The war is over, the Taliban said. The first evacuation plane landed in Prague
“We take responsibility every step of the way and make sure we have peace with everyone. We are ready to address the concerns of the international community,” he said in a new interview with a spokesman for the Taliban’s political wing.
Russia has announced that its ambassador to Afghanistan will meet with the Taliban coordinator on Tuesday. China says it wants friendly relations with the Taliban. Qatar, which has good contacts with the radical movement, said it wanted to secure a peaceful transfer of power.
Save the interpreters, encourage government initiative. Some are still waiting for help
In the West, there are concerns, in particular, about the fate of the current internationally recognized government and the outgoing foreign troops, as well as about civil liberties in Afghanistan in the event of the restoration of the Taliban regime.
“We are asking all countries to sit down with us (for talks) in an effort to resolve any issues,” al-Jazeera said the movement’s political spokesman. According to Reuters, two Taliban representatives previously said that the movement intends to take full power in Afghanistan and does not count on a transitional government. However, according to a new spokesman, Islamic fundamentalists do not want to rule in isolation and want to share channels with the foreign government.
“The war in Afghanistan is over,” he said. “We have achieved what we have strived for, the liberation of our country and the independence of our people,” he said, according to the BBC.
Kabul was overcome with fear
Meanwhile, in Kabul, the rapid development associated with the evacuation embassy and the effort to leave the Afghans at the last minute to leave their homeland continued. The key is in connection with Kabul International Airport, to which, in addition to foreign diplomats, some locals seem to have gone on Sundays and nights today.
Calm before the storm? Afghanistan is fearing fear, thousands of people are trying to flee
Western media shared a video from Twitter showing the crowd on the desktop right next to the planes. CNN reported that hundreds of people flocked to the airfield, and a witness told the BBC that the desperate attempt to get on some of the planes had the characteristics of a crowd panic.
Hamid Karzai International Airport. August 16, 2021 pic.twitter.com/LXsAQPpFXG
– BILAL SARWARY (@bsarwary) August 15, 2021
In a joint statement, the governments of more than 60 countries called for the continuation of operations at Afghan airports, roads and border crossings, so that locals and foreigners could leave Afghanistan in a “deteriorating security situation”.
Tensions rose at the airport over the weekend, according to the US Embassy in Kabul, there were reports that gunfire was aimed at the area. Thousands of American and hundreds of British troops are returning to Kabul to ensure evacuation safety, and troops have been sent there by other countries. The US Department of Defense approved the deployment of 1,000 troops on Sunday, and at the end of logistics operations, a total of 6,000 members of the US military will oversee it. That’s about twice the number of troops the United States had in Afghanistan in the spring at the beginning of an operation to end a 20-year combat mission.
US Embassy evacuation
The Axios news website reports that Washington intends to evacuate another employee of its embassy this morning, with the testimony of those who will continue to process visa applications.
According to CNN, President Joe Biden’s government is focusing on evacuating US workers and limiting the number of Afghans who have worked with the US government.
The Taliban has gained control of the presidential palace in Kabul. Ghani fled the country
“We will leave tens of thousands of people there,” commented Axios, a source who attended U.S. senators’ talks with military commanders on Sunday, including top-ranked General Mark Milley.
The first evacuation plane from Afghanistan landed in Prague
The first Czech military plane landed at the airport in Prague’s Kbely this morning, bringing 46 Czechs and their colleagues with their families from Afghanistan. Their evacuation was approached by the Czech Republic, which rapidly followed the situation in Afghanistan and the Islamist movement Taliban practically controlled the entire country, including Kabul. According to Sunday’s statement by Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhánek (CSSD), the rescue operation will continue.
According to the Ministry of Defense, another evacuation plane from Prague took off after 11:00. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) held a meeting of the MFA Crisis Staff in the morning. According to the Ministry of Defense, the situation in Afghanistan is serious and still evolving, but the soldiers are doing everything to evacuate as many people as possible.
“The first evacuated Czechs and our Afghan co-workers, including women and young children, are safe in the Czech Republic. We are continuing our evacuation efforts, I will convene another crisis staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shortly. Thanks to everyone involved. I cannot comment further details. , “Kulhánek said on Twitter in the morning.
The evacuation was approached by the Czech Republic, which happened rapidly after the Afghan diplomat and the situation and the Islamist Movement of the Taliban virtually took control of the whole, including Kabul. According to Sunday’s statement by Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhánek (CSSD), the rescue operation will continue.
The Army Airbus took off from Kabul on Sunday around 23:00 CEST. On this occasion, the Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček (CSSD) stated that, given the rapidly deteriorating situation at Kabul International Airport, he considered the departure of the Czech plane to be a miracle.
Jana Zechmeisterová from the press department of the Ministry of Defense told ČTK around 11.30 am that there is another evacuation machine in the air heading for Kabul.
In recent days, the Czech government has been criticized for its slow response. Critics also point out that the aid does not apply to all Afghan interpreters. Government officials reject the critics.
The Czech evacuation flights are to continue, as many as planned, but the Czech political representatives have not stated. According to the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Ondřej Veselý (ČSSD), the rescue operation concerns less than a hundred people. Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamacek (CSSD) said on the departure of the Army Airbus, which landed this morning, that he considers the departure of the Czech plane to be a miracle, given the rapidly deteriorating situation at Kabul International Airport.
The Czech authorities have not yet provided details about the future of the evacuated Afghans. It is not clear if the passengers on the first flight took the passengers from the first flight. After arriving from a mission in Afghanistan, the soldiers had to go to a special facility in Těchonín, where they were tested for coronavirus and spent quarantine. Afghanis are unlikely to avoid quarantine measures due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hamáček will negotiate their integration with the governors. I will add that the Czech asylum system takes into account that each case is assessed individually. The Czechia cannot fail to accept someone who is in danger.