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Pentagon says 22K ‘at-risk’ Afghans could be transported to United States in coming weeks

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Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby has said that up to 22,000 “at-risk” Afghans could be transported to three U.S. facilities in the coming weeks.

“Our aim at these three facilities would be over time, three to four weeks from now, be able to provide support for up to 22,000 at-risk individuals,” Kirby said during a press briefing Monday. “We will not have that capacity immediately. It will take some time to build it out.” Kirby said at present there are 2,500 U.S. forces on the ground in Kabul, with more troops on the way that will bring that number to over 3,000 in the next 24 hours.

Those troops assist in the evacuation of Americans who are still on the ground in Afghanistan, as well as the potentially 22,000 at-risk Afghans. Kirby said that there have been “several hundred people flown out” of the country so far, and estimated that the U.S. could fly as many as “5,000 or maybe even more out per day” on “literally a couple dozen or more sorties.”

“I’m being intentionally careful with the estimates because, again, it’s a fluid situation and it is going to change day by day,” Kirby said. “But our goal would be once safety and security is — can be resumed at the airport, to begin to flow from the military side, multiple sorties a day with the hope of getting thousands of people out per day.”

Kirby said that the goal is still to remove all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by August 31, though he wouldn’t speculate on whether or not the current mission may have to be extended. “The president’s made it clear that he wants this drawdown complete by the 31st.  That’s what we’re driving at,” Kirby said. “Beyond that, I think we’ll just have to take it as it comes. I’m not going to speculate.”

ARTICLE: PAUL MURDOCH

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE
PHOTO CREDITS: NEWSWEEK

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Paul Murdoch

Paul, 37, is from Scotland in the UK, but currently lives and works in Bangkok. Paul has worked in different industries such as telemarketing, retail, hospitality, farming, insurance, and teaching, where he works now. He teaches at an all-girls High School in Bangkok. “It’s a lot of work, but I love my job.” Paul has an active interest in politics. His reason for writing for FBA is to offer people the facts and allow them to make up their own minds. Whilst he believes opinion columns have their place, it is also important that people can have accurate news with no bias.

Paul, 37, is from Scotland in the UK, but currently lives and works in Bangkok. Paul has worked in different industries such as telemarketing, retail, hospitality, farming, insurance, and teaching, where he works now. He teaches at an all-girls High School in Bangkok. “It’s a lot of work, but I love my job.” Paul has an active interest in politics. His reason for writing for FBA is to offer people the facts and allow them to make up their own minds. Whilst he believes opinion columns have their place, it is also important that people can have accurate news with no bias.

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