Thousands of Afghans and Westerners have gathered at Kabul's airport in the hopes of fleeing Afghanistan's new Taliban overlords, and US President Joe Biden is set to make a decision as soon as Tuesday on whether to extend an August 31 deadline for airlifting Americans and their friends to safety.
On Sunday, Biden warned that the evacuation would be "hard and painful" and that a lot might still go wrong. According to him, US troops may stay over the August 31 deadline to supervise the evacuation.
An administration official told Reuters on Monday that Biden would decide whether to extend the deadline to allow the Pentagon more time to prepare within 24 hours.
Beyond the need to evacuate thousands of Americans, nationals of ally countries, and Afghans who assisted US forces, officials from the Department of Defense indicated it would take days to fly out the 6,000 troops assigned to secure and manage the airlift.
For security grounds, some Biden advisers argued against extending the self-imposed deadline. On Tuesday, Biden could make his plans known during a virtual summit of the Group of Seven wealthy nations.
The anticipation, according to two US sources, was that the evacuations would continue through August 31. According to a senior State Department source, the United States' commitment to at-risk Afghans "doesn't end on Aug. 31."
After a briefing on Afghanistan by intelligence officials later on Monday, Democratic U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters that he did not believe the evacuation could be completed in the eight days remaining.
"I believe it's possible," Schiff said, "but I believe it's extremely unlikely given the number of Americans who still need to be evacuated."
Foreign forces had not requested an extension, according to a Taliban official, and if they had, it would not be granted. Negotiations, according to Washington, are still ongoing.
Jake Sullivan, the White House national security advisor, said the US was in daily negotiations with the Taliban and making "enormous progress" in evacuating Americans and others.
Some 10,900 people were evacuated from Kabul between 3 a.m. and 3 p.m. local time on Monday, bringing the total number of persons evacuated to 48,000 since August 14.
Given concerns about reaching the airport, terrorist threats, and lengthy processing procedures, US defense sources told Reuters that practically everything would have to go perfectly to extract every American citizen by Aug. 31.
The US had discussed future management of the airport with the Taliban, as well as with US partners and friends, according to State Department spokesman Ned Price.
'DOES IT STILL AFFECT? YES'
The Taliban's quick takeover and accompanying instability in Afghanistan have roiled US politics, with opposition Republicans slamming Biden for the withdrawal, which was ordered by Trump's Republican predecessor. Biden's popularity has dwindled in recent polls.
Biden's Democratic colleagues in Congress, who now control the House, have committed to looking into what went wrong in Afghanistan in recent weeks and throughout the 20-year fight, which is America's longest war.
The formidable US military, on the other hand, has been dealing with the collapse of US-backed Afghan forces after 20 years of training.
"Was it all worthwhile? Yes. Is it still bothering you? Yes, indeed "The commandant of the Marine Corps, General David Berger, addressed a memo to Marines.
The issues at the airport were highlighted on Monday when Afghan guards and unidentified gunmen engaged in a shootout. According to the German military, both German and American forces were participating.
Speaking to a big crowd in Kabul, a local Taliban militant urged Afghans to stay.
"What happened to our honor? What happened to our dignity? "The unnamed militant stated. "We will not allow the Americans to remain in this country. They'll have to get out of here. We shall fight until our last breath, whether it is with a rifle or a pen."
COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS
The Taliban seized power last week when the US and its allies evacuated troops from Afghanistan following the September 11th attacks. Since then, panicked Afghans and foreigners have flocked to the airport, clamoring to board any available flight out. Many fear retaliation and a return to the Taliban's harsh form of Islamic law, which they imposed from 1996 to 2001.
As international forces attempt to restore order, twenty individuals have been murdered, the majority in gunfire and stampedes. According to the US military, one Afghan soldier was killed and three others were injured in the confrontation on Monday.
British evacuations, according to a British government spokeswoman, will be halted after US soldiers leave. More time is also required, according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Heiko Maas, Germany's foreign minister, said the virtual G7 meeting must decide whether to extend the deadline and how to improve airport access.
Aid shipments were also hampered by the airport congestion. Because Kabul airport was closed to commercial aircraft, tons of medical supplies were trapped, according to the World Health Organization.
Since seizing Kabul, Taliban leaders have sought to project a more moderate image, and have begun negotiations on building a government, while their soldiers focus on the last pockets of resistance.
