Joe Biden to stick to August 31 Afghanistan pullout deadline: Reports

US President Joe Biden will stick to August 31 deadline to pull out all American troops from Afghanistan, news agency AFP reported, quoting American media. 

According to multiple reports, the US President has accepted the Pentagon’s recommendation to stick with this month’s deadline but has asked for contingency plans if the Taliban’s intransigence made it necessary.

The announcement also comes after CIA Director William Burns met with top Taliban leaders in Kabul, though the agency has not released any details of what was discussed.

Biden faced pressure after footages of Kabul’s airport last week was played around the world. The Taliban-managed checkpoints to the airfield, which is also the main entry and exit from Afghanistan, were closed this week, contributing to the sense of panic.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had urged Biden to keep forces in Afghanistan to ensure the safe airlift of Afghan refugees to the United States and third countries. On Tuesday, the Group of Seven met to discuss better coordination on the unfolding situation.

But Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen called any extension a “clear violation” of the loosely organized group’s agreement with the Biden administration.

Also read: Pakistan, Russia discuss Afghan peace amid fears of Taliban-NRF showdown

To California Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, it is “possible” but “very unlikely” the evacuation process will be completed by August 31.

“Given the number of Americans who still need to be evacuated, the number of SIVs, the number of others who are members of the Afghan press, civil society leaders, women leaders — it’s hard for me to imagine all of that can be accomplished between now and the end of the month,” the House Intelligence Committee chairman had said.

Speaking to reporters, National security adviser Jake Sullivan said this week the service members being pulled out of Afghanistan did not preclude future evacuations of Afghans vulnerable to Taliban reprisals.