Afghanistan: Biden has insisted he wants to end the US military presence and airlifts by August 31.
Kabul:
The Taliban warned Monday that there would be “consequences” if the United States and its allies expand their presence in Afghanistan beyond next week, as chaos continued to engulf the Kabul airport with tens of thousands of people still desperately fleeing.
To oversee a chaotic airlift of foreigners and Afghans desperately trying to escape the return of the harsh Islamist regime, thousands of troops have returned to Afghanistan and pressure is mounting on Washington to extend the August 31 withdrawal deadline.
But the Taliban Monday showed no willingness to compromise, with spokesman Suhail Shaheen telling Sky News that “extension of occupation” would continue beyond the agreed deadline.
“If the US or the UK were to seek additional time to continue the evacuations – the answer is no…there would be consequences,” he said.
Two Taliban sources, meanwhile, told AFP that the group would not announce the composition of its government or cabinet until the last US soldier has left the country.
harrowing scenes
The rush to leave Kabul has led to harrowing scenes and has claimed the lives of at least eight people, some of whom were crushed and at least one person after falling from a plane.
Germany’s defense ministry said on Monday that an Afghan man was killed and three others injured in a morning firefight between local guards and unknown assailants.
German and US forces “have engaged in a further firefight,” it said in a statement.
The Taliban, notorious for an ultra-strict interpretation of Sharia during their initial rule in 1996-2001, have repeatedly claimed to be different this time and have announced amnesty for government forces and officials.
But a United Nations intelligence document said the terrorists went door-to-door hunting for former government officials and those who worked with US and NATO forces.
‘Pain and loss’
President Joe Biden has insisted he wants to end the US military presence and airlifts by August 31.
But with the European Union and Britain saying it would be impossible to get everyone out by then, Biden is under pressure to extend the deadline.
He said at the White House on Sunday that talks are underway to explore the possibility of extending the deadline.
Biden also acknowledged the tragic scenes at the airport, including babies and children passed to soldiers through barbed wire fences and men clinging to the outsides of departing planes.
However, he said they were part of the departure fee.
“There is no way to evacuate so many people without the pain and loss and heartbreaking images you see,” he said.
‘Peace And Tranquility’
In the capital, the Taliban have enforced a sense of calm in a city long marred by violent crime, with their armed forces patrolling the streets and manning checkpoints.
Visually, they also wanted to stamp their authority, by ensuring that the tricolor national flag was replaced by their white flag.
Over the weekend in Kabul, roadside young men sold Taliban flags bearing the Islamic proclamation of faith and the official name of the regime: “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” in black text.
“Our goal is to spread the flag of the Islamic emirate throughout Afghanistan,” said salesman Ahmad Shakib, who studies economics at the university.
Resistance
Outside Kabul, there are flashes of resistance against the Taliban.
Some ex-government forces have gathered in the Panjshir Valley, north of the capital – long known as an anti-Taliban bastion.
The Taliban said Monday that their fighters had surrounded resistance forces holed up in the valley but wanted to negotiate rather than bring the fight to them.
Taliban fighters “are stationed near Panjshir,” spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted, adding that the group was trying to resolve this problem “peacefully.”
The announcement follows scattered reports of overnight skirmishes, with pro-Taliban accounts on social media claiming gunmen piling up, and former Vice President of Afghanistan Amrullah Saleh said resistance forces are holding out.
One of the leaders of the movement in Panjshir called the National Resistance Front is the son of the famous anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud.
The NRF is prepared for a “prolonged conflict” but is also still trying to negotiate an inclusive government with the Taliban, spokesman Ali Maisam Nazary told AFP in an interview last weekend.
With government offices still largely closed, many Afghans are concerned about their payment, but the Taliban announced Monday the appointment of a central bank governor to keep financial affairs going.
However, officials were told this weekend that they would not receive their salaries until a new government was formed.
