Live updates European forces cross Taliban lines for Kabul rescue pressuring Biden to expand evacuation

The Biden administration is under pressure to expand its Afghanistan evacuation efforts beyond Kabul airport after European forces crossed Taliban lines and entered the city to rescue civilians. Access to the airport has been heavily restricted by Taliban fighters who have beaten people trying to flee the country.

Earlier this week, an elite team of French police officers entered the capital’s Green Zone, where French nationals and vulnerable Afghans were sheltering on the grounds of the country’s embassy. They transported the people to Kabul airport for evacuation, the police confirmed.

There have also been reports of British paratroopers leaving the airport to rescue British nationals and local allies, although it isn’t immediately clear whether these efforts continued after the Taliban takeover. Germany has announced it will bring in two helicopters on Saturday to access hard-to-reach people in need of evacuation in Kabul.

Critics of the Biden administration have asked why the more numerous U.S. forces have not followed suit. The United States has dedicated its 5,000-plus troops to maintaining security at the airport. “At this point, we don’t have the resources to go beyond the airport compound,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Thursday.

Here’s what to know

A NATO official said that more than 18,000 people have been evacuated from the Kabul airport over the past five days. But daily mayhem at the airport continued Thursday as thousands of people attempting to board flights faced beatings by Taliban guards, the crush of heaving crowds and endless dust and heat.

The Taliban is stepping up its hunt for Afghans who once worked for U.S. or NATO forces, warned a confidential threat assessment drafted for the United Nations. The report comes as German broadcaster Deutsche Welle says a relative of one of its journalists was shot dead.

Afghanistan’s economy faces calamity in the aftermath of the Taliban’s takeover, with the United States freezing the country’s financial reserves, residents unable to withdraw their money from bank accounts and billions of dollars of international aid put on hold.

Afghanistan’s crisis underscores the U.S.’s shifting place in the world Link copied

“Let me speak clearly and bluntly. This is a catastrophe,” said Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, in an address Thursday to the European Parliament. He echoed the widespread dismay felt by policymakers and politicians across the continent over the sudden Taliban takeover in Afghanistan â€" and the Biden administration’s military withdrawal that preceded it. Many of the United States’ NATO partners in Europe had invested considerable manpower and resources in the U.S.-led war and nation-building project in Afghanistan, though on a smaller scale than Washington. For some, participating in the mission conferred a significant degree of post-Cold War prestige.

Now, European onlookers are shocked to see the fruits of their labor seemingly vanish in the space of a few harrowing days. Across the pond, a defiant White House has doubled down on its decision-making, showing little contrition for its role in the chaotic scenes unfolding in Kabul.

U.S. Air Force crew actually flew more than 800 people in that aircraft departing KabulLink copied

The U.S. Air Force crew that made a split-second decision to allow hundreds of fleeing Afghans onto a C-17 transport plane said Friday that the actual number of evacuees was 823, including 183 children.

U.S. officials had previously said that more than 600 people were on the plane that departed Kabul late Sunday amid a Taliban takeover of the city. The group’s rapid advance sent thousands of Afghans fleeing toward the airport in hopes of securing a flight.

“They were definitely anxious to get out of the area, and we were happy to accommodate them,” Loadmaster Tech. Sgt. Justin Triola said on CNN’s “New Day” on Friday.

“Our 640 number was a little bit underestimated. We actually carried 823” people, Triola said.

“This is a record for this aircraft,” Air Mobility Command said Twitter on Friday.

An image from inside the aircraft that night shows hundreds of weary Afghans packed into the plane. The C-17, call number Reach 871 and based in Dover, Del., was one of several aircraft evacuating eligible Afghans from Kabul on Sunday when hundreds more climbed inside from the tarmac.

Instead of trying to force those refugees off the aircraft, “the crew made the decision to go,” an unnamed defense official told Defense One, which first reported the story Monday.

Nearly 20 years of war, 10 days to fall: Afghanistan, by the numbersLink copied

Still, Biden acknowledged the “gut-wrenching” images emerging from the country where the United States has fought its longest foreign war. “After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces,” he said.

