. The news came a day after the World Bank said in an internal staff memo that its staff and their immediate families were moved safely to Islamabad, Pakistan.
The safety and security of staff in Afghanistan has been a particular focus for the IMF since 2014, when the nation’s senior official for the nation and four United Nations workers were among 21 people killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul.
The IMF said on Wednesday that the new government in Afghanistan is cut off from using fund reserve assets because it lacks international recognition. The announcement came days before the nation was set to receive almost $500 million, depriving the Taliban of key resources. -- Eric Martin
Austin Pledges to Get Americans, Allies Out (8:27 p.m ET)
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said American troops will make sure the Kabul airfield remains secure and safe as evacuations continue.
“We’re going to look at every way, every means possible to get Americans citizens, third-country nationals, special immigrant visas applicants into the airfield,” Austin said in an excerpt of an interview with ABC News that will be aired Sunday.
U.S. Asks Airlines to Be Ready to Help (7:15 p.m. ET)
The Defense Department has asked U.S. airlines to be on standby to help transport U.S. citizens, Special Immigrant Visa applicants and other at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan, a Pentagon spokesman said.
U.S. carriers were warned Friday night of the possible activation of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, a program in which airlines commit planes to be available for military airlifts in an emergency, spokesman Chris Mitchell said in an emailed statement.
If activated, the planes would help move Afghans and others out of U.S. bases in Qatar, Bahrain and Germany, Dow Jones reported earlier Saturday, citing U.S. officials it didn’t identify. The Pentagon spokesman didn’t specify which airports or bases the planes might be used at.
Biden Discusses Terrorism With Key Advisers (2:55 p.m. ET)
U.S. President Joe Biden and his national security team discussed counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan, including the group known as ISIS-K, during a meeting on Saturday, a White House official said.
The group also discussed the airlift of U.S. citizens, Afghans who have applied for special visas and vulnerable Afghans out of Kabul, including efforts to set up additional third-country transit hubs for the flights, according to the official.
ISIS-K is short for Islamic State Khorasan, an Islamic militant group blamed for attacks on civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan and clashes with U.S., Afghan, and Pakistani security forces.
Canada Evacuated Another 106 Afghans on Friday (2:45 p.m. ET)
The flight, Canada’s second out of Kabul, also contained an undisclosed number of foreign nationals, senior government officials said during a press briefing.
Canada will continue its evacuation efforts as long as possible, the officials said, adding that the situation is “chaotic.” Canada’s first flight out of the city was on Thursday, carrying 175 Afghans and 13 foreign nationals.
Possible Islamic State Threat to Evacuees (1:11 p.m. ET)
A senior U.S. official said potential threats by the Islamic State group against Americans are forcing the U.S. military to find new ways for evacuees to reach the Kabul airport, the Associated Press reported.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.
Small groups of Americans and possibly other civilians will be given specific instructions on what to do, including movement to transit points where they can be gathered up by the military, the official said.
The comment may explain the U.S. embassy’s security alert earlier on “potential security threats outside the gates at the Kabul airport.”
Turkey’s Erdogan, Putin Agree on Coordinating Ties With Taliban (12:49 p.m. ET)
Turkey and Russia agreed to coordinate relations with the new government that will be formed in Afghanistan, according to the Turkish president’s office.
The agreement was reached during a phone call between Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, Erdogan’s office said.
Bilateral talks are going on everywhere. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also spoke to Erdogan on Saturday, Reuters reported.
France’s Emmanuel Macron spoke Friday with Dutch PM Mark Rutte, according to an Elysee official. They discussed the need to “concretely ensure solidarity between allies in order to evacuate European nationals and Afghans who have worked for the allies.” -- Seclan Hacaoglu and Samy Adghirini
U.S. Says Some Beaten Trying to Leave Kabul (12:05 p.m. ET)
U.S. military aircraft and charters airlifted another 3,800 people from Kabul in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the total to some 17,000 since the operation began on Aug. 14, Major General William Taylor told reporters at the Pentagon on Saturday.
While the U.S. Embassy issued an alert about “potential security threats” outside the gates of Kabul’s airport, Taylor said there’s “no reported change” there at this time.
Still, Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. may look at additional ways to secure the exit of Americans from Kabul.
“If there’s a need to do something different than what we are already doing to facilitate them getting into the airport, then we’ll certainly consider those options,” he said.
