U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday that there are still around 1,500 Americans who may need to be evacuated from Afghanistan, noting that the Taliban has promised to allow anyone wishing to leave after the withdrawal of foreign troops to do so.
Blinken informed reporters that at least 4,500 American citizens out of 6,000 who wanted to leave Afghanistan have already departed. He stated that officials are in "direct contact" with another 500 Americans who wish to leave, providing them with "specific instructions on how to safely reach the airport." He added that officials are "intensely communicating" with the remaining 1,000 Americans "to determine whether they still wish to leave."
Blinken pointed out that "some may have left the country," or "claimed to be Americans but turned out not to be." He suggested that some might have chosen to stay. "Among the roughly 1,000, we believe that the number of Americans seeking assistance to leave Afghanistan is much lower," he said.
Blinken confirmed that the Taliban has agreed to allow Americans and at-risk Afghan citizens to depart after the U.S. military withdrawal on August 31. He stated, "The Taliban has made public and private commitments to provide a safe passage for Americans and citizens of other countries, as well as at-risk Afghans who will leave after August 31." He added, "They have an obligation to uphold this commitment and provide safe passage for anyone wishing to leave the country, not only during our evacuation and resettlement mission but every day thereafter."
In response to a question about what is being done to keep Kabul airport operational after the U.S. troops leave, Blinken said that regional countries are looking into "whether they can play a role in keeping the airport open." He stated, "The Taliban has made it clear that they have a strong interest in having an operational airport."
When asked about the future relationship with the Taliban, Blinken clarified that the U.S. will assess its dealings with any Taliban-led government in Afghanistan "on the basis of a simple proposition: our interests." He said, "The nature of any relationship will depend on the actions and behavior of the Taliban," noting that the group must adhere to "the fundamental rights of the Afghan people" and not allow the country to be "a platform for launching terrorist attacks."
He added, "If the Taliban fulfills its commitments to allow those who wish to leave Afghanistan to do so, this is a government we can work with." However, he warned that "if that does not happen, we will make sure to use every appropriate tool at our disposal to isolate that government, and as I have said before, Afghanistan will be an outcast."
