More Westerners escaped Afghanistan on Thursday, as Qatar worked to allow them to leave the country after the US military’s departure. Meanwhile, the White House recognizes Qatar’s important part in getting Westerners out of the nation.
Qatar Airways Will Conduct the Airlift
According to the Press Association, about 100 to 150 Westerners will board a Qatar Airways aircraft from Kabul International Airport. Qatar is a vital ally in the campaign to get the surviving Americans out, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
According to the Associated Press, some Americans flew out of Kabul on a jetliner on Thursday. To paraphrase Psaki: our goal from the start has been to collaborate with the Qataris, collaborate with our regional partners to make this terminal effective, and get people who are leaving the country out from the nation.
Psaki was referring not only to citizens but also to lawful permanent residents, as well as those who participated in the war U.S. forces during the 20-year conflict. “So this is what we’ve been focusing on 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
200 Non-Afghans To Leave #Kabul In First Airlift Since US Retreat: Report https://t.co/OsTBUnGY3Q pic.twitter.com/9sE1yyIiWX
— NDTV (@ndtv) September 9, 2021
The United States will continue to encourage the Taliban to cooperate with us to help those leave who want to leave, according to Psaki, who also stated that the Biden government and international community will be watching the situation.
They’re one of the allies we’re going to be counting on to attempt to get individuals out who do want to leave Kabul, Psaki said, adding that Qatar has been an essential go-between with each other and the Taliban.
So far, 124,000 individuals have been safely airlifted from Afghanistan, according to Psaki. She wouldn’t estimate how many individuals are still in the nation, but she did say that there are those who may be able to depart but have yet to register.
Psaki also stated that some people, such as dual citizens, are still undecided on whether or not to leave Kabul; the American government wants to provide them the option to leave if they decide to stay and change their opinion afterward.
More than 200 Afghan dual nationals, including Americans, can fly out of Kabul in first large-scale evacuation since U.S. airlift https://t.co/stwKQiYO2H
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 9, 2021
Security Remains an Issue
Leading to a shortage of thorough vetting, Psaki said Tuesday that the American government will not let passengers departing Afghanistan on charter planes land at American military locations.
During a media briefing in Qatar on Tuesday, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken noted that screening travelers and adhering to security measures for individuals fleeing the Taliban’s power in Kabul are “difficult.”
One did not confirm the correctness of registers, traveler identities, flight data, or airport security measures without staff in the field, Blinken added. As a result, this is a hurdle, but one that America is committed to overcoming. They’re currently undergoing a lot of negotiations on this.