Here is a close look at the cost in lives, dollars and resources spent in Afghanistan over the past two decades.

Key updateTaliban bars female news anchors from state television, reports sayLink copied

Several female presenters for Afghan state television have said this week that Taliban fighters barred them from working, ordering them out of the office in an ominous sign of the group’s views on the role of women in public life.

Shabnam Khan Dawran, a news presenter for Radio Television Afghanistan, said in a video message Wednesday that she was threatened by Taliban militants when she showed up for work.

The group had seized the RTA building in Kabul on Sunday after sweeping to power in a rapid offensive.

“I was not allowed in, even though I was carrying my ID badge,” Dawran said of her attempt to go to work this week. “Male workers were allowed, but I was threatened. They told me that the regime has changed.… Our lives are under serious threat.”

Dawran’s colleague, Khadija Amin, a prominent anchorwoman, also said she was prevented from entering the RTA office this week.

Afghan teenage soccer player died falling from U.S. transportLink copied

An Afghan soccer player from the national youth team plummeted to his death after trying to flee Kabul earlier this week by clinging to a U.S. military plane taking off from the airport.

Thousands of people ran out to the tarmac desperate for a flight out of Afghanistan after Taliban militants took control of the capital in the wake of the U.S. military withdrawal.

Harrowing images showed hundreds of people running alongside a U.S. plane that was moving along the runway. Viral videos appeared to show two people falling from a departing U.S. Air Force C-17 on Monday.

The country’s sport authority identified Zaki Anwari as one of the people who fell from a plane. The national news agency also reported his death.

Human remains were also found in the wheel well of a C-17 plane that departed Kabul airport on Monday, according to three people familiar with the issue.

Germany brings in helicopters to aid Kabul evacuations Link copied

BERLIN â€" Germany said it would step up its evacuations from Kabul by dispatching teams of special forces soldiers with helicopters to rescue people who are stranded and unable to get to the airport.

Two lightweight H145M helicopters are expected arrive in the Afghan capital on Saturday, David Helmbold, a spokesman for Germany’s Defense Ministry, said Friday. They will assist in evacuation missions and help “get people out of dangerous situations as quickly as possible,” he said.

He said the helicopters would “most likely” ferry people to the airport, where they can be flown out of the country using other means of transportation.

The German government has faced fierce criticism for not acting sooner to evacuate Afghans who worked with its forces, the second-largest continent of NATO troops to serve in Afghanistan after the United States. Now, the Taliban has surrounded the airport, shooting to disperse crowds and beating some of those who gather to try to escape. A German citizen was shot when trying to leave on Friday, the German government said.

The helicopters will be used in operations to rescue German citizens as well as others who are at risk, Helmbold said.

“One example is the collection of German citizens out of dangerous situations, but it serves the overall evacuation mission. This mission includes far more than that, for example the collection of local staff or other endangered people,” he said.

The U.S. government has come under criticism for not expanding its security perimeter beyond the airport to help Afghans flee the country.

Key updateBiden to speak publicly Friday about ongoing military evacuationsLink copied

President Biden plans to speak publicly Friday from the White House about the ongoing U.S. military evacuation of American citizens and vulnerable Afghans amid the chaos at Kabul’s international airport.

Biden’s remarks are scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern time from the East Room. It is unclear whether he will take questions from reporters. The only time he has done so in recent days was for an ABC interview recorded Wednesday during which Biden stood firm in his defense of the U.S. military withdrawal and said some level of chaos was unavoidable.

Before his remarks, Biden and Vice President Harris are scheduled to meet with national security advisers “to hear intelligence, security, and diplomatic updates on the evolving situation in Afghanistan,” the White House said in an advisory.

The U.S. evacuation effort is focused on U.S. citizens in Afghanistan and their families, applicants for the Special Immigrant Visa program, which is offered to people living in Afghanistan and Iraq who supported the U.S. military, as well as other “vulnerable Afghans.”

During an appearance on CNN Friday morning, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said the White House is focused on doing “everything that we can to ensure that we’re able to get more people into the airport in an orderly manner” but would not discuss what additional steps the military might take beyond its work at the airport itself.

