The Taliban warned the U.S. that American troops must be out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11, after they were re-deployed to the Kabul airport to assist with evacuations.
Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen told Sky News that the U.S. should “withdraw all their forces” by Sept. 11, but added that “we are committed not to attack them.” It was unclear as to what would happen if U.S. forces were not out of Afghanistan by that date.
The U.S. had planned to withdraw all American troops by the end of August but sent thousands of additional soldiers to aid the evacuation effort in Kabul, following the quick collapse of Afghanistan to the Taliban.
Another Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that the group would not retaliate against former members of the Western-backed government or soldiers, and that amnesty would be granted to them in addition to translators and contractors who worked for international forces, The Epoch Times reported.
The German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said Tuesday of the evacuations in Afghanistan, “the images of despair at Kabul airport shame the political West,” adding that “We are experiencing a human tragedy for which we share responsibility.”
Defense Department Press Secretary John Kirby said Monday and Tuesday that U.S. troops had to fire on armed militants who fired at them first at the airport.
