18:31 24/08/2021
The US military has flown the largest number of evacuation flights from Afghanistan since the operation began, but deadly violence that has blocked many desperate to evacuate from entering Kabul airport continued and the Taliban signaled they may soon seek to interrupt air transport.
Amid the tense operation to get people out of the country, CIA Director William Burns secretly went to Kabul on Monday to meet with the Taliban's top political leader, a US official told The Associated Press.
About 21,600 people flew out of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in the 24-hour period that ended early Tuesday, the White House said.
Thirty-seven US military flights evacuated approximately 12,700 people, another 8,900 were transported by 57 Allied aircraft.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the faster pace of evacuation was due in part to coordination with Taliban commanders to get evacuees into the airport.
"Until now, and beyond, coordination and continued avoidance of conflict with the Taliban is needed," Mr. Kirby said. "We have seen that this method has worked well in terms of access and flow of people, as well as reducing the size of crowds outside the airport."
CIA Director Burns and the Taliban's top political leader, Abdul Ghani Baradar, held a secret meeting in Kabul on Monday as the evacuations continued. The Washington Post was the first to report Mr. Burns' meeting. The US official later confirmed the meeting to the AP agency.
With access still difficult, the US military left the airport to conduct another helicopter transport of Americans. US officials said a military helicopter picked up 16 US citizens on Monday and brought them to the airport for evacuation. This was at least the second such rescue mission beyond the airport.
President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said at the White House that talks with the Taliban are continuing as the administration looks for additional ways to safely move more Americans and others to Kabul's airport by the end of August. .
"We are in talks with the Taliban every day through political and security channels," he said, adding that ultimately it will be up to President Biden to decide whether to continue military-led evacuation operations beyond August 31. the date he has set for the completion of the troop withdrawal.
California Democratic lawmaker Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters he had a hard time envisioning the airlift being completed by Aug. 31.
The Pentagon said it has added a fourth US military base, in New Jersey in addition to those in Virginia, Texas and Wisconsin - which have been prepared to temporarily house Afghans coming to the United States. Major General Hank Williams, the Joint Chiefs of Staff's deputy director for regional operations, told reporters that 1,200 Afghans are currently at the bases. The four bases together are capable of housing up to 25,000 evacuees, Mr Kirby said.VOA
Source of information @TvKlan: Read more at: www.botasot.al
