U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called Afghanistan's foreign minister to discuss the path forward in Afghanistan following the Taliban's swift takeover.
Taking some heat today for chaotic scenes at Kabul International Airport, U.S. President Joe Biden stood by his decision to withdraw U.S. combat forces.
And hoping to endear Afghans to them, the Taliban declared an "amnesty" across the country, urging women to join the government.
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This evening, a top U.S. defence official says they are planning to temporarily house thousands of Afghans at three U.S. military installations there for them to take the weight off their feet.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said up to 22,000 Afghans and their families could be housed at those installations. But specific locations of the installations were not disclosed.
Several thousand U.S. service members now arriving in Afghanistan will be in Afghanistan for the next couple of weeks to enable a safe and orderly evacuation.
Now, for more developments today, here's our top story.
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Dramatic videos showing Afghans desperately fleeing the Taliban by clinging to a departing U.S. military jet on the tarmac shone the spotlight on people's fear of the Taliban military.
A daring escape by some who literally clung onto the fuselage of C-17 Globemaster as the aircraft gained altitude. But sure enough, some of them apparently fell to their death as the aircraft ascended.
All told, at least seven people met their demise during that chaotic evacuation at the airport.
There was chaos, mayhem, and gunshots were reported. U.S. troops reportedly fired in the air to defuse the chaos as the situation took a turn for the worse.
At the White House today, President Joe Biden took some beating as critics blamed him for chaotic scenes at Kabul International Airport, which have, in turn, brought the Afghan people's safety to the forefront.
While his critics reprimanded Biden for admitting defeat after two decades of war with the Taliban and letting the Taliban regime afflict civilians, a defiant Biden called the anguish of trapped Afghan civilians "gut-wrenching", declared "the buck stops with me", but placed almost all blame in Afghans for the meteoric Taliban conquest.
He said he will stick to his guns by withdrawing troops from Afghanistan to put an end to America's longest war. "I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years, I've learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces. I'm now the fourth American President to preside over war in Afghanistan - two Democrats and two Republicans. I will not pass this responsibly on - responsibility on to a fifth President. I will not mislead the American people by claiming that just a little more time in Afghanistan will make all the difference." Said Biden.
But on the side note, he admitted he was caught off-guard since all that unfolded far more quickly than expected due to the Taliban's meteoric offensive.
"The truth is: This did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated." Added Biden.
As critics continue to launch a tag team attack on Biden's decision to concede and withdraw troops from Afghanistan, this marks the biggest foreign policy crisis of his still-young presidency.
People from Biden's own political party also spoke out, with some saying nothing can make up for the suffering among the Afghan people.
Internationally, the spectacle of the Taliban takeover and the chaotic evacuation at the Kabul airport had America's steadfast allies casting doubt on the country's commitments to them.
Back in Afghanistan, making more of trust between the Afghan people and the Taliban and trying to endear Afghans to them, the Taliban today declared an "amnesty" across the nation, urging women to join its government. But having suffered at the hands of the Taliban, many Afghans remain sceptical as to whether the Taliban, in all honesty, welcome having women in their government.
Yesterday, China's Foreign Minister and the U.S. Secretary of State talked with Afghanistan's Foreign Minister to discuss Afghanistan's outlook. Wang Yi and Blinken also had a phone call, during which they discussed how to ensure people's safety in Afghanistan and avert another civil war.
At the same time, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said they didn't anticipate Afghan "capitulation." "And one of the things we couldn't anticipate and didn't anticipate was the degree to which Afghan forces capitulated, sometimes without a fight." Said Kirby.
For now, it remains unclear what the future holds for the embattled Afghanistan as the Taliban prepares to rule the country, which has been mired in decades of civil war.
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