Very professional: US on Taliban’s role in the evacuation of Americans

The White
House on Thursday termed the Taliban’s role in facilitating the departure of
American citizens and others from Afghanistan as businesslike and professional as
a chartered Qatar Airways flight from Kabul landed in Doha.

“The
Taliban have been cooperative in facilitating the departure of American citizens
and lawful permanent residents on charter flights from HKIA. They have shown
flexibility, and they have been businesslike and professional in our dealings
with them in this effort. This is a positive first step,” N National
Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said.

Horne
informed that the US government facilitated the departure of US citizens and
lawful permanent residents on a chartered Qatar Airways flight from Hamid
Karzai International Airport.

“We can
confirm that flight has safely landed in Qatar. We are deeply grateful to the
continued efforts of Qatar in facilitating operations at HKIA and helping to
ensure the safety of these charter flights,” she said.

“We have
been working intensely across the US government to ensure the accuracy of the
manifest and the safe departure and transit of the aircraft, and today’s safe
flight is the result of careful and hard diplomacy and engagement,” she added.

The country
has brought back more than 6,000 American citizens and lawful permanent
residents to the United States under Operation Allies Welcome thus far.

She said these
efforts to facilitate the safe and orderly travel of American citizens, lawful
permanent residents, and Afghans who worked for the US and wish to leave
Afghanistan will continue.

“Because
there is an ongoing terrorist threat to operations of this nature, we will not
be sharing details of these efforts before people are safely out of the country.
As President Biden has said, if you are an American citizen who wants to leave
Afghanistan, there is no deadline. We remain committed to getting them out if they
want to come out,” Horne noted.