US "Focusing on Securing Kabul Airport Flights...Cannot Guarantee Evacuation of Afghan Locals"

"Unable to Guarantee Safe Passage to Kabul Airport"
Taliban Sets Up Checkpoints and Turns Away All Locals
Transported 2,000 People in 24 Hours... Falls Short of 9,000 Daily Target

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. Department of Defense is focusing on securing flights at Kabul Airport in Afghanistan, but has stated that ensuring safe passage to the airport is difficult, making it expected that it will be very challenging for Afghans who cooperated with U.S. forces to leave the country. The Taliban has set up checkpoints in front of the airport and has begun forcibly turning away local Afghans, but the U.S. military is reportedly unable to stop this. Over the past 24 hours, the U.S. military has only managed to evacuate 2,000 people from Kabul Airport, raising concerns that withdrawal operations may continue even after the August deadline for troop withdrawal.

On the 18th (local time), U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a press briefing, "The U.S. military is currently focused on securing flights at Kabul Airport and continues to communicate with the Taliban," but added, "However, we do not have the capability to assist Afghans outside the airport to reach the airport safely." Currently, 4,500 U.S. troops are gathered at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, and while the airport is under U.S. military control, the area outside the airport is under Taliban jurisdiction, meaning the situation outside the airport is uncontrollable.

The Taliban has reportedly set up checkpoints at the airport entrance, allowing foreigners to enter the airport but turning away local Afghans. The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan also issued a statement on the same day, saying, "It is difficult to guarantee safe passage for Americans residing in Afghanistan to Kabul Airport," and emphasized that Americans still in the country must urgently move to the airport.

Accordingly, concerns are rising that it will be difficult to guarantee the safety of Americans still residing in Afghanistan and Afghan locals who assisted the U.S. military. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, as of the previous day, about 11,000 Americans residing in Afghanistan, including Kabul, and 80,000 Afghan local collaborators are still in the country.

According to the Associated Press, thousands have flocked to the airport, but due to a shortage of flights, only 2,000 people were evacuated in the past 24 hours. The AP reported that this is far below the original target of 9,000 people per day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.