More troops deployed to Kabul airport as US warns of accountability for abuses
The United States has led more than 65 nations in urging the resurgent Taliban to let Afghans leave the country, warning of accountability for any abuses.
"The United States joins the international community in affirming that Afghans and international citizens who wish to depart must be allowed to do so," Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote on Twitter as the State Department released a statement signed by its close allies.
"Those in positions of power and authority across Afghanistan bear responsibility - and accountability - for the protection of human life," the joint statement said.
The United States joins the international community in affirming that Afghans and international citizens who wish to depart must be allowed to do so. Roads, airports, and border crossing must remain open, and calm must be maintained. https://t.co/lsNdsPETsW
â€" Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 16, 2021Evacuations at airport in KabulAt least five people have been killed in Kabul airport as hundreds of people tried to forcibly enter planes leaving the Afghan capital, witnesses say.
One witness told Reuters he had seen the bodies of five people being taken to a vehicle. Another witness said it was not clear whether the victims were killed by gunshots or in a stampede.
US troops, who are in charge of the airport, earlier fired in the air to scatter the crowd, a US official said.
Officials were not immediately available to comment on the deaths.
The Pentagon has authorised another 1,000 troops to help evacuate US citizens and Afghans who worked for them from Kabul as the US government said it would assume air traffic control to facilitate the departure of thousands of Americans.
A joint statement from the State Department and Pentagon after Taliban insurgents entered the Afghan capital confirmed that the United States over the next 48 hours will "have expanded our security presence to nearly 6,000 troops, with a mission focused solely on facilitating these efforts and will be taking over air traffic control."
The statement said it was working to secure the airport in Kabul "to enable the safe departure of US and allied personnel from Afghanistan via civilian and military flights."
Kabul residents rush to withdraw savings from banks
00:00 / 00:00
Share
State Department spokesman Ned Price said late Sunday in a statement "the safe evacuation of all Embassy personnel is now complete."
"All Embassy personnel are located on the premises of Hamid Karzai International Airport, whose perimeter is secured by the US military."
The joint statement added the United States "will be transferring out of the country thousands of American citizens" and others, and added the government would "accelerate the evacuation of thousands of Afghans eligible for US Special Immigrant Visas."
Calls for restraintMeanwhile, the UN has called on the Taliban to exercise restraint, and particularly to protect the rights of women and girls as they cement their grip on the country.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "urges the Taliban and all other parties to exercise utmost restraint in order to protect lives and ensure that humanitarian needs can be addressed," said a UN statement.
Conflict in Afghanistan is forcing hundreds of thousands to flee amid reports of serious human rights violations.
All abuses must stop.
International humanitarian law and human rights, especially the hard-won gains of women and girls, must be preserved.
â€" António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 15, 2021He was "particularly concerned about the future of women and girls, whose hard-won rights must be protected," the statement added.
UN Security Council meetsThe United Nations Security Council will hold a meeting on Monday on Afghanistan.
The meeting will be held at 10am in New York (midnight in Australia), according to the Security Council's schedule.
Mr Guterres is to report on the situation in Afghanistan at the meeting, which has been requested by Estonia and Norway, the delegations of the two non-permanent members of the Security Council said.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani acknowledged Sunday that the Taliban had "won" hours after fleeing his country to, he said, "prevent a flood of bloodshed".
The Taliban have reconquered Afghanistan in a lightning surge 20 years after the US invasion and took control of Kabul on Sunday, more than two weeks before the 31 August deadline set by President Joe Biden to complete the withdrawal of American troops from the country.
Additional reporting: Reuters
0 Response to "More troops deployed to Kabul airport as US warns of accountability for abuses"
Post a Comment