U.S. has capacity to evacuate remaining Americans, White House says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has the capacity to evacuate the approximately 300 U.S. citizens remaining in Afghanistan who want to leave before President Joe Biden’s Tuesday deadline, senior administration officials said, as rocket fire in Kabul and another U.S. drone strike against suspected Islamic State militants underscored the grave threat in the war’s final days.

“This is the most dangerous time in an already extraordinarily dangerous mission these last couple of days,” said America’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, not long before confirmation of the drone strike in Kabul.

Biden Defends U.S. Withdraw From Afghanistan:, ‘I Stand Squarely Behind My Decision’.On Monday, Biden delivered a speech addressing the recent turmoil in Afghanistan. .The Taliban seized control of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital,marking the collapse of the nation’s government.Biden said that despitethe current chaos he stands “squarely behind[his] decision” to withdraw U.S. troops. .I stand squarely behind my decision …After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way thatthere was never a good time to withdraw, Joe Biden, via 'NYT'.He said to staywould be to “[lurch] into the third decade of conflict.”.The choice I had to make as your presidentwas either to follow through on the agreementto drawdown our forces … or escalatingthe conflict and sending thousands moreAmerican troops back into combat andlurching into the third decade of conflict, Joe Biden, via 'NYT'.Biden admitted that the Taliban’s retaking ofcontrol “unfold[ed] more quickly” than anticipated. .We were clear-eyed about the risks, weplanned for every contingency. But I alwayspromised the American people I would bestraight with you … The truth is, this didunfold more quickly than we had anticipated, Joe Biden, via 'NYT'.However, Biden insisted that the blame of the Talibantakeover lay on the country’s political leaders and military. .Afghanistan political leaders gave upand fled the country … If anything, thedevelopments of the past week reinforcethat ending U.S. military involvement inAfghanistan now was the right decision, Joe Biden, via 'NYT'.The U.S. military currently has control of Kabul’s airport andis evacuating embassy staffers and allied personnel.A total of 6,000 U.S. troops were authorizedfor deployment to Afghanistan by Biden on Saturday toassist in an “orderly and safe drawdown.”.… to make sure we can have an orderly andsafe drawdown of US personnel and other alliedpersonnel and an orderly and safe evacuationof Afghans who helped our troops duringour mission and those at special risk fromthe Taliban advance, Joe Biden, via 'NYT'

The steady stream of U.S. military jets taking off and landing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan’s capital continued Monday even after rocket fire targeted the airport. No one claimed responsibility for the rockets, which hit a nearby neighborhood. U.S. Central Command spokesman Bill Urban said five rockets targeted the airport and a U.S. defensive system on the airfield known as a Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar System, or C-RAM, was employed against them. He said there were no U.S. casualties and the airfield continued to operate. Further details were not immediately available. The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the rocket attack.

Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Sunday that for those U.S. citizens seeking immediately to leave Afghanistan by the looming deadline, “we have the capacity to have 300 Americans, which is roughly the number we think are remaining, come to the airport and get on planes in the time that is remaining.”

Scene at Kabul Airport Turns Chaotic, as Afghans Attempt to Flee Taliban Takeover.A day after the capital city fell to the Taliban.Afghan residents stormed the Kabul International Airport by the thousands.President Joe Biden announced on Aug. 15 that an additional 1,000 U.S. troops would be deployed to the city.in order to facilitate the evacuation of thousands of U.S. officials and civilians.The "most vulnerable" Afghans will also be evacuated, though it was unclear exactly who would be included.While U.S. troops commanded control of the airport.Afghan civilians rushed entrances and boarding gates in an attempt to gain access to two civilian aircraft on the tarmac.Some attempted to grab onto U.S. military planes as they taxied the runway before take-off.According to the Afghan Civil Aviation Authority, all civilian air travel in and out of the city has been halted.It has pleaded with Kabul residents to stay away from the airport.The location is one of the few places that remains outside of Taliban control, .though photos showed armed Taliban members observing the airport chaos.The U.S. maintained a significant presence in Afghanistan for 20 years.Since the announcement of U.S. withdrawal, it has taken the Taliban roughly a month to seize every major city

The White House said Monday morning that about 1,200 people were evacuated from Kabul over the prior 24 hours aboard 26 U.S. military flights and two allied flights.

Sullivan said the U.S. does not currently plan to have an ongoing embassy presence after the final U.S. troop withdrawal. But he pledged the U.S. “will make sure there is safe passage for any American citizen, any legal permanent resident” after Tuesday, as well as for “those Afghans who helped us.” But untold numbers of vulnerable Afghans, fearful of a return to the brutality of pre-2001 Taliban rule, are likely to be left behind.

