KABUL, Afghanistan (WBAP/KLIF News) – Dozens of U.S. citizens are among a group of about 200 people that were flown out of Kabul, Afghanistan Thursday morning.
The Qatari Airways flight, which is also carrying Canadians, Germans and Hungarians, is headed to Doha.
Today’s development follows the mass evacuations of Americans and some Afghans following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the now Taliban-controlled country August 31st.
The Associated Press reports the Taliban said they would let foreigners and Afghans with valid travel documents leave, but international leaders expressed doubt after a brief stalemate over charter places at other airports.
The departure comes amid growing concern about Americans who were left behind.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the actions of the Taliban will determine the U.S. relationship with them going forward.
“The Taliban has made a series of commitments publicly and privately including with regard to freedom of travel with regarding to combatting terrorism and not allowing Afghanistan to be used as a launching pad for terrorism,” he said.
Concerns are also growing about the threat of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
“Al Qaeda as an organization with the capacity to attack us or anyone else from Afghanistan was greatly degraded. So on the terms that we set for ourselves after 9/11 we achieved what we set out to achieve,” said Blinken.
However, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Al-Qaeda may attempt a comeback.
“The nature of Al-Qaeda and ISIS K is that they will always find space to grow whether its there or in Somalia or any other ungoverned space,” he said.
U.S. officials around 124,000 people were evacuated with the Biden Administration admitting that about 100 to 200 people were still there.
The Biden Administration has received criticism for its handling of Afghanistan. A key Senate committee will question military leaders about the matter next week.
Copyright 2021. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
