US evacs 700 incl 150 Americans from kabul airport.
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https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/live-updates-taliban-gain-more-ground-in-afghanistan-as-they-close-in-on-kabulUS evacuates more than 700 from Afghanistan's Kabul airport: LIVE UPDATES
A former senior U.S. defense official who has been in contact with American commanders on the ground in Kabul tells Fox News that “the Taliban have a ring outside of the airport and won’t let anyone inside it.”
Covered by: Fox News, Greg Norman, Michael Ruiz, Peter Aitken, Adam Shaw, Lucas Tomlinson, Lucas Manfredi, Edmund DeMarche and Louis Casiano
President Biden said the U.S. mission was never to have been nation building during a televised address where he defended his decision to pull troops from Afghanistan.
Sen. Jack Reed, the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called for hearings at a later date to learn about what went wrong in Afghanistan but said the focus should now be on evacuations.
A military cargo plane leaving Kabul’s international airport late Sunday packed 640 Afghans inside amid unfolding chaos in the country as the Taliban continues to take over.
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7 min(s) ago
Pentagon in talks with Taliban over evacuation efforts, officials say
Fox News National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin is reporting on the latest developments in Afghanistan.
Evacuation flights from Kabul have resumed but “how long they will last rests with the Taliban,” she says.
“Pentagon officials say they are in talks with the Taliban to allow certain categories of individuals – diplomats, journalists and western aid workers through the cordon,” Griffin adds.
A former senior U.S. defense official who has been in contact with American commanders on the ground in Kabul told Fox News’ Bret Baier that “the Taliban have a ring outside of the airport and won’t let anyone inside it.”
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Posted by Greg Norman
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24 min(s) ago
NATO leader: ‘Lessons that need to be learned’ following Taliban takeover
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that “there are lessons that need to be learned” at NATO following the sudden fall of the Afghan government.
Stoltenberg, according to the Associated Press, added that the “Afghan political leadership failed to stand up” and “this failure of Afghan leadership led to the tragedy we are witnessing today.”
He reportedly made the remarks following a meeting with NATO envoys regarding the security implications of the Taliban retaking Afghanistan.
Posted by Greg Norman
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35 min(s) ago
American evacuations by the numbers
U.S. soldiers stand guard along a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday. (AP)
A White House official tells Fox News’ Brooke Singman that more than 700 people -- including 150 American citizens -- have been flown out of Kabul in the last 24 hours as evacuation flights have resumed.
The official said nearly 1,000 American troops have been flown in to join the 3,500 already on the ground and more are expected to arrive in the coming hours.
Meanwhile, the State Department has sent messages to some American citizens in Kabul telling them how to safely assemble at the airport for upcoming departures.
Posted by Greg Norman
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49 min(s) ago
German plane leaves Afghanistan with only 7 evacuees
A German military plane that landed in Kabul Monday as part of the evacuation efforts managed to only get 7 people on board before taking off again, Reuters reports.
"Because of the chaotic circumstances at the [Kabul] airport and regular exchanges of fire at the point of access, it was not ensured that further German nationals and other people to be evacuated would gain access to the airport at all without the protection of the [German military],” its foreign ministry said in a statement to Deutsche Welle in explaining why so few people were picked up.
A second German plane that departed Kabul on Tuesday carried more than 120 people including Germans, Afghans and people from other countries, according to a tweet from Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
Posted by Greg Norman
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2 hour(s) ago
Evacuation flights ongoing out of Kabul
At least 12 military flights carrying evacuees have taken off from Kabul’s airport on Tuesday, a diplomat tells Reuters.
A Western security official on the ground also told the news agency that the number of Afghans on the airport’s runways has thinned out.
"Runway in Kabul international airport is open. I see airplanes landing and taking off," Stefano Pontecorvo, NATO Senior Civilian Representative to Afghanistan, posted on Twitter.
Posted by Greg Norman
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4 hour(s) ago
Taliban have set up a 'ring' outside of Kabul airport, official says
Hundreds of people gather outside the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday. The Taliban declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan and urged women to join their government Tuesday, seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed a day after deadly chaos gripped the main airport as desperate crowds tried to flee the country. (AP)
A former senior U.S. defense official who has been in contact with American commanders on the ground in Kabul tells Fox News’ Bret Baier that “the Taliban have a ring outside of the airport and won’t let anyone inside it.”
