WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden said Tuesday the United States (US) intends to complete its pullout from Afghanistan by August 31.
“The sooner we can finish, the better,” Biden said of the plan to evacuate Americans, Afghan nationals and US troops from Taliban-controlled Kabul.
“Each day of operations brings added risk to our troops.”
The US president said he had discussed the evacuation with Group of Seven leaders earlier Tuesday and they agreed to “continue our close cooperation to get people out as efficiently and safely as possible.”
“We are currently on the pace to finish by August 31,” said Biden, who has been under pressure from some European leaders to extend the deadline to ensure the evacuation of everyone who is seeking to flee the country.
He said meeting the August 31 deadline was contingent “upon the Taliban continuing to cooperate and allow access to the airport for those who we re transporting out.”
“I ve asked the Pentagon and the State Department for contingency plans to adjust the timetable should that become necessary,” Biden added.
The Taliban have been “taking steps to work with us” so far, Biden said.
US-led troops have ramped up operations to get thousands of people out of Kabul by August 31 — the deadline set by the US before the fall of the capital for all foreign troops to have pulled out.
– It will not be enough –
The Taliban urged skilled Afghans not to flee the country on Tuesday and warned the United States and its NATO allies they would not accept an extension to the evacuation deadline.
A spokesman for the group told America to stop taking “Afghan experts,” such as engineers and doctors, out of the country.
“This country needs their expertise. They should not be taken to other countries,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a press conference in the capital.
European nations have said they would not be able to airlift all at-risk Afghans before the August 31 cut-off, and Biden has faced calls from all corners to extend the evacuation window.
Mujahid said the Islamist group opposes an extension.
“They have planes, they have the airport, they should get their citizens and contractors out of here,” he said.
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