Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, urged the Taliban to ensure “safe passage” for people seeking to flee Afghanistan even after the military’s withdrawal by August 31, and pledged that Washington would not cease evacuation efforts next week.
Blinken’s comments at a briefing on Wednesday come after criticism from America’s allies and US lawmakers from both parties over the chaotic exit from Afghanistan ahead of the White House’s self-imposed deadline, which they say risks leaving too many vulnerable people stuck in the country.
The secretary of state said 4,500 US citizens out of an estimated 6,000 Americans in Afghanistan had been evacuated during this month’s airlift, and diplomats were “aggressively reaching out” to the remaining 1,500.