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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden connected Tuesday glossed implicit his breached committedness to support U.S. troops successful Afghanistan until the past Americans are retired and offered the faint assurance — adjacent with the past U.S. planes gone — that it's ne'er excessively precocious for U.S. citizens to leave.
“There is nary deadline,” Biden said. But with its forces withdrawn, the U.S. is near with diplomatic persuasion alternatively of subject musculus to get the Taliban extremists who've been warring the U.S. for 20 years to springiness remaining Americans harmless transition out.
BIDEN: “The bottommost line: 90% of Americans successful Afghanistan who wanted to permission were capable to leave. For those remaining Americans, determination is nary deadline. We stay committed to get them out, if they privation to travel out. Secretary of State Blinken is starring the continued diplomatic efforts to guarantee harmless transition for immoderate American, Afghan spouse oregon overseas nationalist who wants to permission Afghanistan.” — White House remarks.
THE FACTS: For the record, Biden vowed that helium would get 100% of Americans retired earlier withdrawing forces.
And his suggestions Tuesday that galore of the remaining Americans are dual nationals who whitethorn beryllium undecided astir leaving bash not bespeak the afloat reality.
He contended 100 to 200 Americans are inactive determination and person "some volition to leave," adding: “Most of those who stay are dual citizens, longtime residents, but earlier decided to enactment due to the fact that of their household roots successful Afghanistan.” And White House property caput Jen Psaki said afterward that Biden is telling those radical that if they determine successful 2 weeks that they privation to go, “we volition get you out.”
But those comments whitethorn understate the desperation of Americans trapped successful Afghanistan. Gen. Frank McKenzie, caput of U.S. Central Command, said Monday that Americans tried to get to the Kabul airdrome for the last evacuations but couldn't. No Americans were connected the past 5 jets to leave.
“We maintained the quality to bring them successful up until instantly earlier departure, but we were not capable to bring immoderate Americans out,” helium said. “That enactment ended astir apt astir 12 hours earlier our exit, though we proceed the outreach and would person been prepared to bring them connected until the precise past minute. But nary of them made it to the airport, and were capable to beryllium — and were capable to beryllium accommodated.”
Biden told ABC News unequivocally connected Aug. 19 that the U.S. would not permission immoderate Americans stranded.
“Americans recognize we’re going to effort and get it done earlier Aug. 31,” Biden said then. "If we don’t, we’ll find astatine the time, who’s left.”
And then? "And if determination are American citizens left, we’re going to enactment until we get them each out.”
The past U.S. planes took disconnected from the airdrome Monday night, Aug. 30, 1 infinitesimal earlier midnight successful Kabul.
U.S. officials estimated up to 200 Americans were near behind, on with chartless numbers of Afghans and others who were trying frantically to leave. By then, much than 100,000 people, mostly Afghans, had been flown to information successful the multinational evacuations.
Now that has go a substance for diplomacy,
U.S. officials said diplomats are successful talks with neighboring countries and others to effort to put non-U.S.-military evacuations for those remaining. Among the options, if the diplomacy works, are imaginable charter flights from the airdrome erstwhile it re-opens and overland routes.
AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
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