US troops leaving on day Biden says he won’t extend withdrawal
“So far, the reduction does not affect the mission,” one of the officials said, adding that the commander on the ground can decide what military personnel are in units that are no longer required. That decision can be based on a few factors, including the number of gates open at the airport, the number of people coming through and more.
“If you can have a smaller mission set and still conduct the mission, then you can reduce your footprint and reduce your risk,” the official said.
In remarks to an emergency meeting of the G7 on Tuesday, Biden said the threat to US troops in Kabul was one of the key reasons he was sticking to the end of the month as the final withdrawal date.
“There was strong agreement among the leaders, both about the evacuation mission underway as well as the need to coordinate our approach to Afghanistan as we move forward,” Biden said in remarks at the White House Tuesday afternoon.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had said in a statement earlier Tuesday that “The President conveyed that our mission in Kabul will end based on the achievement of our objectives.”
“He confirmed we are currently on pace to finish by August 31st and provided an update on progress in evacuating Americans who want to come home, third-country nationals, and Afghans who were our allies during the war.”
Psaki said Biden noted that each day the risks are getting higher in a country now controlled by the Taliban and made a particular point of warning of the potential for terror attacks, which has become an acute concern inside his administration, she said.
“There has been no change to the timeline of the mission, which is to have this completed by the end of the month,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Tuesday morning.
“If the worst-case scenario were to happen, you don’t want more people there than you need,” the defense official said.
But the President also said Tuesday he’s asked for contingency plans to adjust the August 31 timetable, “should that become necessary.” However, he stressed that each day American troops are in the country brings “added risk.”
“I’m determined to ensure that we complete our mission, this mission. I’m also mindful of the increasing risks that I have been briefed on and the need to factor those risks in. They’re real, and significant challenges that we also have to take into consideration,” he continued.
As the US nears the final date of withdrawal, the number of Afghan evacuees flown out is expected to gradually decrease, while the number of US troops flown out is expected to increase.
Biden said Tuesday that 70,700 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan since August 14 and that the US is on pace to finish its evacuation mission by August 31.
“The sooner we can finish the better,” he said, adding that in the past 12 hours, 19 US military flights evacuated approximately 6,400 evacuees and 31 coalition flights carrying 5,600 people have left Kabul.
But even as the United States flies tens of thousands of people out of the country, the situation in Afghanistan remains desperate and many Afghans who assisted the war effort are still awaiting their turn to leave.
US officials have described in stark terms the real threat of terror attacks at Kabul airport as crowds gather outside the gates.
This story has been updated with additional information Tuesday.
CNN’s Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.
