Taliban not impeding evacuation -- for now Pentagon says

The Taliban became America’s bitter foe after it hosted al Qaeda in Afghanistan prior to the 9/11 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. But 20 years later, and now in complete control of the country, heavily-armed Taliban fighters are â€" for now â€" closely coordinating on the evacuation effort of U.S. personnel from Kabul.

About 7,000 people â€" a mix of U.S. citizens, Afghans, and other foreign nationals â€" have left Afghanistan aboard U.S. military aircraft since non-combatant evacuations operations began following the Taliban’s complete rout of the Afghan army. On Thursday, Pentagon officials said they are continuing to improve conditions at Hamid Karzai International Airport so more people can be safely evacuated. 

In the past 24 hours, more than 2,000 people left Afghanistan aboard one of 12 U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo jets.

“There are now multiple gates that have access for entry into the airfield. It will help expedite processing in a safe and orderly manner,” said Army Maj. Gen. William Taylor, a deputy director on the Joint Staff in Washington. “We’re ready to increase throughput and have scheduled aircraft departures accordingly.”

About 300 people can fly in a C-17 cargo plane when it has been configured to take passengers. 

“We intend to maximize each plane’s capacity. We’re prioritizing people above all else,” Maj. Gen. Taylor said.

Admiral Peter Vasely, the top U.S. commander on the ground at the airport, speaks with his Taliban counterpart several times a day to smooth over any disagreements that could hinder the U.S. withdrawal. For the most part, it seems to be working inside the one-runway complex. But the Taliban has also set up a tight cordon around the airport and there have been reports of people being beaten and even killed when they attempt to make it to the airport.

“We haven’t seen them impede or harass or obstruct the movement of American citizens into the airport. We want to see that continue,” said chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. “We’ve made it clear to the Taliban that any attack upon our people and our operations at the airport would be met with a forceful response.”

The Taliban told U.S. officials that people with proper credentials â€" such as a passport for U.S. citizens and documentation for an Afghan applying for one of the Special Immigrant Visas â€" would be able to pass through the lines and proceed into the airport grounds. 

“It’s a very fluid situation. We can’t attest to having perfect visibility into everything that’s going on,” Mr. Kirby said. “We obviously don’t want to see any violence and we don’t want to see anybody hurt.”

Department of Defense officials say a lack of airplanes isn’t the problem. They eventually hope to be able to fly between 5,000 and 9,000 people to safety every day. 

For the most part, U.S. troops are remaining at the airport. While British and French troops have been making clandestine trips into Kabul to retrieve their citizens unable to make it to the embassy, the American troops are confined to the airport grounds.

“At this time, the mission continues to be to secure [Kabul‘s airport] to allow American citizens and [Special Immigrant Visa applicants] to come in and be processed,” Maj. Gen. Taylor said.

On Thursday, U.S. Navy F-18 fighter jets were in the sky over Kabul to monitor the evacuation effort at the airport. Pentagon officials said the jet fighters are among the assets that can be drawn on if necessary.

“Force-protection is a high priority. We’re always evaluating the threat,” Mr. Kirby said. “We know this is still a perilous environment.”

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