Taliban Demands Afghanistan Evacuation End by August 31, Biden Warns of Terror Risk

G7 demands evacuations be allowed beyond August 31.

On August 24, the Taliban movement stated that it wants all foreign evacuations from Afghanistan to be completed by August 31. They do not agree to extend the evacuation beyond this date. 

Here is a brief look at the Taliban's demands, the reaction of G7 countries, and warnings from US President Joe Biden.

Taliban Demands

The Taliban are trying to assure thousands of Afghans who have gathered at Kabul airport hoping to board evacuation flights that they have nothing to fear and should return home. 

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated at a press conference in Kabul: "We guarantee their safety." According to him, the movement does not agree to extend the August 31 deadline and wants all evacuations of foreigners completed by that date. 

The movement's spokesman said: "We have assured them of their safety." During his press conference, Western forces were frantically working to get foreigners and Afghans onto planes and out of the country. US President Joe Biden faced mounting pressure to negotiate more time for evacuations. 

G7 Reaction to Taliban Demands

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the Group of Seven agreed on a plan of action regarding the Taliban, but their number one condition is that the militants must allow Afghans who wish to leave to do so unhindered, even after August 31. 

Boris Johnson
UK Prime Minister

What we have done today as the G7, we agreed not only on a common approach to resolving the evacuation issue, but also on a roadmap for how we intend to engage with the Taliban. <...> Condition number one that we as the G7 set is that they must guarantee safe departure for those who want to leave, through August 31 and beyond. 

The prime minister reminded the Taliban that the G7 has very significant leverage — economic, diplomatic and political. 

"We are talking about Afghanistan not being allowed to become a breeding ground for terror again, Afghanistan not being allowed to become a narco-trafficking state, and girls having to receive education up to age 18," Johnson said. 

He sidestepped the question of whether other G7 leaders had expressed dissatisfaction with Joe Biden's actions over his refusal to extend the presence of American troops in Afghanistan and how the evacuation was carried out. 

According to the prime minister, the first stage of the evacuation is indeed a very big success for the military. G7 countries are confident they can evacuate thousands more people, but the situation at the airport is not improving. 

Biden Warns of Terror Attack Risk

US President Joe Biden held talks with G7 leaders on the situation in Afghanistan. At the meeting, he said he aims to complete the US mission in the country by the previously set deadline (August 31), but there is still a chance that American troops will remain in Afghanistan after that date. 

The US president noted that the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan will depend on when all Americans and their Afghan allies are flown out of the country. The US may stop evacuations from the airport a few days before the mission ends, after which withdrawing the remaining troops, equipment and American citizens will become the priority. 

A US military source told NYT on condition of anonymity that the US will begin withdrawing 6,000 troops from Kabul airport this week or in the coming weekend (August 28-29). Other media report that the withdrawal has already begun. 

The pace of evacuations from Kabul airport has accelerated in recent days. Since August 15, 58,700 people have been evacuated, with about a third (21,600 people) evacuated on August 23 alone.