The source said the 82nd Airborne is securing the airport but “the big issue here is that no people outside of the Taliban ring will get in.”
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told ABC News on Tuesday that the State Department has started giving evacuation orders to Americans in Kabul that previously were advised to shelter in place.
"Our focus militarily is very squarely on the airport, making sure that we can keep it up and running, that we can maintain security and stability there,” Kirby said.
Posted by Greg Norman
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5 hour(s) ago
Taliban announces 'amnesty,' urges women to join government
The Taliban on Tuesday announced "amnesty" across the country and urged women to join its government in an apparent effort to try and calm nerves across Kabul, the Associated Press reported.
Many in the country are suspicious about the group's intentions.
A spokesperson for the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement:
"Taliban spokespeople have issued a number of statements in recent days, including pledging an amnesty for those who worked for the previous Government. They have also pledged to be inclusive. They have said woman can work and girls can go to school. Such promises will need to be honoured, and for the time being -- again understandably, given past history -- these declarations have been greeted with some scepticism. Nevertheless, the promises have been made, and whether or not they are honoured or broken will be closely scrutinized," the statement read.
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Posted by Edmund DeMarche
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8 hour(s) ago
Senate Democrat calls for hearings on what went wrong in Afghanistan
Sen. Jack Reed, the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called for hearings at a later date to learn about what went wrong in Afghanistan but said the focus should now be on evacuations.
The Rhode Island Democrat issued a statement late Monday that said the hearings should take place at the appropriate time. He said the focus at the moment should be squarely on "safely evacuating U.S. citizens and Afghans who aided us."
Reed said in his statement that he is "deeply concerned" about the humanitarian crisis in the country. His statement also offered up some of his early theories about what went wrong.
He pointed to a "disastrous pivot to a war of choice in Iraq, a failure to have an effective policy to deal with a duplicitous Pakistan, a failure of mission creep from counter-terrorism; and a lack of ability to build an effective Afghan government and security forces."
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Posted by Edmund DeMarche
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9 hour(s) ago
Hundreds of Afghans pack military cargo plane leaving Kabul
A military cargo plane leaving Kabul’s international airport late Sunday packed 640 Afghans inside amid unfolding chaos in the country as the Taliban continues to take over.
The C-17 aircraft belonged to the 436th Air Wing, based at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Defense One reported.
The plane was not intended to take such a large load but the hundreds of Afghans pulled themselves onto its open ramp, a defense official told the outlet.
“Approximately 640 Afghan civilians disembarked the aircraft when it arrived at its destination,” the official said.
The crew made the decision to take off instead of trying to force the Afghans off.
Posted by Louis Casiano
George Bush issues statement on Afghanistan with message to US troops, veterans
George Bush criticized the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan in July
George Bush, the former president, and his wife Laura Bush, the former first lady, issued a statement late Monday about the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan with a message to U.S. troops, veterans, diplomats and the intelligence community who have served in the country over the past two decades.
"Many of you deal with wounds of war, both visible and invisible," the statement read. "And some of your brothers and sisters in arms made the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terror. Each day, we have been humbled by your commitment and your courage. You took out a brutal enemy and denied Al Qaeda a safe haven while building schools, sending supplies, and providing medical care. You kept America safe from further terror attacks, provided two decades of security and opportunity for millions, and made America proud. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and will always honor your contributions."
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Posted by Edmund DeMarche
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14 hour(s) ago
Biden points fingers for Afghanistan debacle after promising he wouldn't 'blame others'
President Biden appeared to go back on his campaign promise to "take responsibility" as commander-in-chief and not "blame others" during his speech on the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan that has seen the Taliban swiftly retake control of the country – and outcome Biden previously claimed was "highly unlikely."
Biden on Monday suggested that the withdrawal debacle was the result of the peace deal he "inherited" from former President Donald Trump and claimed his only options were between "escalating the conflict and sending thousands of American troops back into Afghanistan."
