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The Taliban has stated that it will no longer allow Afghans to be evacuated and has warned that the US must adhere to the withdrawal deadline set for next week. During a press conference on Tuesday, Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid stressed that while foreign nationals could continue to come to the airport, the large masses of Afghans who had collected there in recent days should return home and would not suffer retaliation from the country’s new authorities.
“The route leading to the airport has been closed. Afghans are not permitted to travel that road to the airport, but foreign citizens are permitted to do so “Mujahid explained.
“We are no longer allowing Afghans to be evacuated, and we are not satisfied with it,” he continued.
Mujahid stated that Afghan doctors and professors “should not leave our country; they should work in their own particular areas.”
“They should not travel to other nations, particularly those in Western Europe.”
The news comes after US Vice President Joe Biden stated that he will meet his August 31 deadline for completing a dangerous airlift of Americans, vulnerable Afghans, and others fleeing Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
The move goes against the wishes of ally leaders who want to give the evacuation more time, and it exposes Biden to accusations of caving in to Taliban demands for a deadline.
“Every day we’re on the ground, we know ISIS-K is attempting to target the airport and attack both us and allied forces as well as innocent civilians,” Biden said on Tuesday at the White House, referring to the Islamic State’s Afghanistan affiliate, which is known for staging suicide attacks on civilians.
Despite a number of violent episodes, he said the Taliban are collaborating and security is stable.
“However, it’s a precarious situation,” he added, adding, “We run a severe risk of it collapsing as time passes.”
The United States has increased its airlift in recent days in response to new claims of human rights violations, raising concerns about the fate of thousands of individuals fleeing the country to avoid Taliban retaliation.
In the 24 hours leading up to Tuesday morning, the Pentagon reported 21,600 people were evacuated, and Biden said another 12,000 were flown out in the following 12 hours.
Flights operated by the United States military, as well as other charter flights, fall within this category.
