Live updates Reports of several dead chaos at Kabul airport amid scramble to flee Taliban

Several people were reportedly killed Monday at Kabul airport, where thousands of panicked Afghans and foreign nationals have gathered in hope of leaving Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. At least five people were killed amid the chaos of people fearful for their lives trying to force their way onto planes, Reuters reported, citing multiple witnesses.

Desperate Afghans crowded around at least one U.S. Air Force plane as it struggled to take off, and there were reports of people falling from aircraft to their death.

It was not immediately clear how others at the airport were killed. U.S. forces previously fired in the air to warn unauthorized people from trying to board military flights, according to numerous reports early Monday.

The State Department said Sunday that U.S. forces have secured control of the airport’s perimeter. The American military presence will swell to nearly 6,000 by early this week, with troops having the sole mission of helping U.S. and allied personnel depart the country.

Here are the significant developments

By Sunday evening, the Taliban had taken control of the presidential palace in Kabul, underscoring its lightning quick seizure of cities in the past week.

As of late Sunday, all U.S. Embassy personnel had been moved to the airport, the State Department said. The British ambassador was also on-site helping to process the visas of Afghans who had worked for Britain.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace appeared to break down during an interview Monday as he discussed the fate of those attempting to flee the Taliban in Afghanistan.

U.S. officials said they will accelerate the evacuation of thousands of Afghans eligible for Special Immigrant Visas. About 2,000 Afghans have arrived in the United States over the past two weeks, a fraction of the estimated 88,000 that could need to be evacuated.

More than 60 nations released a joint statement calling on all parties in Afghanistan “to respect and facilitate, the safe and orderly departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country.”

Top E.U. official calls for evacuation of all Afghans ‘who wish to leave the country’Link copied

BRUSSELS â€" The European Union’s top diplomat said Monday that all Afghan citizens “who wish to leave the country” should be evacuated safely, but stopped short of pressing publicly for the bloc’s member states to approve a greater number of asylum applications from Afghanistan.

“Human life needs to be protected, and security and civil order restored,” Josep Borrell, the high representative of the E.U., said in a tweet. “Afghans deserve to live in safety, security and dignity.

In the face of the Taliban’s rapid assumption of power, widespread displacement is expected to ripple outward.

Borrell, echoing a statement he co-signed by E.U. members and other countries, said the international community would support Afghans trying to leave the country, without providing specifics. He called for an emergency meeting of the E.U.’s Foreign Affairs Council, which is responsible for guiding the bloc’s foreign policy, set for Tuesday.

The crisis in Afghanistan has already off fresh debate on the E.U.’s migration policy, which insiders and analysts agree is in desperate need of reform. Last week, a handful of European countries urged the E.U. to help facilitate the continued deportation of Afghans whose asylum bids were rejected. However, the Taliban’s sweeping territorial gains forced those countries, including Germany and Belgium, to halt the involuntary returns.

Margaritis Schinas, vice president of the E.U.’s executive arm, said Sunday that the situation in Afghanistan shows “that the clock has run out on how long we can wait to adopt the complete overhaul of Europe’s migration and asylum rules we need.”

Trump, who set in motion U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, says Biden ‘surrendered’ to the TalibanLink copied

Former president Donald Trump, whose administration set in motion the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, accused President Biden on Monday of having “surrendered” to the Taliban and claimed that the situation would be “totally different” if he were still in office.

“First Joe Biden surrendered to COVID and it has come roaring back,” Trump said in a morning statement. “Then he surrendered to the Taliban, who has quickly overtaken Afghanistan and destroyed confidence in American power and influence. The outcome in Afghanistan, including the withdrawal, would have been totally different if the Trump Administration had been in charge.”

“Who or what will Joe Biden surrender to next? Someone should ask him, if they can find him,” Trump added, referring to Biden’s lack of public appearances during a stay at Camp David in Maryland.

Trump’s administration negotiated the terms of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan by May 1, a deadline Biden later moved back. In 2019, Trump planned a weekend meeting at Camp David between Taliban and Afghan government leaders just days before the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Trump ultimately canceled the meeting.

In a statement Sunday, Trump said Biden should “resign in disgrace” for his handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and other issues.

Key updateBiden stands by his decision to withdraw troops, national security adviser saysLink copied

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that President Biden stands by his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and insisted that the chaos playing out following the takeover of the country by the Taliban was not a “worst-case scenario.”

