Biden: "Accept Refugees at US Military Bases Worldwide"... Considering Extension of Withdrawal Deadline and Additional Troop Deployment (Comprehensive)

Biden: "Accepted in 24 Countries Across 4 Continents"
Refugee Screening Conducted Before US Entry
USFK May Also Accommodate Refugees
Crowds at Kabul Airport Increase Chaos
Additional Local Troop Deployment Under Review
Civilian Aircraft Mobilized for Refugee Transport

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondents Baek Jong-min and Kim Su-hwan] U.S. President Joe Biden announced that refugees evacuated from Afghanistan will first be accommodated at U.S. military bases and other third-party locations around the world, where security and refugee screenings will be conducted. This has raised speculation that U.S. Forces Korea might also host Afghan refugees. Additionally, President Biden hinted that the withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan, originally scheduled for August 31, could be postponed. The U.S. Department of Defense also stated it is considering additional troop deployments to support evacuation operations.

"Refugees to be housed at U.S. military bases worldwide"

On the 22nd (local time), President Biden said in a White House speech, "Planes carrying refugees departing from Kabul will not come directly to the United States," adding, "We plan to first send them to transit points such as U.S. military bases in foreign locations."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

He further stated that Afghan refugees will be "accommodated across 24 countries on 4 continents." President Biden emphasized that housing refugees in third countries is to conduct refugee screenings before their entry into the United States, saying, "Only those who pass the screening will be allowed to come to the U.S. mainland."

President Biden added, "Refugees who have applied for Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) have been transferred to places like Qatar, Germany, Kuwait, and Spain, where they are undergoing refugee screenings." He also mentioned ongoing consultations with leaders of key countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Italy.

President Biden did not specify whether U.S. Forces Korea bases would accommodate refugees. However, he said, "We are in discussions with numerous countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe regarding refugee accommodation."

Earlier, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the U.S. government is reportedly considering housing Afghan evacuees at overseas U.S. military bases, including those in South Korea.

On the 5th, U.S. military self-propelled artillery and vehicles were on standby at Camp Casey, a U.S. military base in Dongducheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) spokesperson Lee Peters told Voice of America (VOA) that "So far, USFK has not been tasked with providing temporary accommodation or other support to people departing from Afghanistan." Peters added, "If such orders are given, we will cooperate with the South Korean government."

President Biden also stated, "If necessary to evacuate Americans and allied nationals in Afghanistan, we will consider extending the troop withdrawal deadline."

The consideration of extending the withdrawal deadline is seen as an acknowledgment that the Afghanistan withdrawal is not an easy task. President Biden said that since the 14th, 28,000 people have been evacuated, but "there is still a long way to go and many things can still go wrong," adding, "Escaping Afghanistan will be difficult and painful. There is no way to evacuate many people without hardship."

Additional troop deployments under consideration... Defense Department to mobilize civilian aircraft

Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor, hinted at the possibility of additional troop deployments in an interview with NBC News. He said, "Currently, we believe we have sufficient troops on the ground, but President Joe Biden asks the military leadership daily whether additional troops are needed."

John Kirby, U.S. Department of Defense Spokesperson
Photo by AP Yonhap News

The U.S. has temporarily redeployed 6,000 troops to Kabul airport ahead of the withdrawal deadline at the end of this month. However, as Afghans attempting to flee have crowded the airport, causing increased chaos and raising the risk of terrorist attacks, the need for additional troop deployments has emerged.

Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Defense has decided to mobilize civilian aircraft to transport refugees. On this day, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby announced the formation of a civilian reserve air fleet to assist Afghan evacuees. This includes 18 aircraft from civilian airlines such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, and United Airlines.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Kirby explained that these aircraft will not enter Kabul but will exit Afghanistan and transport refugees to U.S. military bases in Europe, the Middle East, and other locations.

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