“Of course, the images that we see are heartbreaking,” she said. “They’re appalling. It is a scary moment. It is unacceptable to the president. He has directed his team to move as quickly as possible.”

Facebook rolls out new safety measures in bid to protect Afghan users Link copied

Facebook plans to roll out enhanced security features in a bid to protect Afghan users who are worried about their privacy on the platform following the Taliban’s takeover of the country.

The tech giant confirmed Thursday that it has temporarily “removed the ability to view and search the ‘Friends’ list for Facebook accounts in Afghanistan” to prevent the Taliban from being able to snoop on the associates of others.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head of security policy, said the company has been working tirelessly to keep the Afghan community safe and wanted to provide people with a tool that would keep their photos and personal details private.

Gleicher said that with one click, users are able to “quickly lock down their account,” making it harder for Taliban members to target people. Once an account has been locked, those who are not on a user’s friends list are unable to view posts and have limited access to photos.

The new measures were implemented following feedback from activists and journalists, and they will also be tested on the Facebook-owned platform Instagram.

“On Instagram, we’re rolling out pop-up alerts in Afghanistan with specific steps on how to protect your account,” Gleicher tweeted.

Earlier this week, Facebook said it had banned the Taliban and all related content from its platforms, saying it considers the extremist Islamist group to be a terrorist organization.

It also said it has a dedicated team of moderators with local knowledge who would be reviewing and removing inappropriate content.

About 3,000 people evacuated Thursday on U.S. military flights, White House saysLink copied

About 3,000 people were evacuated Thursday from Kabul’s international airport on U.S. military flights, the White House said in a statement early Friday.

That figure included about 350 U.S. citizens who were flown out on the 16 flights, the White House said. It said the other evacuees included family members of U.S. citizens, applicants for the special immigrant visa program and their families, and other “vulnerable Afghans.”

In addition, the military helped facilitate the departure of 11 charter flights whose passengers were not included in the total of about 3,000, according to the White House.

The Pentagon has said it has the capacity to evacuate more than 5,000 people a day.

Since Aug. 14, the U.S. military has evacuated about 9,000 people, according to the White House. Since the end of July, that figure is about 14,000 people, it said.

German civilian shot on way to airport in Kabul, awaits evacuationLink copied

BERLIN â€" A German man was shot as he tried to get to Kabul airport, a German official said Friday, as evacuees face a dangerous gantlet to escape.

Speaking in a news conference in Berlin, deputy government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said the man was receiving medical attention, but his life was not in danger.

“A German civilian suffered a gunshot wound on his way to Kabul airport,” she said. “He will be flown out soon.”

The Taliban has set up a perimeter around the airport in Kabul and has used live fire to disperse crowds of Afghans trying to leave, including thousands of Afghans who have worked with the German military and other agencies and their family members. German officials have said they are working with the United States to negotiate with the Taliban to allow safe access for people in need of protection to get to the airport.

Chaos persists at Kabul airport, imperiling Afghanistan evacuation effort Link copied

KABUL â€" A chaotic and dangerous dynamic at Kabul’s airport showed few signs of relenting Thursday as thousands of people attempting to board flights faced beatings by Taliban guards, the crush of heaving crowds and interminable spells in the dust and heat while waiting to escape Afghanistan.

The daily mayhem at the airport â€" a fixture since the Taliban takeover Sunday â€" has stoked criticism that the Biden administration was slow to try to get Americans and their allies out, while underscoring fears about how the militants will rule the country.

Several people said Thursday they had received confusing signals from the United States about how exactly they were supposed to leave, citing emails from the State Department urging them to go the airport, only to find there was no one to receive them or to answer their questions on how to board flights.

5-year-old Afghan boy who fled to Britain dies in hotel fall Link copied

LONDON â€" A 5-year-old Afghan boy who fled Taliban rule in Afghanistan with his family has died in a hotel fall just weeks after arriving in England to build a new life.

South Yorkshire Police identified the child as Mohammed Munib Majeedi and said the death occurred Wednesday afternoon at Sheffield Metropolitan Hotel â€" a venue being used by the government to accommodate those resettling from Afghanistan.

