As of: 08/19/2021 8:08 a.m.
Originally, the US military wanted to have the withdrawal from Afghanistan completed by the end of August. But now US President Biden has announced that the troops will remain until all Americans have been removed from the country.
US President Joe Biden has not ruled out that US troops to evacuate US Americans could stay in Kabul beyond August 31. “If there are still American citizens there, we’ll stay until we get them all out,” Biden told ABC. It now depends on how things will continue in the coming days and whether 5000 to 7000 people will soon be able to fly out a day. “If that’s the case, they’ll all be out.”
Regarding the Afghan aid workers, Biden said: “The obligation is to get out everyone we can get out and everyone who should be taken out.” Biden spoke of about 50,000 to 65,000 helpers including their families. According to its own information, the US military has so far evacuated a good 5,000 people.
There are currently around 4,500 US soldiers stationed at Kabul Airport, and there will soon be 6,000. The soldiers are supposed to ensure the security of the airport and, among other things, organize the evacuation of Americans and former Afghan employees of the US armed forces.
“Chaos” was inevitable
According to Biden, the chaos during the withdrawal of US troops was inevitable – due to the collapse of the Afghan government, the military and the rapid takeover of power by the Taliban. Biden said he did not know how one could have managed to pull the trigger “without chaos” in view of this situation.
When asked if the US government made mistakes in the face of the recent chaos at the Kabul airport, or if the situation could have been dealt with better, Biden replied, “No. I don’t think we could manage it in any way ( …) to get out without chaos. I don’t know how to do that. “
No warning from the secret services
The US military, meanwhile, said there had been no warnings from the intelligence services predicting such a rapid collapse of the government and armed forces in Afghanistan. “There was nothing I saw, or anyone else, that indicated a collapse of this army and government within eleven days,” said Chief of Staff Mark Milley. There have been several scenarios, including a rapid takeover of power by the Taliban after a collapse. “But the time frame for a quick collapse was widely estimated to be weeks, months, or even years after we left,” Milley continued.
Biden also confirmed this knowledge in the ABC interview. When asked about his remarks last month that the Taliban would take over power was “highly unlikely,” Biden said there was “no consensus” within the intelligence services at the time on the forecasts for Afghanistan. At that time it was said that a takeover of power was more likely towards the end of the year.
US media had recently reported, citing intelligence circles, that the government should have received internal warnings of a possibly very rapid collapse.
Merkel on the phone with Biden: Cooperation with Afghanistan agreed
Alfred Schmit, ARD Berlin, August 19, 2021 8:50 am