Blinken said the U.S. was working with other countries in the region to either keep the Kabul airport open after Tuesday or to reopen it “in a timely fashion.”

He also said that while the airport is critical, “there are other ways to leave Afghanistan, including by road and many countries border Afghanistan.” The U.S., he said, is “making sure that we have in place all of the necessary tools and means to facilitate the travel for those who seek to leave Afghanistan” after Tuesday.

There also are roughly 280 others who have said they are Americans but who have told the State Department they plan to remain in the country or are still undecided. According to the latest totals, about 114,000 people have been evacuated since Aug. 14, including approximately 2,900 on military and coalition flights during the 24 hours ending at 3 a.m. Sunday.

Members of Congress criticized the chaotic and violent evacuation.

“We didn’t have to be in this rush-rush circumstance with terrorists breathing down our neck,” said Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah. “But it’s really the responsibility of the prior administration and this administration that has caused this crisis to be upon us and has led to what is without question a humanitarian and foreign policy tragedy.”

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said the U.S. policy in Afghanistan, with 2,500 troops on the ground, had been working. “We were, in effect, keeping the lid on, keeping terrorists from reconstituting, and having a light footprint in the country,” he said.

U.S. officials said Sunday’s American drone strike hit a vehicle carrying multiple Islamic State suicide bombers, causing secondary explosions indicating the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material. A senior U.S. official said the military drone fired a Hellfire missile at a vehicle in a compound between two buildings after individuals were seen loading explosives into the trunk.

Pentagon Orders Commercial Airlines, to Assist in Afghanistan Evacuation.Pentagon Orders Commercial Airlines, to Assist in Afghanistan Evacuation.Six commercial airlines were ordered to provide 18 aircraft to assist in the evacuation of "U.S. citizens and personnel" from Afghanistan.The Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) is a decades-old program in which commercial aircraft ...... are utilized by the U.S. military to assist in a “major national defense emergency.”.The program was last put into effect during both of the Iraq Wars.CRAF activation provides the Department of Defense access to commercial air mobility resources to augment our support to the Department of State .., John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary, via NBC News.... in the evacuation of U.S. citizens and personnel, Special Immigrant Visa applicants, and other at-risk individuals from Afghanistan, John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary, via NBC News.The Department does not anticipate a major impact to commercial flights from this activation, John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary, via NBC News.The aircraft provided by major U.S. carriers will not fly directly into Kabul.... where the evacuation crisis continues to spiral since the city was overtaken by the Taliban.Instead, the aircraft will act as transport for those who have already been evacuated from Kabul, .... moving them to military bases and other destinations in both Europe and the Middle East.This will allow U.S. military aircraft to continue to conduct the evacuations out of Kabul.President Joe Biden stated on Aug. 22 that non-U.S. citizens who are evacuated will receive "thorough security screening.".The airline carriers involved in CRAF include America Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines

The official said there was an initial explosion caused by the missile, followed by a much larger fireball, believed to be the result of the substantial amount of explosives inside the vehicle. The U.S. believes that two Islamic State group individuals who were targeted were killed.

In a statement, U.S. Central Command said it is looking into the reports of civilian casualties that may have been caused by the secondary explosions. An Afghan official said three children were killed in the strike. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

It was the second airstrike in recent days the U.S. has conducted against the militant group, which claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing Thursday at the Kabul airport gate that killed 13 U.S. service members and scores of Afghans struggling to get out of the country and escape the new Taliban rule. The Pentagon said a U.S. drone mission in eastern Afghanistan killed two members of IS’ Afghanistan affiliate early Saturday local time in retaliation for the airport bombing.

In Delaware, Biden met privately with the families of the American troops killed in the suicide attack, and solemnly watched as the remains of the fallen returned to U.S. soil from Afghanistan. First lady Jill Biden and many of the top U.S. defense and military leaders joined him on the tarmac at Dover Air Force Base to grieve with loved ones as the “dignified transfer” of remains unfolded, a military ritual for those killed in foreign combat.

The 13 service members were the first U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan since February 2020, the month the Trump administration struck an agreement with the Taliban in which the militant group halted attacks on Americans in exchange for a U.S. agreement to remove all troops and contractors by May 2021. Biden announced in April that the 2,500 to 3,000 troops who remained would be out by September, ending what he has called America’s forever war.

The White House has rescheduled Biden’s meeting with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, from Monday to Wednesday as the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan enters its tense final hours.

Sullivan appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” CNN’s “State of the Union” and “Fox News Sunday.” Blinken was interviewed on ABC’s “This Week” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.” McConnell was on Fox and Romney was on CNN.

About the Author

The Associated Press