Biden speech: Pentagon contradicts president and reveals Taliban beating Americans en route to airport
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US President Joe Biden delivered an address to the nation for the second time this week, as the evacuation of Americans and allies from Afghanistan continues.
Mr Biden, who said this week “chaos” was unavoidable with his country's withdrawal from Afghanistan, addressed concerns about the evacuation of Americans, allies, and Afghan refugees, amid reports that the effort is falling behind.
The president vowed to Americans in Kabul “we will get you home”, but is being criticised for saying that there were no reports of people being stopped from reaching the airport by the Taliban who took control of the city on Sunday.
Reporters on the ground have many examples of people held back from accessing the airport by Taliban fighters and there are reports of physical violence and intimidation. The Pentagon then appeared to contradict the president’s statement.
Senator Lindsey Graham has threatened the president with impeachment if one American or Afghan ally is left behind in Kabul.
It remains unclear exactly how many people are awaiting airlifts from the country before an agreed deadline of 31 August, after Afghanistan fell into the hands of the Taliban last weekend.
The US military has evacuated 13,000 people since 14 August, and 18,000 since late July. In the past 24 hours 5,700 people have been airlifted as the operation begins to meet capacity levels of 5,000 to 9,000 per day as detailed by the Pentagon.
US military criticised for failing to reach out beyond airport boundaries
Republicans have continued to criticise the US military amid chaotic scenes in Kabul, with many complaining that US troops were not reaching out beyond the airport in Kabul to rescue civilians and Afghan refugees.
It follows images of troops from the UK and France carrying out missions to collect individuals who were due to be evacuated from Afghanistan following Washington DC’s chaotic withdrawal from the country, and the return of the Taliban.
Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker, tweeted on Friday that it was “humiliating to have British and French troops go into Kabul to rescue their citizens while American troops are ordered to stay hidden in the airport.”
Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, has said US forces were unable to expand beyond the airport despite having 6,000 troops on the ground in Kabul, and calls for a safety corridor to be formed to allow evacuees to reach the airport.
A deadline of 31 August looms.
US military spent millions on unusable uniforms for Afghan military
The US military reportedly spent millions of dollars on uniform for the Afghan army that were unusable because the camouflage was not suited to the country’s terrain, a watchdog has revealed.
As Bloomberg reported on Thursday, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (Sigar) found that Washington spent as much as $28 million (£20.5 million) buying uniforms that the Afghan military were not able to use, in what officials said at the time was an “error” and “wasteful”.
The revelation comes amid criticism of the Biden administration’s evacuation of US civilians and Afghan refugees after the Taliban retook Kabul, and the Afghan army and government collapsed on the back of America withdrawing from the country.
US allegedly spent $28m on unusable Afghan camouflage uniforms
Former US defence secretary Jim Mattis described it as an ‘error’ and a ‘wasteful decision’, government watchdog alleges
Lindsey Graham threatens impeachment if Americans or Afghan aides are left behind
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham says that if one American or Afghan that helped the US is left behind in Afghanistan, “then Joe Biden in my view has committed a high crime and misdemeanor under the Constitution and should be impeached.”
White House: Another 3,000 evacuated from Kabul on 16 flights
From a White House official via pool report:
“On August 19, the US evacuated approximately 3,000 people from Hamid Karzai International Airport on 16 C-17 flights. Nearly 350 US citizens were evacuated. Additional evacuees include family members of US citizens, SIV applicants and their families, and vulnerable Afghans. We have evacuated approximately 9,000 people since August 14. Since the end of July, we have evacuated approximately 14,000 people.
“Additionally, in the last 24 hours, the US military facilitated the departure of 11 charter flights. The passengers on those charter flights are not included in the totals above.”
C-17 crew flew 823 people out of Kabul —not 640 as previously reported
The crew of the US Air Force C-17 that was photographed packed with Afghans fleeing Kabul says that the reported number of people on the flight, thought to be 640, was incorrect.
They told CNN’s New Day the actual number of people airlifted out was an astonishing 823.
US Embassy in Kabul warns airport gates may open or close unexpectedly
The US embassy in Kabul is now telling Americans in Afghanistan that gates at the airport may open or close unexpectedly, due to crowds and the security situation.
“Please use your best judgment and attempt to enter the airport at any gate that is open.”
Macron tells Biden: ‘We cannot abandon them'
Joe Biden spoke with President Emmanuel Macron of France on Thursday about the latest developments in Afghanistan.
Both leaders “lauded the tireless efforts of their personnel working closely together in Kabul on the evacuation of their citizens, the brave Afghans who have stood by us and our NATO partners, and other vulnerable Afghan nationals”, per the White House.
“They underscored the importance of continued close coordination among allies and democratic partners on Afghanistan, including through multilateral fora, on the provision of humanitarian assistance and support for refugees.”
According to a readout from the Élysée, Mr Macron was particularly adamant about the west’s humanitarian responsibilities, telling Mr Biden: “We cannot abandon them.”
Next week they will participate in a virtual G7 leaders’ meeting to help coordinate these efforts and form a common approach.
Amanda Gorman and other cultural figures call on Biden to protect Afghan women and girls
Amanda Gorman and other high profile cultural figures have joined together to call on President Joe Biden to protect women and girls in Afghanistan.
Other names attached to the letter, shared by Axios, include actors Connie Britton and Charlize Theron, the fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg.
Clara Hill reports.
Amanda Gorman and other cultural figures call on Biden to support Afghan women
‘We call on the administration to act immediately to protect and support Afghan women, and urge others to join us,’ reads letter endorsed by Amanda Gorman, Connie Britton and Diane von Furstenberg
White House spokesperson admits ‘we don’t have a precise number’ on Americans in Afghanistan
White House communications director Kate Bedingfield admitted on Friday in an interview with CNN that it did not know the precise number of Americans in Afghanistan, Politico reported.
On Thursday, the Department of Defense spokesperson John Kirby also said he had no idea how many US citizens were in the country.
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