“Actually, I think the worst-case scenario for the United States would be a circumstance in which we were adding back in thousands and thousands of troops to fight and die in a civil war in Afghanistan when the Afghan army wasn’t prepared to fight,” Sullivan said during an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show. “That was the alternative choice Joe Biden faced.”

“If we stayed one more year, or two more years, or five more years, or 10 more years, no amount of training or equipment or money or lives lost by the United States was going to put the Afghan army in a position to be able to sustain that country on its own,” Sullivan added.

Sullivan said Biden faced “bad choices” but stands by the one he made. He acknowledged that the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban was faster than envisioned and blamed that on a lack of “will” by the Afghan army.

“It is certainly the case that the speed with which cities fell was much greater than anyone anticipated, including the Afghans,” Sullivan said, appearing from the White House lawn. “At the end of the day, despite the fact that we spent 20 years and tens of billions of dollars to get the best equipment, the best training and the best capacity to the Afghan national security forces, we could not give them the will and they ultimately decided they would not fight for Kabul and they would not fight for the country, and that opened the door to the Taliban to come into Kabul very rapidly.”

Sullivan also stood by Biden’s assessment that the fall of Kabul was not inevitable.

“It was not inevitable,” Sullivan said. “There was the capacity to stand up and resist. That capacity didn’t happen.”

The fall of Saigon: As Taliban seizes Kabul, the Vietnam War’s final days rememberedLink copied

President Gerald Ford was in a meeting with his energy team when his deputy national security adviser came in and passed him a note. It warned that Saigon was falling, and faster than expected.

Congress and the Pentagon had been pressuring him for weeks to move faster on evacuating Americans and their South Vietnamese allies, and now time was running out.

That’s what Ford faced on the evening of April 28, 1975, and it is history repeating itself now. After 20 years of U.S. involvement, the Taliban entered the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Sunday morning, as the United States scrambled to evacuate embassy staff and accelerate the rescue and relocation of Afghans who aided the U.S. military.

People cling desperately to planes taking off from Kabul airport, videos showLink copied

Hundreds of people ran alongside the wheels of a U.S. military aircraft as it attempted to take off from Kabul’s international airport. Others climbed up the sides of the plane as it edged forward, engines roaring.

Some clung to parts of the plane as it jetted upward into the blue sky, with at least one person appearing to fall from a height back to the ground. A local Afghan agency showed images of at least one body that landed on a rooftop in Kabul.

The footage was viewed tens of thousands of times Monday as it circulated broadly on Twitter, with many expressing horror at the scenes unfolding in Afghanistan.

Other videos taken as thousands flooded the airport in the wake of the country’s fall to the Taliban showed people dangling from ladders leading to aircraft while others pushed forward to try to board â€" with or without a ticket.

“At least one body fell from aircraft wing, after a stampede by runway. Very dark moment for country,” Joyce Karam, a correspondent for the National, tweeted Monday.

Others reported that some people had tied themselves to the plane in a last-minute bid for freedom.

“Sad scenes for humanity,” tweeted journalist Wajahat Kazmi, while others said the footage defined the West’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s military collapse: Illicit deals and mass desertions Link copied

KABUL â€" The spectacular collapse of Afghanistan’s military that allowed Taliban fighters to reach the gates of Kabul on Sunday despite 20 years of training and billions of dollars in American aid began with a series of deals brokered in rural villages between the militant group and some of the Afghan government’s lowest-ranking officials.

The deals, initially offered early last year, were often described by Afghan officials as cease-fires, but Taliban leaders were in fact offering money in exchange for government forces to hand over their weapons, according to an Afghan officer and a U.S. official.

China says it ‘respects’ will of Afghan people, paving the way for recognizing Taliban ruleLink copied

Chinese officials said Monday that Beijing would “respect the will and the choice of the Afghan people” as the Taliban tightened its hold over Kabul, signaling that China plans to recognize the legitimacy of the militants’ rule over Afghanistan.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a news conference that China has maintained communication with the Taliban, adding that “the Afghan Taliban have repeatedly expressed their wish to develop good relations with China … which we welcome.”

“China has long respected Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” she said.

Hua added that the situation in Afghanistan has undergone drastic changes and that the Taliban has said it plans to “negotiate the establishment of an open and inclusive Islamic government, and take responsible action to ensure the security of Afghan citizens and foreign missions in Afghanistan.”

“China expects that these statements will be implemented to ensure a peaceful transition in Afghanistan,” she said, as scenes of Afghan residents scrambling to flee flooded social media and news broadcasts. The Chinese Embassy is continuing to operate normally, Hua added, and neither the ambassador nor his staff have been evacuated.

