Thousands of Afghans rush to the Hamid Karzai International Airport as they try to flee the capital of Kabul on Aug. 16.Photo: Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty
Suhail Shaheentold Sky Newsthat the Taliban — who took over the country as the U.S. withdrew and the government collapsed — will not tolerate any delay in America leaving.
“You can say it’s a red line,” Shaheen said in an interview with the British television channel. “If the U.S. or U.K. were to seek additional time to continue evacuations, the answer is no. Or there would be consequences.”
Thescenes of chaos and delayaround the airport in the country’s capital of Kabul, and the vow to not leave behind Americans or Afghan allies, prompted the White House to reconsider their timeline.
Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said on Monday that the administration continues to talk with the Taliban about the evacuation. He said Biden will make the decision about whether to continue the effort past Aug. 31.
“We are in talks with the Taliban on a daily basis through both political and security channels,” Sullivan said.
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Shaheen has spoken to several international media outlets in the past two weeks as news reports and videos detailed a dire situation for many in Afghanistan as thousands try to flee.
The militant group swept through the county this month, taking over cities from local officials as American troops began to move out.
Last weekend Kabul fell and the president, Ashraf Ghani, fled.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants the U.S. to extend the Aug. 31 deadline to enable allies to evacuate more people. The issue is expected to be discussed at an emergency summit of the Group of Seven on Tuesday.
source: people.com
