Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Tuesday that Afghans should stop arriving at Kabul’s international airport, and militant groups reiterated that they did not agree to extend the U.S. military withdrawal deadline to August 31. ..
Important reason: Evacuation efforts have increased significantly in the last 48 hours, but given Mujahideen’s statement that “I do not agree with allowing Afghan people to leave,” the windows to complete surgery soon begin to close. There is a possibility.
Stay up to date with the latest market trends and economic insights at Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
What he says: Mr Mujahid said traveling to the airport is dangerous and instead Afghans should stay in the country and help rebuild the airport. He also claimed that the Taliban would guarantee their security after the United States left.
-
Afghans continue to flee and apparently do not trust such guarantees from the Taliban. There are reports of retaliation for the exiled government or for those who worked with NATO troops.
-
Mujahid appears to be partially responding to concerns about brain drain from Afghanistan, with many educated people trying to escape.
Line spacing: The Taliban said Afghans could still get a passport and fly out of the country after the U.S. took over control of the airport, but how the airport will operate after the U.S. military leaves. It is unknown.
State of play: President Biden attends a G7 virtual conference with Allied leaders Expected to put pressure on him to seek an extension on August 31st A deadline to give them more time to evacuate their citizens, Afghans working with NATO troops, and others who may be vulnerable under the Taliban.
-
Mujahideen said the Taliban saw August 31 as a firm deadline and said it had enough time to take foreigners out before that, in the interests of both parties.
-
However, he continued to try to reach the airport to return to the crowded Afghans outside the airport.
Mujahideen also seems to have confirmed the report Women were told not to return to work in offices or government ministries, but claimed that it was due to temporary safety concerns and that women could eventually return to work.
-
He did not confirm or deny reports that the Taliban political director Abdul Ghani Baradar had secretly met with CIA Secretary Bill Burns on Monday.
Dig deeper: The leaked email describes the situation for Afghan refugees
More Axios Information: Sign up to get the latest market trends at Axios Markets. Subscribe for free