US proceeds with pullout despite attacks in Kabul
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden is pressing ahead with the evacuation of Americans and others from Afghanistan after attacks that killed at least 12 U.S. servicemembers and dashed hopes of ending the 20-year U.S. war without further bloodshed. Calling off the evacuation immediately would mean leaving behind hundreds of Americans still trying to get out of the Taliban-controlled country.
Biden was briefed on the attacks, which also killed dozens of Afghans and came 12 days into the rushed evacuation and five days before its scheduled completion. Some Republicans argued to extend the evacuation beyond next Tuesday’s deadline.
The U.S. general overseeing the evacuation, Gen. Frank Mckenzie, said after the attacks, “If we can find who is associated with this, we will go after them.” He said it would be a mistake for the United States to call an early end to the evacuation, despite the risks.
The administration has been widely blamed for a chaotic and deadly evacuation that began in earnest only after the collapse of the U.s.-based Afghan government and the Taliban’s takeover of the country. More than 100,000 people have been evacuated so far.
Thursday’s attacks were sure to intensify political pressure from all sides on Biden, who already was under heavy criticism for not beginning the pullout earlier. He had announced in April that he was ending the U.S. war and would have all forces out by September.
House Republican leader Kevin Mccarthy of California called for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-calif., to bring the chamber back into session to consider legislation that would prohibit the U.S. withdrawal until all Americans are out. That’s highly unlikely, and Pelosi’s office dismissed such suggestions as “empty stunts.”
At the Pentagon, Mckenzie said the military believes the attacks on the airport’s perimeter were carried out by fighters affiliated with the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan arm. He said more attempted attacks were expected.
After the suicide bomber’s attack at the airport’s Abbey Gate, a number of ISIS gunmen opened fire on civilians and military forces, he said. There also was an attack at or near the Baron Hotel near that gate, he said.
The attacks won’t drive the U.S. out earlier than scheduled, he said.
“Let me be clear, while we are saddened by the loss of life, both U.S. and Afghan, we are continuing to execute the mission,” he said. He said there were about 5,000 evacuees on the airfield Thursday awaiting flights. He said the Taliban have been “useful to work with” and are not suspected in the attacks.
“We thought this would happen sooner or later,” Mckenzie said, adding that U.S. military commanders were working with Taliban commanders to prevent further attacks.
Mckenzie said that in addition to the 12 U.S. service members killed in the attacks, at least 15 were injured.
As details of the attacks emerged, the White House rescheduled Biden’s first in-person meeting with Israel’s new prime minister and canceled a video conference with governors about Afghan refugees arriving in the United States.