Pentagon and State Department announced on Sunday that the US had gained access to an airport in Kabul to evacuate Americans and Afghans from Afghanistan — hours after the Taliban took over the capital.
A joint statement from the departments said the US has increased its personnel security forces in Afghanistan up to about 6,000 troops to help facilitate the evacuation of Americans and Afghans, and that they are working to ensure the security of Hamid Karzai International Airport.
They also said they plan to «expedite the evacuation» of thousands of Afghan citizens eligible for US Special Immigrant Visas (SIV). According to the department, over the past two weeks, almost 2,000 Afghans have already arrived in the United States who have had SIVs.
The statement added that Afghans who have already passed security checks will be transferred to the United States, and that departments will “find additional seats” for those who have not yet passed the screening.
“Tomorrow and in the coming days, we will be evacuating thousands of American citizens living in Afghanistan, local staff of the US mission in Kabul and their families, as well as other particularly vulnerable Afghan citizens,” the statement said.
State Department spokesman Ned Price announced later Sunday night that the «safe evacuation» of the embassy staff in Kabul had been completed, adding that all personnel were «on the premises of Hamid Karzai International Airport, which is guarded by the US military.
The intensified efforts of the Pentagon and the State Department follow the rapid deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan amid the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
Taliban started door to door search looking for govt officials, former police & amp; security forces members & amp; those who worked for foreign countries NGOs or infrastructures in Afghanistan.
At least 3 journalists & # 39; houses were searched in the last hour.
Kabul is now becoming deadly ..
— Mustafa 47 (@CombatJourno) August 16, 2021
The Taliban took control of the capital overnight on Sunday, as a result of which Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country, explaining that he did not want bloodshed, and the United States began to evacuate personnel.
In recent weeks, the group has seized several key territories, which led to rapid deterioration of the situation and serious concerns about the stability of the Afghan government.
The Biden administration has already faced condemnation for the pre-chaos decision to withdraw the military from the region, which critics say led to the fall of Afghanistan. Others defended the president, recalling that the first step on the road to disaster was the peace treaty concluded by his predecessor.
“Everything was a foregone conclusion when Donald Trump made a deal [with the Taliban],” the minister said British Defense Ben Wallace.
“President Biden inherited the push that was given to the Taliban, making them feel like victors. — he said in an interview with BBC Raido 4 — & lt; … & gt; We are seeing the fruits of decisions made before President Biden took office. «
Footage shows chaos at Kabul International Airport as hundreds try to flee the besieged Afghan capital as Taliban forces move in https://t.co/evnjJZ7fvK pic.twitter.com/2hIrHky9iV
— CNN International (@cnni) August 16, 2021
At the moment, thousands of people are trying to leave the country, not wanting to live again under the rule of the Taliban, who controlled it until 2001. Eerie footage shows some Afghans clinging to planes in desperate attempts to escape. There is information about those killed at the Kabul airport.
«Around us — a fear-filled silence»
Now one of the main groups at risk in the country occupied by the Taliban are women. Until 2001, when US and British-led forces overthrew the Taliban, the regime severely restricted their rights, not allowing them to attend schools, and also prohibiting them from appearing in public without a male escort and clothing that completely covered the body.
Those who broke the rules faced severe punishment, including public flogging and, at worst, execution.
Fawzia Kufi, a women's rights activist, former lawmaker and member of the Afghan delegation that worked on peace talks with by the Taliban before the withdrawal of American troops, she said that women feel «betrayed.»
“Women in Afghanistan are at the greatest risk right now,” she said, adding that the “criminals” that the Taliban freed from prisons to recruit their ranks also pose a threat, along with “those who [were] upset that women received power over the past 20 years. «
Taliban fighters patrol the streets of Kabul a day after taking over the country following President Ashraf Ghani's departure.
— in pictures https://t.co/Le9p5VdGvD pic.twitter.com/X2qWez4I1X
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 16, 2021
With the return of the Taliban, the future of women in Afghanistan looks «grim» again, she said.
According to a provincial government official, women in cities that have come under Taliban control «are like prisoners in [their own] homes. «.
» They cannot go out, «added an official who asked to remain anonymous for fear of his safety.
According to local residents and media reports, there are reports from all over the country about women who are forced to marry, enslaved, beaten and raped by the Taliban.
“For many years I worked as a journalist & lt; … & gt; to give a voice to Afghans and especially Afghan women, but now our identity is being destroyed, and we have done nothing to deserve it, «- quotes the Guardian Ayesha, who worked as a news presenter before the arrival of the Taliban, and now lives in fear of the retaliation that awaits her.
» Over the past 24 hour our life has changed, we are locked in our houses and are under the threat of death. ”
“ There is silence around us, filled with fear of the Taliban. ”
