Despite reports that people are unable to reach the airport safely, State Department spokesman Ned Price said “we are doing everything we can.” He reiterated that the U.S. made it clear to the Taliban that “safe passage should be guaranteed for all of those who wish to transit to the airport.”
The Pentagon said it is working to ramp up evacuation efforts to reach its goal of airlifting 5,000 to 9,00 people from Afghanistan a day.
The State Department said Thursday that there are currently 6,000 fully processed evacuees at the Kabul airport waiting to board planes out of Afghanistan.
President Joe Biden has no plans to extend the August 31 evacuation deadline and continues to face criticism for his handle of the situation in Afghanistan.
Throughout Afghanistan, protests against Taliban rule continue. In honor of Afghanistan’s Independence Day, several Afghans took to the streets waving the Afghan national flag.
The Associated Press reported that Taliban soldiers violently dispersed protests, despite the group’s promise of moderation and tolerance.
World leaders doubled down on their calls for the Taliban to respect international humanitarian laws and put an end to violence in Afghanistan.
The live updates for this blog have ended.
KEY MOMENTS
Senate Committee to review actions of Trump, Biden administrations in Afghanistan Pentagon says it doesn’t know how many Americans are in Afghanistan UNESCO calls for the preservation of cultural heritage sites in Afghanistan G7 leaders will continue evacuation efforts and hold the Taliban accountable
The General Directorate of Physical Education and Sports of Afghanistan, a government institution that worked with sports groups, confirmed that Zaki Anwari fell off the plane to his death in a Facebook post Thursday.
“Anwari, like thousands of Afghan youths, wanted to leave the country but fell off a U.S. plane and died,” the group said.
Price said he is aware of reports of “congestion around the airport” and said the State Department is “working closely with the Department of Defense to facilitate safe and orderly access for consular processing on the airport compound.”
“My understanding is that things are moving quite efficiently at this hour at the airport now, but every report we see of someone unable to reach the airport is of concern,” Price said.
He added that the U.S. expects 20 planes to depart from Kabul tonight.
“We support the statement of the U.N. Security Council on 16 August, and affirmed our commitment in particular to the urgent need for the cessation of violence, respect for human rights including for women, children and minorities, inclusive negotiations about the future of Afghanistan, and the need for all parties to respect international humanitarian law,” the statement said.
The statement emphasized the “importance of the international community providing safe and legal resettlement routes” and called for the Taliban to “guarantee safe passage to foreign nationals and Afghans wanting to leave.”
“G7 Ministers will each engage with partners in the coming days and weeks to seek to secure an inclusive political settlement, enable life-saving humanitarian assistance and support in Afghanistan and the region, and prevent any further loss of life in Afghanistan and to the international community from terrorism.”
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice to pilots Thursday, the Associated Press reported.
“Due to a lack of high altitude air traffic control services, U.S. operators and pilots must receive authorization from the FAA to overfly Afghanistan,” the FAA said in a statement. “Any U.S. or foreign operator flying into Hamid Karzai International Airport must obtain prior permission from the U.S. Department of Defense.”
Draghi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the “situation on the ground in Afghanistan and its regional implications,” according to a statement from Draghi’s office.
“During the call the two leaders also assessed the guidelines that could inspire the action of the International Community in the different contexts, aiming to restore Afghanistan’s stability, fight terrorism and illegal trafficking and protect women’s rights,” the statement said.
Draghi also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the “implications of the Afghan crisis,” the “management of the migration flows and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms” in the country.
“The Afghans fleeing the Taliban regime served alongside America’s military forces and fought for freedom,” the statement said. “We’re grateful for their efforts and Arizona wholeheartedly welcomes our fair share of the refugees in our state.”
Ducey took a dig at President Joe Biden’s “poor response to growing tensions in the Middle East,” noting that the refugees “are in this position because of President Biden’s negligence and inability to lead.”
“His failure on this issue is a threat not just to the progress done for the people of Afghanistan, but also to the national security of the United States and our allies around the world,” Ducey said.
Nonetheless, Ducey said Arizona is ready to resettle refugees “when they have been cleared for entry into the United States.”
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), chairman of the committee, said the Trump administration’s “flawed negotiations” with the Taliban will be reviewed, as the U.S. and the Taliban signed a peace agreement in February 2020. He also said lawmakers will investigate what he described as the “Biden administration’s flawed execution of the U.S. withdrawal.”
“The Committee will seek a full accounting for these shortcomings as well as assess why the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces collapsed so quickly,” Menendez said in a statement.
READ MORE: “Biden, Trump Both Part of Foreign Relations Committee Investigation Into Afghanistan Takeover”
He added that “we have not experienced any additional security incidents at the airport.”
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby reiterated that point and said there have been “no hostile interactions” between the Taliban and U.S. troops or American citizens getting through to the Kabul airport.
Kirby said the Pentagon has seen “reports of the Taliban harassing, and physically so, some Afghans that were trying to move to the airport.”
He added that the U.S. military is in “constant communication” with the Taliban to “make sure that they have the same visibility on the people that we want to see get through as we do.”
“We maintain a watchful high and are continuously conducting in-depth assessments to protect the safety of Americans. We’ll use all of the tools in our arsenal to achieve this goal, Taylor said. “I want to reinforce that we are absolutely focused on this mission of national importance. We are committed to the safe evacuation of as many people as quickly and as safely as possible.”
The flights are providing air support, the general said.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the flights were “at altitude” and were “not low pass flights.”
