Washington: US President Joe Biden has rejected the pleas of domestic and international allies to keep American military troops in Afghanistan for evacuation efforts beyond August 31.
Biden said on Tuesday that American troops are currently on a pace to finish by the end of the month. "The sooner we can finish the better. Each day of operations brings added risk to our troops," he added. Biden also acknowledged that the Taliban is cooperating by allowing access to the airport with no disruptions to operations, reported The Guardian.
Many alleged that America is abandoning Afghan partners to the Taliban. Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US debated a possible extension at a virtual meeting of the G7. His refusal to extend the deadline has disappointed US politicians as well as international leaders.
The US President said that 70,700 people have been evacuated since 14 August.
Speaking at the White House, Biden noted that he has asked the Pentagon and the State Department for contingency plans to adjust the timetable if necessary. He added that he is mindful of the increasing risks and determined to complete the mission.
He also shared concerns about the possible terrorist attacks by Isis-K, an enemy of the Taliban. He stated that every day the US troops are on the ground is another day that US forces, allied forces, and innocent civilians are at risk.
Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader, told the media that it is impossible to get every American in Afghanistan out of there in the next seven days.
Mitt Romney, a Republican senator for Utah and former presidential candidate, said that there are Americans still stranded in the provinces outside of Kabul. He added that it is unacceptable that there is still no plan to get them to safety. Romney added that it will be an utter disgrace and moral failure to leave Afghans, many who risked their lives in service to the country, vulnerable to "face the wrath of the Taliban".
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the media that the group will not accept extensions of the deadline. He added that foreign nationals are allowed to leave but they are preventing Afghans from reaching the airport as their skills are needed to rebuild the country. He added that the Taliban want the US to change their policy and not encourage Afghans to leave.
Ben Sasse, a Republican senator for Nebraska, said that the US should not surrender fellow citizens to the Taliban. He added that there is no reason to trust the terror group and the Biden administration needs to cut the Stockholm syndrome.