President Biden Wants Evacuation In Afghanistan To Be Completed August 31, Asks Pentagon To Prepare Contingency Plan

Afghans queue to enter Kabul airport and be evacuated from the country. (Twitter/@DeptofDefense)

JAKARTA - Leaders of the Group of Developed Countries (G7) on Tuesday said they will remain committed to Afghanistan, as well as support the United Nations in coordinating immediate humanitarian assistance in the region, which is facing a new influx of refugees.

The talks did not result in a "new date" for the end of the evacuation mission, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, despite intense discussions about whether Kabul's civilian-operated airport could be used after August 31.

Meanwhile, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said leaders agreed on the need to put pressure on the Taliban to allow people to leave after August 31.

Citing Reuters Wednesday Aug. 25, countries that have evacuated nearly 60,000 people over the past 10 days are rushing to get the job done, a NATO diplomat said.

"Every member of the foreign forces is working at war speed to meet the deadline," said the official, who declined to be named.

President Joe Biden told G7 leaders that the United States was in the process of finalizing a US withdrawal from Afghanistan by August 31, subject to cooperation from the Taliban, the White House said.

President Biden sent thousands of US troops to Kabul airport, after the Taliban militant group took control of the city and large parts of the country less than two weeks ago. Nearly 6,000 US troops are helping evacuate Americans and Afghans at risk and to protect airports so other countries can evacuate their citizens as well.

The decision comes in line with feedback received by President Biden, in which the Pentagon made a recommendation that Biden stay on the target date of August 31 on Monday, US officials said.

"During a meeting this morning with G7 leaders, the President conveyed that our mission in Kabul would end based on the achievement of our objectives. He emphasized that we are currently on pace to complete by August 31," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. .

President Biden said completion of the mission by August 31 was dependent on continued coordination with the Taliban, including continued access for refugees to Kabul airport.

"In addition, the President has asked the Pentagon and the State Department for contingency plans to adjust the timeline if necessary," Psaki said.

US officials said earlier that the United States had been in regular contact with the Taliban and officials told the group that the timeline hinged on the Taliban's cooperation.

On Monday, President Biden sent CIA Director William Burns to meet with Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul, in the highest-level official meeting since the militant group took control of the Afghan capital. A congressional source said Burns and Baradar had discussed August 31.

The Pentagon's recommendations reflect growing security concerns at Kabul airport, where at-risk Americans and Afghans are being evacuated.

Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was growing concern about suicide bombings by ISIS militants at airports. Meanwhile, an official said it was no longer a question of whether, but when, the insurgents would strike and the priority was to get out before that happened.

Separately, the Pentagon previously said it believed the military could evacuate all Americans who wished to leave. Whether the thousands of Afghans at risk will all be evacuated is unclear.

"We're really still targeting the end of this month," said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, adding that the Pentagon may need additional bases to host refugees from Afghanistan.

Kirby said several thousand Americans had been evacuated from Afghanistan, but declined to give more specific figures. He also said he could not give the percentage of Americans in Afghanistan who have now evacuated.