When asked if the aircrafts are authorized to fire if U.S. troops and allies come under attack, Kirby said, “As always, we have the right to defend ourselves and our people and our operations.”
“We’re in communication with local Taliban commander about making sure at-risk Afghan SIV applicants get in,” Kirby said during Thursday’s press briefing.
He added that “we have indications this morning the process is working.”
When asked how many American citizens remain in Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said, “I don’t know” and referred to the State Department.
Kirby added that Americans do not have to register their presence when they enter a foreign country.
“There has been no decision to change the deadline, and we are focused on doing everything we can inside that deadline to move as many people out as possible,” Kirby said.
If the deadline is extended, Kirby said it would require additional discussion with the Taliban.
“I don’t believe those conversations have happened at this point,” he said.
The U.S. military has airlifted more than 2,00 people on C-17 flights in the past 24 hours. Kirby said 300 of those were American citizens or legal permanent residents.
Since evacuation operations began on August 14, 7,000 evacuees have been airlifted out of Afghanistan. About 12,000 U.S. citizens and personnel and SIV applicants have been evacuated since July, Taylor said.
Kirby clarifies these figures represent operations on U.S. military flights.
“Any damage or loss of cultural heritage will only have adverse consequences on the prospects for lasting peace and humanitarian relief for the people of Afghanistan,” UNESCO said in a statement.
Such cultural heritage sites include the Old City of Herat, the National Museum in Kabul and UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam and the Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley.
UNESCO also emphasized the need for “a safe environment” for artists and cultural heritage professionals who “play a central role for Afghanistan’s national cohesion and social fabric.”
U.S. Army Major General William Taylor said that over 500 members of the Afghan security forces were assisting thousands of U.S. troops with security at the airport as people try to flee the country amid the Taliban’s takeover.
“I don’t think we know what’s going to happen to journalists … and all other female journalists,” he said. “We know that the Taliban stopped female journalists [from] going to the state broadcaster, which the Taliban fully control now. The independent and private broadcasters, I think we still have to determine, see what’s going to happen to them.”
Shabnam Dawran, a journalist at RTA or Afghanistan’s national radio television, released a video statement Wednesday claiming she was not allowed to go into work, although her male colleagues were permitted in the office.
“I was warned that you cannot continue with your job as the regime has changed,” she said. “Here there are major threats against us. If people of the world hear my voice, if charitable organizations hear my voice, they should help us because our life is at great risk.”
“The idea that we’re able to deal with the rights of women around the world by military force is not rational,” Biden said in an interview with ABC News.
Instead, Biden said the best way to ensure women are treated fairly by the Taliban is through economic and diplomatic pressure.
“There are a lot of places where women are being subjugated,” he said. “The way to deal with that is putting economic, diplomatic and international pressure on them to change their behavior.”
When asked if he believes the Taliban has changed, Biden said the group is “going through an existential crisis.”
“I think they’re going through sort of an existential crisis about do they want to be recognized by the international community as being a legitimate government. I’m not sure they do,” Biden said.
The United Nations has called on the Taliban to respect human rights laws and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the Taliban must respect the U.N Security Council resolution on human rights to earn access to payments of development assistance.
Additionally, 47 percent approve of President Joe Biden’s management of international affairs and 52 percent approve of Biden on national security.
The poll was conducted from August 12 to 16 as the two-decade war in Afghanistan came to an end as U.S. troops pulled out and the Taliban overtook control of the country.
READ MORE:“Majority of Americans Say Afghanistan War Not Worth Fighting as U.S. Evacuates: Poll”
Ashura is the tenth day of Muharram - the first month in the Islamic calendar. For Muslims, it marks the day when Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, was killed during the Battle of Karbala.
The procession is being monitored by Taliban fighters but the event has been peaceful so far.
He declined to say why or provide further details but cited a deterioirating situation in Kabul. Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok confirmed 16 Slovak nationals and four Afghan including a 10-month old baby - was the full capacity of the military transport plane.
Prime Minister Eduard Heger says his country is coordinating further steps with allies.
Borrell confirmed that 106 EU staff from Afghanistan have been evacuated so far but that “there are still 300 more Afghan staff from European Union delegations blocked on the streets of Kabul, trying to reach the airport and trying to have a seat on some of the European Union member states flights”.
Borrell admitted the situation in Afghanistan’s capital - and the country as a whole - was a “catastrophe”.
It said in a statement that “the particularly difficult security conditions in Kabul meant that the access of other groups of Romanian citizens to the airport could not be achieved”.
The aircraft evacuated a NATO employee yesterday evening, had military personnel and a mobile consular team onboard ready to provide “specialized assistance”.
It is set to return to Kabul airport to continue evacuating Romanian citizens, officials said, with around 30 registered as present in Afghanistan.
Biden made his comments during an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. The interview, broadcast yesterday night, was Biden’s first since the militant group seized control of the country.
It said 35 Dutch nationals - alongside citizens from Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. The government says it has now airlifted 50 Dutch nationals out of Kabul in total.
A Dutch “consular crisis team” along with dozens of troops to protect them flew into the Afghan capital yesterday.
“A humanitarian crisis of incredible proportions is unfolding before our eyes,” warned Mary Ellen McGroarty, the head of the World Food Program in Afghanistan.
Thursday marked Afghanistan’s Independence Day, which commemorates the 1919 treaty that ended British rule in the country.
A Taliban spokesperson told the Associated Press:
Thousands continue to wait for flights as the Taliban urge people to stay away.
Follow Newsweek’s liveblog throughout Thursday for all the latest.
