Axios World: Endgame for Kabul airlift

Plus: Where the evacuees are going | Thursday, August 26, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Comedy Central   Axios World By Dave Lawler ·Aug 26, 2021 Welcome back to Axios World. We're sticking with Afghanistan tonight (1,828 words, 7 minutes) after the attack outside the airport today. Let's jump right in.     1 big thing: Kabul airlift approaches its endgame Afghans wait to be evacuated following the attack. Photo: Marcus Yam/LA Times via Getty   The Kabul airlift was already entering its endgame when ISIS-K, the terrorist group's affiliate in Afghanistan, attacked outside the airport and killed 13 U.S. troops and an estimated 60 Afghans. State of play: Most NATO allies have now ended their evacuation operations, including for their own civilians. Those already inside the airport are being flown out, but the gates are closed and Americans and Afghans alike have been urged to stay away. The U.S. military is preparing for its own evacuation and is on alert for additional attacks. President Biden declared tonight that the U.S. would "not be intimidated," saying, "We will rescue the Americans. We will get our Afghan allies out. And our mission will go on." But Biden also seemed to back off his pledge that troops would remain in Kabul as long as it took to get all Americans out. Instead, he said the U.S would "find means by which we can find any American who wishes to get out of Afghanistan," even after the troop withdrawal. He plans to stick to his Aug. 31 deadline. The pace of evacuations had slowed even before the attack, though evacuees who were already on the base continued to be flown out. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said there were ongoing operations to get Americans and Afghan allies to the airport but offered no details. The U.S. has evacuated over 100,000 people in total, but may only have around 36 hours to complete the remaining evacuations before the military has to prioritize its own withdrawal. Driving the news: Biden on Thursday said he has directed the Pentagon to develop plans to "strike" ISIS-K "assets, leadership and facilities." "To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgive, we will not forget, we will hunt you down and make you pay," Biden said. CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said earlier on Thursday that the threat of an additional attack was "extremely real." "We believe it is their desire to continue those attacks and we believe those attacks will continue," McKenzie said. McKenzie said Thursday's attack occurred at a gate where soldiers conduct security screenings before people enter the airfield. "This is close-up work. The breath of the person you are searching is upon you. While we have overwatch in place, we still have to touch the clothes of the person who is coming in," he added. McKenzie noted that there were "probably a little more than 1,000 American citizens left in Afghanistan," with 500 evacuated in the last 24 hours. He said not all of those Americans were seeking to evacuate.     2. Trusting the Taliban One of the wounded is rushed to a hospital in Kabul. Photo: Marcus Yam/LA Times via Getty   Prior to the fall of Kabul, President Biden dismissed the idea that he could trust the Taliban. "Is that a serious question?" he asked. "No, I do not." Why it matters: He may not trust them, but as his administration has worked to evacuate Americans and Afghans, the entire mission has hinged on cooperation with a militant group that the U.S. spent years fighting. Biden had stressed in recent days that the Taliban were letting U.S. citizens and, less consistently, Afghan allies pass through checkpoints. That's crucial, because the Taliban control the flow of traffic to the airport. He said tonight that he had no regrets about allowing the Taliban to control the airport's perimeter because it was in the group's "self-interest" to prevent ISIS-K attacks and facilitate the U.S. evacuations. And McKenzie noted that security coordination with the Taliban will be essential in preventing another attack. Both Biden and McKenzie said there's no evidence of collusion between ISIS-K and the Taliban. Biden's cooperation with the Taliban has been a source of some consternation on Capitol Hill, particularly after a Politico report that the U.S. provided the Taliban with a list of names of evacuating Afghans. The move was reportedly intended to facilitate their travel to the airport, but could ultimately make them Taliban targets. Asked about the report, Biden said the U.S. did tell the Taliban to let certain groups of Afghans through, but he wasn't aware of any such lists. What's next: The U.S. and its allies — most of which have already suspended their evacuations — are relying on the Taliban to continue to allow Afghans and their own citizens to leave the country beyond Aug. 31. Secretary of State Tony Blinken said Wednesday that the Taliban have provided assurances to that effect, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of the need for diplomacy with the Taliban to ensure they follow through. Yes, but: Signals from the Taliban have been mixed at best. Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid lamented the ongoing brain drain on Tuesday and said "we are not in favor of allowing Afghans to leave." Go deeper: U.S. allies scramble to leave Afghanistan     3. Where evacuated Afghans are going Data: Department of Defense and Axios research; Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios The U.S. has spent the last 12 days scrambling not only to evacuate thousands of people each day from Kabul's international airport, but also to find and prepare places for them to go. Why it matters: Insufficient processing capacity was a major hurdle early in the evacuation process, and it's remained an issue. But the Pentagon says 14 "temporary safe havens" are now available in the Gulf and Europe. The big picture: The U.S. has evacuated over 100,000 people from Kabul since Aug. 14, but not directly to the U.S. Most U.S. military flights out of Kabul go to one of three hubs in Qatar, Bahrain or Germany. There are also secondary sites in the UAE and Kuwait and at U.S. military installations in Germany, Italy and Spain. Overcrowded and unsanitary conditions at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar forced the administration to accelerate its efforts to open additional facilities and to establish Ramstein Air Base in Germany as a second major hub. While at those temporary facilities, Afghans will be vetted for security concerns and to ensure their eligibility to enter the U.S. or third countries. Those who hold U.S. visas or have completed the Special Immigrant Visa application process can be quickly cleared. It remains unclear how long others might wait. The administration is dispatching diplomats as well as intelligence, law enforcement and counterterrorism officials to expedite the process. Those who are cleared to travel to the U.S. are being flown to Dulles airport near Washington, D.C., and then on to one of four U.S. military bases in New Jersey, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. Additional U.S. bases are expected to be added. The administration has not provided updated numbers of how many Afghans have entered the U.S. Go deeper: 14 steps to America for Afghan allies     A message from Comedy Central Consider considering "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah"     For your consideration, Emmy-nominated "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" covers all the big stories. Whether he's at home or anywhere else, Trevor delivers uncomfy truths, all while wearing comfy clothes. "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" returns September 13 at 11 pm ET/10 pm CT.     