Afghanistan: the president leaves the country and the United States evacuates its diplomats | Kabul is surrounded by the Taliban

the united states government he started to evacuate your diplomats from the Kabul embassy after the Afghan capital was surrounded by the Islamist Taliban movement that he has regained control of 26 towns and is negotiating a “peaceful transition” of power with the current government. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has left the country.

“He left Afghanistan at difficult times. May God hold him responsible,” said Abdullah Abdullah, former foreign minister and current president of the High Council for National Reconciliation, in a video uploaded to his Facebook account.

The operation at the US Embassy

the State Secretary, Antony Blinken He said they were working “to make sure our staff are safe and secure”. The official told ABC Network: “We transfer men and women from our embassy to the airport. That is why the president sent armed forces..

shine avoided confirming whether the government will close its embassy in Kabul. “It’s not Saigon,” he replied, referring to the Vietnam War. “We entered Afghanistan 20 years ago with a mission and that mission was to confront those who attacked us on September 11. This mission was a success.”

According to US media, the military transferred diplomats from the embassy by helicopter, where a small contingent will remain as long as possible under safe conditions, CNN and the Washington Post reported.

Both media cited officials as asking to remain anonymous so that they would not be allowed to discuss decisions related to the security of diplomats.

Evacuation staff from the American Embassy in Kabul to the airport in the Afghan capital It was one of the contingency plans Washington has been evaluating since the Taliban began their military advance., in May.

Offensive coincides with the withdrawal of foreign forces from the territory, allowing the Taliban to control the capitals of 26 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. In the case of the United States, it planned to complete the withdrawal of its troops on August 31.

Sending 5,000 American troops

The American President, Joe Biden, ordered 5,000 troops to be sent to assist with evacuation tasks diplomats and Afghans working in collaboration with foreign forces. The Pentagon believes that around 30,000 people will need to be evacuated.

Biden threatened Taliban with “quick and strong” response in the event of an alleged assault on fellow citizens during the evacuation, but also He held firm in his decision to end the 20 Years War, becoming one of the largest that the country fought with the Vietnam War.

The Taliban ruled Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, when they were overthrown by a US-NATO-led coalition as part of Washington’s Islamic “war on terror” after the terrorist attacks. September 11 claimed by the Taliban. then at the head of Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden.

The Taliban arrived at the gates of Kabul on Sunday and said they would stay on the outskirts of the city as they negotiate with the Afghan government for a “peaceful transition” of power, according to one of their spokespersons.