“The boy’s family are being supported by specially trained officers,” the statement read, adding that the death was not considered suspicious.

Mohammed fell from a ninth-story window into a parking lot outside, according to media reports that noted all other families staying in the hotel had since been relocated.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Britain-based Refugee Council, called on the government to ensure that “vulnerable” refugees are being housed in safe conditions.

“We don’t know the details of the incident, but it is imperative that families who come from Afghanistan are given all the support they need and housed in appropriate accommodation,” he said.

Investigating police officers appealed for witnesses to come forward.

As part of a resettlement program, Britain has pledged to take in at least 20,000 refugees fleeing Afghanistan over the next five years.

The newly unveiled plan will prioritize women and girls who face persecution in the country.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain owes “a debt of gratitude to all those who have worked with us to make Afghanistan a better place over the last 20 years,” although some critics said the plan was not ambitious enough and called on the government to take in more people.

Taliban executed and tortured men from Afghan minority, report claimsLink copied

Taliban fighters massacred at least nine Afghan men in a village about 150 miles from Kabul as the Islamist militants took control of the area, according to a report released Thursday by human rights group Amnesty International.

The report, which cited witness accounts and photographic evidence of the alleged atrocities in early July, comes as some Taliban leaders try to present a more moderate face to the world. It also resurfaces questions about possible war crimes that Taliban fighters may have committed in the group’s battles with the now-fallen Afghan government.

“The coldblooded brutality of these killings is a reminder of the Taliban’s past record, and a horrifying indicator of what Taliban rule may bring,” Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, said in a statement.

The Taliban tortured some of the victims, all of whom were members of the Hazara minority, the report claimed. One man was allegedly strangled with his own scarf and had his arm muscles “carved off.” Another had to be buried in pieces because his chest was so riddled with bullets, Amnesty said.

When asked by villagers why they committed the killings, Taliban fighters allegedly said: “Everyone dies. … It is the time of war,” according to the report.

Amnesty said these accounts are likely to represent only a fraction of potential war crimes committed by the Taliban.

Human Rights Watch, another rights organization, said earlier this month that Taliban fighters had summarily executed people they suspected of links to the U.S.-backed Afghan government.

Such accounts have spurred international skepticism about Taliban pledges this week to respect women’s rights and press freedom.

Instagrammer raises millions in plan to rescue AfghansLink copied

A popular Instagrammer from New York has raised more than $6 million on GoFundMe as of early Friday to organize flights out of Kabul for the thousands of Afghans seeking to flee the country after the Taliban takeover.

Tommy Marcus, whose Instagram handle is @quentin.quarantino, had initially aimed to fly 300 individuals out of the country, according to his GoFundMe webpage, entitled “Flyaway: Emergency Afghan Rescue Mission.”

But in a statement posted Thursday, Marcus said the millions raised so far had let volunteers and veterans organize “as many flights as the fund and the governments we are collaborating with will allow,” from the originally scheduled two to three round trip flights into Afghanistan. Marcus said he will announce updates once the first two flights land in unnamed “asylum countries.”

The effort seeks to rescue Afghan human rights lawyers, LGBTQ supporters, journalists, artists and interpreters stuck in the country, Marcus said. He asserted that if these Afghans are not evacuated now, they would be killed by the Taliban. Marcus notes that the gathered funds would be sent to Raven Advisory LLC, a North Carolina-based company led by American military veterans.

Any leftover funds that go unused will be donated to the International Women’s Media Foundation, Marcus said.

The webpage has triggered some skepticism regarding the practicality of individuals not affiliated with the U.S. government being able to gain the permission to land and fly over sensitive military locations such as Kabul’s international airport, where thousands of American and allied troops stand guard.

Questions have also surfaced about whether the rescued Afghans have obtained or will receive visas to enter the United States or another country. GoFundMe representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment, though the company has said it has “fully vetted” the proposal to ensure it meets global financial regulations, the New York Times reported.

The movement highlights the level of frustration among ordinary Americans about the difficulty of rescuing the tens of thousands of Afghans seeking to flee the Taliban regime. Marcus’s Instagram account, with close to 800,000 followers, has been known for its left-leaning political statements.

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