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European allies are pressuring the Biden administration to extend the Aug. 31 deadline for withdrawal from Afghanistan despite Taliban warnings against crossing a “red line,” according to a report.
G7 leaders are due to meet by video conference on Tuesday to discuss current challenges in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
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France, the UK and Germany all mentioned extending the deadline for an orderly exit, the BBC reported.
“We are concerned about the deadline set by the United States of August 31,” Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, told the channel. “Additional time is required to complete ongoing operations.”
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Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to President Biden, was questioned on Monday about the administration’s plans. He said the team “is engaging with the Taliban, consulting with the Taliban on all aspects of what is happening in Kabul now.”
The Pentagon said in a briefing Monday that it would consider leaving US troops in Afghanistan after Aug.31, in consultation with Biden and his allies, but rejected the idea of the US military taking over the airfield from Bagram to speed up evacuations.
Taliban officials told Reuters they did not want to extend the deadline and “occupation” by US forces. The group warned of the “consequences” if the deadline is extended and called the move a “red line”.
“It’s a red line. President Biden announced that on August 31 they will withdraw all their military forces. So if they extend it, that means they are extending the occupation when it is not necessary. Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Sky News.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to try to persuade the United States to extend the deadline at the G7 meeting, the BBC reported. But Ben Wallace, Britain’s Defense Secretary, told Reuters it seems unlikely there will be an extension.
Twenty-eight U.S. military flights transported an estimated 10,400 people to safety out of Taliban-held Afghanistan in the 24 hours that ended early Monday morning, and 15 C-17 flights over the next 12 hours brought 6. 660 others, White House officials said.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the faster pace of evacuations was due in part to coordinating with Taliban commanders to bring evacuees into the airport.
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“So far, and going forward, this requires constant coordination and conflict resolution with the Taliban,” Kirby said. “What we have seen is that this deconfliction has worked well in terms of allowing access and movement as well as reducing the overall size of the crowd just outside the airport.”
Cameron Cawthorne of Fox News and Associated Press contributed to this report
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