After the end of the U.S. presence that lasted for 20 years, it is widely believed that hundreds of Americans are still stranded in Afghanistan amid Republican warnings, according to a report published by the Washington Times. Efforts for a massive evacuation led by the U.S. in Kabul came to a halt at the deadline set by President Joe Biden on August 31. Pentagon officials stated that the operation, which took place at Hamid Karzai International Airport, aimed to assist as many people as possible in escaping Afghanistan after the Taliban regained control of the country.
General Hank Taylor, from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters on Monday, "While operations will end in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense's efforts to support the interagency mission continue." Pentagon officials indicated that there would be government efforts to help Americans exit Afghanistan after the withdrawal is completed Tuesday. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby stated, "The State Department will continue to work through various channels to facilitate this transport, but for now, we do not expect a military role."
As reports arise about Americans being unable to pass Taliban checkpoints around the airport, Senator Jim Inhofe, a senior Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, claimed that President Biden should extend the withdrawal timeline. He added, "I can't believe our president has witnessed the humanitarian suffering resulting from this failed operation and decided to stick to the arbitrary and unrealistic deadline, knowing he would leave behind, literally, countless Americans and Afghans who helped us."
He continued, "The Biden administration's decisions that led to this disastrous evacuation will frighten a generation of Afghan women and children if they are fortunate enough to survive."
On Monday, assailants fired at least five rockets at the airport in Kabul just days after the deaths of 13 U.S. service members in a suicide attack, injuring 18 others. Sources reported that three of the rockets missed the airport, while one landed at the airport without impact. The military destroyed one of the rockets using a weapon known as C-RAM, which is a counter-rocket system.
U.S. officials carried out a strike on Sunday against assailants suspected of being part of ISIS-K that may have killed innocent civilians. Pentagon officials stated they are continuing to investigate but are not in a position to deny claims that innocent bystanders were harmed. Kirby stated, "No army on the face of the earth works harder to avoid civilian casualties than the U.S. military... No one wants to see innocent lives lost."
