The United States has moved over 25,100 people out of Afghanistan since last Sunday after the Taliban took control of Kabul.
But thousands are still trapped and fearing for their lives as these Taliban militants are sweeping the entire country as the deadline date comes near. The United Kingdom government have reported last Sunday that seven people have died after a stamped over the crowds at the airport.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Sunday as the Biden administration faces a decision whether to withdraw troops by May 1 as required in a U.S. agreement with the Taliban.
For the record, Austin, the first member of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet to travel to the country, met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Army Gen. Scott Miller, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, according to the press pool traveling with Austin. He confirmed in his tweet that he wrote, “I came to Afghanistan to listen and learn, the visit was very helpful” and will help inform the administration’s decisions about Afghanistan.
The Pentagon has orders commercial airlines to provide planes for Afghan evacuees, it was confirmed that there will be 18 aircraft can be used from United, American, Delta, and Hawaiian airlines but they will not fly directly to Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport as the situation there is still dangerous. Instead, an “onward movement of passengers from temporary safe havens and interim staging bases” so the military aircraft can focus on operations in and out of Kabul as confirmed by Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.
This will be the third time that the Civil Reserve Air Fleet has been activated, Previously was in support of Operations Desert Shield/Storm from August 1990 to May 1991 during the Gulf War; the second was for Operation Iraqi Freedom from February 2002 to June 2003 during the invasion of Iraq.
By that, there is also an increasing concern about the security in the Afghan capital, reportedly about 5,800 U.S Troops are protecting.
Jake Sullivan said in a quote, “At the moment, we believe we have sufficient forces on the ground, but every single day, the president asks his military commanders, including those at the airport and those at the Pentagon, whether they need additional resources, additional troops. So far, the answer has been no. But he will ask again today.” He also confirmed that “roughly a few thousand Americans remain in the country.”
I just hope this evacuation plan will work. I am more concerned about the increasing number of casualties because of a selfish decision, “The buck stops with me.”
Sources: NBC News, Defense.Gov, NBC News: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin makes unannounced visit to Afghanistan