US troops exit Afghanistan, ending 20 years of war
The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan late Monday, ending America’s longest war and closing a chapter in military history likely to be remembered for colossal failures, unfulfilled promises and a frantic final exit that cost the lives of more than 180 Afghans and 13 US service members, some barely older than the war. Hours ahead of President Joe Biden’s Tuesday deadline for shutting down a final airlift, and thus ending the US war, Air Force transport planes carried a remaining contingent of troops from Kabul airport. Thousands of troops had spent a harrowing two weeks protecting the airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans, Americans and others seeking to escape a country once again ruled by Taliban militants. In announcing the completion of the evacuation and war effort. Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, said the last planes took off from Kabul airport at 3:29 p.m. Washington time, or one minute before midnight in Kabul. He said a number of American citizens, likely numbering in “the very low hundreds,” were left behind, and that he believes they will still be able to leave the country
The American troops have made their final exit from Afghanistan after 20 years of war, leaving the country in haste after major embarrassment as the Taliban returned to power. The Biden administration, forced into a hasty retreat from the Afghan soil, has said they were left with no choice after 20 years of an unfulfilling war. The chaotic airlift exercises have often led to the deaths of locals. The multiple blasts near the Kabul airport last week killed nearly 200 Afghans and 13 US soldiers. Yet, thousands of Afghans still trying to flee the country remain trapped in the country: Follow live updates on Afghanistan latest news:
Some British nationals yet to be rescued from Afghanistan
The number of British nationals still in Afghanistan is in the low hundreds, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Tuesday. “I know that the number of UK nationals, the particular responsibility of the Foreign Office, is now down at a very low level… low hundreds given that we taken in total 5,000 out,” Raab told Sky News.
Taliban in talks with Qatar, Turkey over Kabul airport management
The Taliban are in talks with Qatar and Turkey about the management of Kabul airport and should secure the airport as soon as possible so that people who want to leave Afghanistan can do so using commercial flights, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Tuesday. “The Security Council resolution about securing the airport must be implemented. There are talks underway with the Qataris and Turks about management of the airport. We must demand that access to the airport is safe,” Le Drian said on France 2 television. (Reuters report)
Taliban troops of 313 Badri entering Kabul airport
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid has said, “The withdrawal of the United States is the victory of the Afghan people and you guys.” He added, “The new Taliban troops of the 313th Badri are entering Kabul airport.”
US troops evacuated 1,500 Afghans in final hours
Marine General Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, told reporters that the US military was able to get as many as 1,500 Afghans out in the final hours of the American evacuation mission. But now it will be up to the State Department working with the Taliban to get any more people out. McKenzie said there were no citizens left stranded at the Kabul airport and none were on the final few military flights out. (AP report)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the US will continue to try to get Americans and Afghans out of the country, and will work with Afghanistan’s neighbours to secure their departure either over land or by charter flight once the Kabul airport reopens. “We have no illusion that any of this will be easy, or rapid,” said Blinken, adding that the total number of Americans who are in Afghanistan and still want to leave may be closer to 100.
Taliban fighters race vehicles on Kabul runway
Vehicles raced back and forth along the Hamid Karzai International Airport’s sole runway on the northern military side of the airfield. Before dawn broke, heavily armed Taliban fighters walked through hangars on the military side, passing some of the seven CH-46 helicopters the State Department used in its evacuations before rendering them unflyable. Taliban leaders later symbolically walked across the runway, marking their victory. (AP report)
Victory belongs to us all: Taliban at Kabul airport
The Taliban have declared victory after the exit of US troops. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid says at the Kabul airport, “This victory belongs to us all.”
US troops disabled choppers, aircraft, armoured vehicles
US Central Command head General Kenneth McKenzie said 73 aircraft that were already at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul were “demilitarized” or rendered useless by the US troops before they wrapped up the two-week evacuation. “Those aircraft will never fly again… They’ll never be able to be operated by anyone,” he said and added, “Most of them are non-mission capable to begin with. But certainly, they’ll never be able to be flown again.”
Kabul kids rush to school hours after US exit
Even as the US and its NATO allies left Afghanistan, some of the gains of the last 20 years were on display as boys and girls rushed to school early Tuesday. Masooda was hurrying to get to her fifth grade class at a private school. “I’m not afraid of the Taliban,” she said. “Why should I be?” Students had been called back to school four days ago. The Taliban have said students will be segregated by sex, but in many schools that was already the practice, except for the early grades. (AP report)
Austin says ‘US moved 6000 Americans, 1.23 lakh others’
In a statement, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin has said the US moved some 6,000 Americans out of harm’s way and evacuated ‘more than 123,000 people from Afghanistan — the vast majority of whom are Afghans, friends and allies’.
Austin added, “We lost 2,461 troops in that war and tens of thousands of others suffered wounds, seen and unseen… We will work hard to defend our citizens from terrorist threats emanating from anywhere around the globe.”
The final hours of extreme tension, drama
The final hours of the evacuation were marked by extraordinary drama. American troops faced the daunting task of getting the final evacuees onto planes while also getting themselves and some of their equipment out, even as they monitored repeated threats. At least two explosions by the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate killed 13 American troops and over 180 Afghans near the Kabul airport.
Biden to address nation after US exit from Afghanistan
US President Joe Biden, who has faced the worst criticism and embarrassment over the chaotic and hasty exit from Afghanistan, has continued to defend his decision to stick to the August 31 deadline. Biden said, “Now our 20-year military presence in Afghanistan has ended.” Biden thanked the US military for carrying out the dangerous evacuation. The US President plans to address the American people on Tuesday afternoon.
Around 100 Americans left behind, evacuation efforts on
As the American soldiers completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan, around 100 US citizens are still left behind. The US Central Command has said a number of American citizens, likely numbering in “the very low hundreds,” were left behind. Secretary of State Antony Blinken put the number of Americans left behind at under 200, “likely closer to 100,” and said the State Department would keep working to get them out.
Taliban fighters break into celebration, fire guns, crackers
Celebratory gunfire rang out in Kabul after the completion of the US pullout that ended America’s longest war. The Taliban fighters watched the last US planes disappear into the night sky and then fired their guns into the air and lit crackers, celebrating victory after the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf said, “The last US soldier has left Kabul airport and our country gained complete independence.” However, a contingent of Americans, estimated to be around 100 people, who wanted to leave Afghanistan are still stranded in the country.
Source: indiatoday.in