There’s been “a small number of cases” of Americans, as well as Afghans whom the U.S. wants to evacuate, being “harassed and in some cases beaten,” Kirby said. He said Rear Admiral Peter Vasely, the top U.S. commander in Kabul, has made it clear to Taliban commanders that such incidents as “unacceptable.”
“We have certainly made our concerns known,” Kirby said. “Not every Taliban fighter either got the word or decided to obey the word.” -- Tony Czuczka
Taliban Leaders Arrive in Kabul to Start Forming New Government (10 a.m. ET)
Commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, considered the Taliban’s top political leader, is likely to delegate people to form a new government over the next few days, according to reports.
Baradar is the main public face of the Taliban who will likely head the next government. He signed the peace accord between the Islamist group and the Trump administration in Doha in February 2020. Baradar returned this week, landing first in Kandahar in Afghanistan’s south, on a Qatari Air Force jet.
That deal between U.S. and Taliban officials that aimed to wind down the war in Afghanistan is seen as a key point on the timeline that eventually led to the fall of President Ashraf Ghani’s government.
Baradar is now in the Afghan capital to consult on what type of government will be in Kabul, Taliban official Zabihullah Mujahid told the Washington Post.
Another Taliban official told AFP that Baradar would meet with jihadi leaders and politicians, aiming at an “inclusive government set-up.”
He’s expected to meet with a range of stake-holders, including former government leaders, local militia commanders, policy makers and religious scholars.
The Taliban is targeting to unveil a new governing framework for Afghanistan in the next few weeks, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed spokesman for the group. -- Ros Krasny
Karzai, Abdullah Meet Taliban’s Kabul Appointee (4:57 a.m. ET)
Former President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, met with Abdul Rahman Mansour, the acting governor of Kabul for the Taliban.
“We discussed the security of the citizens of Kabul, & reiterated that protecting the life, property & dignity of the citizens of the capital should be prioritized,” Abdullah said in a post on Twitter. “We added that in order to return to normality in the capital Kabul, it is imperative that citizens of the capital feel safe & secure. Mr Mansour assured us that he would do everything possible for the security of the people of Kabul.”
Abdullah was once Afghanistan’s chief executive in a power-sharing agreement with exiled President Ghani, who fled the country as the Taliban entered the capital.
Abdullah also said he and Karzai met with Afghan leaders and politicians in recent days to discuss the current situation and ways of providing security to Afghans, especially those in Kabul.
Harris Says Priority is Getting Americans Out (9:15 p.m. ET)
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said the priority for the U.S. is to evacuate its citizens safely, adding that’s a big area of focus for her.
“We couldn’t have a higher priority right now,” she said. “In particular our priority is making sure that we safely evacuate American citizens, Afghans who worked with us,” including women and children.
“And it’s a big area of focus for me” and “will continue to be,” she added.
She spoke ahead of her flight to Asia, where she emphasized the U.S.’s role as a global leader, and that she’s making the trip in that context. -- Jenny Leonard
Biden Says U.S. Helping Americans, Afghan Allies, Others to Exit (2:01 p.m ET)
Biden said the U.S. is facilitating flights out of Kabul for Americans, Afghan allies and people from other countries who are seeking to exit.
“Any American who wants to come home -- we will get you home,” Biden said Friday at the White House.
“There will be plenty of time to criticize and second guess,” Biden said. “I’m focused on getting this job done.”
Biden said the U.S. made clear to the Taliban that any attack on U.S. forces, or disruption of operations at the airport, will be met with “swift and forceful response.” -- Justin Sink
Pressure Grows to Extend Biden’s Aug. 31 Deadline (11:40 a.m. ET)
Pressure is growing on Biden to extend his Aug. 31 deadline to pull out troops from Afghanistan.
Some NATO allies want the U.S. to remain at the Kabul airport until as many Afghan allies as possible are able to exit the country, said North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
“The limiting factor is to get people into the airport,” Stoltenberg said, demanding that the Taliban let people pass. -- Katharina Rosskopf
Taliban Kill Nine Afghans, Amnesty Says (1:30 p.m. HK)
Amnesty International said it has received witness reports that Taliban fighters in July massacred nine ethnic Hazara men in southeastern Ghazni after taking control of the province.
The group warned the killings represent a small proportion of the total death toll inflicted by the Taliban, as the group cuts mobile phone service in many areas recently captured, trying to slow or stop information from leaking out.
“These targeted killings are proof that ethnic and religious minorities remain at particular risk under Taliban rule in Afghanistan,” Agnés Callamard, the organization’s secretary general, said in the statement. -- Eltaf Najafizada
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