KABUL: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a press briefing the other day that there is NO DEADLINE for the evacuation of Americans and Afghans from the war-ravaged country and Americans and Afghans who wanted to leave after August 31 “would not be forgotten.”
Blinken told journalists on Wednesday that (the US) would use every diplomatic, economic assistance tool “at our disposal to pressure the Taliban to let people leave the country,” although he acknowledged while speaking at the State Department, the complexity of “the massive evacuation mission”. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby however said at another press briefing that controlling security at Kabul the airport after Aug. 31 would not be an American responsibility and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: “We’re on track to have the largest US airlift in history. I think that speaks for itself.” –PR
