Withdrawal Confusion: White House Unsure Exact Time Taliban Will Enforce as Deadline on August 31

The White House
Wendell Husebø

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday was unable to give an exact time when the United States is expected to be fully evacuated from Afghanistan per the Taliban’s timetable of August 31.

“I’ll just have to get back to you,” she stated when asked if the deadline is midnight on August 31 or midnight on August 30. “It’s really a great question and I want to give you a very clear and articulate answer from the team on the ground.”

Despite the lack of specific details on timing, the United States military began Tuesday withdrawing troops on the ground from Afghanistan to meet the August 31 deadline, while only about 3,300 American citizens have been extracted from the deadly chaos in Kabul. The U.S. government has said there are a few thousand Americans remaining.

The military’s withdrawal coincides with Biden’s decision to cave to the Taliban, pledging to abide by the August 31 withdrawal deadline for U.S. personnel. Biden’s decision comes after Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated Tuesday the group will accept “no extensions” to the August 31 deadline.

Breitbart News reported individuals are desperate for help to find a flight out of the country, lest they be killed by the Taliban.

“Mr. Biden, you did this! You planned this! You made the deal with the Taliban,” an man told ITV News. “This is the consequences of it! This is the repercussions of it! Mr. Biden, it’s your ill calculation! You were against Trump, now we’re against you!”

Another report indicates perhaps a thousand Americans are stuck at the American University of Afghanistan. “It has been able to get only around 50 people out. It needs to get out 1200 more. These people have been— and will continue to be — Taliban targets,” Michelle Kosinski reported.

An American identified as Haroon told Fox News that he is “trying to get my family out of here.”

“They don’t deserve this – to stay in Afghanistan, to deal with Taliban. Everyone should get out of here as soon as possible. We don’t have safety anymore,” Haroon said. “We all know what’s going to happen next the few days or next couple weeks after Americans leave Afghanistan,”

“So everyone is scared,” he added.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø

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