蜜芽传媒

US President Joe Biden says the US is "on pace" to meet a 31 August deadline for evacuations, despite previous calls from allies for an extension. "The sooner we finish the better," he said. But he has asked the military to make contingency plans in case staying longer becomes necessary.

Olivier Knox is a journalist at the Washington Post. He told Newsday that the US administration 鈥渉ave insisted they cannot give us the number of Americans on the ground in Afghanistan.鈥�

"There will be some Americans left in Afghanistan at the end of this ambitious operation. As for the Afghan citizens who helped the 20 year war effort, it seems clear that some will be left behind."

鈥淭he meeting of the CIA director William Burns, a highly respected former American diplomat, with the Taliban leadership is the most interesting outreach to date between Washington and whatever is coming together in Kabul.鈥�

鈥淚n the last few days, president Biden and some of his top aides have been emphasising that every day American troops stay in Kabul, the risk increases of a potential attack by the local Isis affiliate, known here as Isis K."

鈥淔or context, the Taliban and Isis have been at each others鈥� throats, and this is surely something that came up in the conversation between the CIA director and the Taliban leadership.鈥�

Photo: Families evacuated from Kabul arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport (EPA)

Show less