Bonus: Where in the world? Screengrab via Apple Maps   Today we're visiting an archipelago that's home to 3,000 people and about as many polar bears. The main settlement is called Longyearbyen, which ... yeah, it has. Scroll to the bottom for the answer.     4. Kabul crisis complicates Israeli PM's visit Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin (left) greets Bennett Wednesday at the Pentagon. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images   Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will visit the White House tomorrow, a day later than originally planned, and he'll find a president in distress, Axios' Barak Ravid writes. Why it matters: This is not how the new prime minister imagined his first meeting with President Biden. An hour before he was supposed to walk into the Oval Office, disaster struck in Kabul. Behind the scenes: Bennett and his advisers were getting ready to leave the Willard Hotel, just down the street from the White House, when the first reports started coming in. 15 minutes before the meeting's 11:30am start time, the White House called Bennett's aides and asked them to hold. Bennett's advisers told their White House counterparts that they understood the situation and that Bennett would accommodate himself to the president's schedule. An hour later, the White House told Bennett's aides the meeting would be postponed, without providing a time. After waiting for three hours at the hotel, the White House told Bennett's staff that the meeting was rescheduled for Friday morning. Bennett issued a statement saying Israel stood with the U.S. Biden called Bennett this evening to thank him for his understanding and Bennett offered his condolences to the American people, the Prime Minister's Office says. What's next: Bennett was planning to discuss several issues with Biden: Iran, U.S. military aid to Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Israel's request to enter the U.S. visa waiver program. But after the Kabul attack, it is unclear whether Biden will have the time and attention span for such a discussion. However, the current crisis could help Bennett accomplish his goals of "resetting" the U.S.-Israel relationship and developing a relationship with Biden. Amid the current turmoil, Biden can use any support he can get. What's next: Bennett had to postpone his flight back to Israel, but won't travel on the Jewish Sabbath. That means he will fly back to Israel Saturday evening.     5. Latin America news roundup Raise your hand if you want some emergency powers. Alejandro Giammattei. Photo: Camilo Freedman/APhotografia/Getty   The latest headlines from Latin America, courtesy of my colleagues at Axios Latino. 1. The Guatemalan Congress has rejected President Alejandro Giammattei's declaration of emergency over COVID-19, arguing it would foster a "dictatorship of corruption." 2. Bolivian ex-President Jeanine Áñez is under close monitoring in jail after a suicide attempt last Saturday, following genocide charges against her for "systemic torture" and persecution of dissidents during her 2019 interim government. 3. Cuba has decreed new restrictions against social media and digital news sites after access to those platforms helped propel July's mass protests against the government. 4. President Nayib Bukele's government has been secretly negotiating with El Salvador's three main gangs in order to fulfill his 2019 campaign promise to lower the number of murders to zero, according to official documents dug up by news site El Faro. 5. While case counts continue to spike in many places around the world — in the U.S. and Southeast Asia, for example — they are at the lowest levels in eight months across South America. In Uruguay, the daily case count has fallen from around 3,500 in early June to around 100 now. "People have pretty much returned to normal life," a friend messages from Montevideo.     6. Coming attractions: Germany's post-Merkel election Data: Forsa; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios For months, it appeared that Germany was headed for a coalition between the surging Greens and the center-right Christian Democrats, who have been in power for 16 years under Angela Merkel. Yes, but: With the election now one month away, the race has turned on its head. Merkel isn't running this time around, and just 21% of Germans think her party's candidate, Armin Laschet, would make the best chancellor. That's compared to 44% for Olaf Scholz, leader of the suddenly resurgent Social Democrats. Currently serving as finance minister in a coalition with Merkel's CDU, Scholz has taken on the role of adult in the room as his rivals have slipped up. He could soon take on another role: chancellor. We'll have much more on this election in the coming editions.     7. Stories we're watching Palestinians protest on Wednesday near the border fence between Gaza and Israel. Photo: Fatima Shbair/Getty   Navalny describes "psychological violence" in jail Japan suspends 1.63M Moderna doses over contamination concerns WHO: Booster data "not conclusive" Troops must get vaccinated DOJ brands Chinese-owned U.S. newspaper a foreign agent An unusual summer in Greenland The last Marine in Saigon, on Afghanistan Quoted: "No peeing towards Russia." — A helpful new sign, on the Norwegian side of the border     A message from Comedy Central Consider considering "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah"     For your consideration, Emmy-nominated "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" covers all the big stories. Whether he's at home or anywhere else, Trevor delivers uncomfy truths, all while wearing comfy clothes. "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" returns September 13 at 11 pm ET/10 pm CT.   Answer: Svalbard. Like this email style and format? Learn more about Axios HQ. It'll help you deliver employee communications more effectively.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: