The U.S. is reportedly removing all of its staff from its embassy in Kabul in the next 72 hours, as a takeover of the Afghanistan central government by the Taliban appears imminent.
Sources close to the matter told CNN the majority of the embassy’s staff will go to the Kabul airport to travel back to the U.S., with just a small number staying at the airport. This reported timeline means that the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan would be closed by Tuesday.
The Taliban reportedly entered Kabul on Sunday, with leaders of the group saying that they are waiting for a peaceful transfer of power. Afghan government officials said in a statement that there would be a peaceful transfer of power to a transitional government.
Foreigners and Afghans alike are reportedly attempting to flee the country as quickly as possible in fear of an imminent Taliban takeover just months after U.S. and NATO forces began to withdraw from the country.
On Saturday, President Biden announced that he was sending 1,000 more troops to Afghanistan to assist in evacuating U.S. personnel.
In his announcement, Biden maintained that his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan after more than 20 years of a U.S. military presence did not have bearing on the Taliban’s swift takeover of much of the country.
“Over our country’s 20 years at war in Afghanistan, America has sent its finest young men and women, invested nearly $1 trillion dollars, trained over 300,000 Afghan soldiers and police, equipped them with state-of-the-art military equipment, and maintained their air force as part of the longest war in US history,” Biden said in a statement. “One more year, or five more years, of US military presence would not have made a difference if the Afghan military cannot or will not hold its own country.”