In recent months, as U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan intensified, Chinese officials have made their overtures to the Taliban more explicit while emphasizing that they do not intend to interfere in Afghanistan’s domestic issues. In July, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a high-profile meeting with a nine-member delegation from the Taliban, expressing support for the militants’ role in Afghanistan’s future while warning them against working with separatist groups in Xinjiang.

Britain’s defense secretary breaks down over those left behind in AfghanistanLink copied

LONDON â€" British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace appeared to break down during an interview Monday as he discussed the fate of those attempting to flee the Taliban in Afghanistan.

During an interview with radio station LBC, Wallace outlined plans to evacuate those still on Afghan soil and said the government and armed forces were risking their lives to process the relevant documentation before people could leave the country.

“It’s a really deep part of regret for me,” Wallace said before pausing. “That some people won’t get back.”

“Some people won’t get back,” he repeated, seemingly choking back tears.

When asked by host Nick Ferrari why he was feeling the situation so personally, Wallace explained that he had served in the military and that the situation was “sad.”

Wallace served as a captain in the British army before he was appointed defense secretary in 2019.

“It’s sad that the West has done what it’s done,” he added before vowing to get as many people out as possible.

Veterans around the world also have expressed horror and sadness over the country’s fall.

“Why did my friend get blown up? For what?” one Afghanistan war veteran told The Washington Post last week. Others expressed anger that the United States and its allies had withdrawn troops from Afghanistan.

Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan will meet with the Taliban on TuesdayLink copied

The Russian ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, will meet with the Taliban in Kabul on Tuesday to discuss the safety of those working at the Russian Embassy in the Afghan capital, Russia’s representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Monday.

“Our ambassador is in contact with the Taliban leadership; tomorrow he will meet with the Taliban security coordinator,” Kabulov confirmed during an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station.

An estimated 100 people work at the embassy, Reuters reported Monday, and Kabulov said some workers would be evacuated.

Kabulov said Russian officials were still debating whether to recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan’s new government and would be closely watching “the conduct of the new authorities” before making a decision.

“We will carefully see how responsibly they govern the country in the near future. And based on the results, the Russian leadership will draw the necessary conclusions,” Kabulov said, adding that officials would not rush their decision.

During the interview, Kabulov expressed shock that the country had fallen so quickly to the Taliban.

“It came as a surprise, as we thought that the Afghan army, whatever it is, would still resist for some time,” he said. “It looks like we were too optimistic about the quality of the armed forces trained by the Americans and NATO.”

“They dropped their weapons as soon as the first shot was fired,” he said.

U.K. ambassador hailed for reportedly staying at airport to ‘personally process’ visas of fleeing AfghansLink copied

Amid the turmoil at Kabul International Airport, where thousands were desperately trying to flee Taliban rule, the British ambassador to Afghanistan stayed behind to “personally process” visas of Afghan interpreters who had worked for Britain, Channel 4 News reported Sunday.

Laurie Bristow, who was appointed in May, was swiftly hailed as a hero on social media, with many describing him as brave and honorable for the “incredible commitment” shown in the face of mounting pressure and growing security threats.

“In every crisis, ‘look for the helpers,’ ” read one tweet.

“We are all in the debt of Laurie Bristow. Thank you so much,” read another.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which had reduced its diplomatic presence in Kabul amid Taliban gains, told British media Sunday that the “ambassador remains in Kabul” and that remaining embassy employees would continue to support British nationals and allied personnel.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday that Britain was working to get its nationals and Afghans who had worked closely with London out of the militant-controlled country as fast as possible. Nobody wants Afghanistan “once again to become a breeding ground for terror,” he said.

About 300 British passport holders managed to depart Afghanistan on Sunday, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told the BBC on Monday. He added that the embassy expects to help roughly another 1,500 people leave in the coming days.

Last week, the British Embassy in Kabul urged its nationals in Afghanistan to “leave immediately”as the Taliban advanced, while the Foreign Office advised against all travel to the country.

Wallace also confirmed that British forces are in place at the Kabul airport to help protect the evacuation. “Time is of the essence,” he said. “Every hour counts.”

Hundreds run across airport tarmac to sound of gunfire in rush to flee Taliban-controlled capitalLink copied

Several people were reportedly killed Monday inside Kabul airport, where thousands of panicked Afghans and foreign nationals have gathered in hopes of leaving Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

At least five people were killed amid the chaos of people fearful for their lives trying to force their way onto planes, Reuters reported, citing multiple witnesses. It was not immediately clear how the people were killed.

U.S. forces previously fired in the air to warn unauthorized people against trying to board military flights, according to numerous reports early Monday.

The State Department said Sunday that U.S. forces have secured control of the airport’s perimeter. The American military presence will swell to nearly 6,000 by early this week, with soldiers having the sole mission of helping U.S. and allied personnel depart the country.

Videos on social media showed hundreds of people running across the tarmac to the sound of gunfire. One witness told Reuters he saw the bodies of five people being taken to a vehicle. Another witness said it was not clear whether the victims were killed by gunshots or in a stampede. Officials were not immediately available to comment on the deaths.

Another video showed people desperately pushing their way up a staircase in an attempt to board a plane, while others dangled from the railings, as hundreds of people tried to leave the capital via the only route not controlled by the Taliban after the militant group took Kabul on Sunday.

U.S. officials said they will accelerate the evacuation of thousands of Afghans eligible for Special Immigrant Visas. About 2,000 have arrived in the United States over the past two weeks, a fraction of the estimated 88,000 who could need to be evacuated.

Biden administration scrambled as its orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan unraveledLink copied

By the middle of the week, as cities across Afghanistan were falling like dominoes to the Taliban and U.S. diplomats appeared increasingly at risk, President Biden’s plan for an orderly end to the United States’ longest war was quickly falling apart.

On Wednesday evening, Biden convened his top advisers to assess the ominous turn of events. One by one, in the cramped Situation Room in the White House basement, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken outlined the administration’s options for ensuring the security of U.S. personnel. Biden asked them to return with recommendations.

When the aides reconvened early the next morning, things had gotten worse. The Taliban was taking control of more and more of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals, most of them seized without a major fight, and the militants were bearing down on Kabul, the national capital. After being briefed by Sullivan and Austin, Biden gave the order to activate a plan deploying troops to secure the Kabul airport and create an evacuation route for Americans on the ground.

Fears of violence grow in Taliban-held KabulLink copied

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have fled their homes as reports of retributory violence by Taliban insurgents against people who had worked for the now-fallen government fuel concerns about life under Islamist militant rule.

In Kabul, claims of abuses and bloodshed, including executions, were emerging just hours after the capital city fell. The last time the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, it led a profoundly violent and repressive nation that became a global pariah.

“I’m sad to report that friends in Kabul are reporting violence tonight. Some claim revenge executions, others criminality,” Tom Tugendhat, a senior British lawmaker who served in Afghanistan, tweeted late Sunday. “A city half the size of London handed over to a violent cult. We are not likely near the end of the horror.”

Some Afghans who had fled for Kabul last week reportedly saw the insurgents kill captured soldiers in Taliban-controlled areas. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul said Aug. 12 that it had come across reports of the Taliban executing surrendering Afghan troops. Those claims could not immediately be independently verified.

Twenty years after being dislodged from national power by the invasion of a U.S.-led coalition, the Taliban has sought to portray itself as a more moderate organization. The militant group has offered amnesty to Afghans who have worked for Western authorities and the now-collapsed government.

“It’s going to be all about the actions, not the words,” said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday. “The whole world is watching.”

Analysts say the Taliban’s treatment of civilians varies across provinces and districts as autonomous local commanders tailor their approach to ethnic ties and local politics, The Washington Post has reported.

The United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the deepening humanitarian crisis.

U.N. Secretary General António Guterres, who has repeatedly condemned attacks on Afghan civilians and called for a peaceful settlement between the Taliban and government representatives, said Monday that “all abuses must stop.”

“International humanitarian law and human rights, especially the hard-won gains of women and girls, must be preserved,” he wrote on Twitter.

The fall of Saigon: As Taliban seizes Kabul, the Vietnam War’s final days remembered Link copied

President Gerald Ford was in a meeting with his energy team when his deputy national security adviser came in and passed him a note. It warned that Saigon was falling, and faster than expected.

Congress and the Pentagon had been pressuring him for weeks to move faster on evacuating Americans and their South Vietnamese allies, and now time was running out.

That’s what Ford faced on the evening of April 28, 1975, and it is history repeating itself now. After 20 years of U.S. involvement, the Taliban entered the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Sunday morning, as the United States scrambled to evacuate embassy staff and accelerate the rescue and relocation of Afghans who aided the U.S. military.

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