moving fast enough. for me, as a father, i always have to weigh the risks of these different options. so to me, the airport is very dangerous. reporter: and it s not just the thousands of americans. what about the tens of thousands of afghans who helped america? the president was pressed. will you make the same commitment to those who assisted in the american war effort over the last 20 years? yes, we re making the same commitment. there s nothing more important than bringing american citizens out, i acknowledge that. but they re equally important, almost, as all those who those sivs, we call them, who, in fact, helped us. they were translators. they went into the battle with us. they were part of the operation. reporter: but tonight, six days after kabul fell, most who re eligible to leave, trapped in terrifying limbo with no immediate way to get out. let s get right back to ian pannell again tonight. ian, we know flights have resumed. the pentagon saying they would go int
begun flying into taliban held kabul to air lift evacweiss to the airport. abc news has not independently confirmed this, but if so, it would be another major step in these urgent evacuations. president biden meanwhile, before the american people today and taking questions on the chaotic images being watched by the world. growing reports tonight, the taliban is blocking some people from getting to the airport. reports the taliban has shown up at the door of afghans who helped the u.s., and the president today promising americans in afghanistan, we will get you home. and when pressed, saying he would do the same for afghans who helped us. tonight, the new images emerging in the last 24 hours. smoke bombs being fired and efforts to control the crowds there. at one point, the image of a baby being handed over the wall to a u.s. marine. tonight we learned that baby is okay and has been reunited with the father. those urgent air lifts halted for several hours today because the base in qatar
outcome will be or that it will be without risk of loss. reporter: for the first time, the pentagon today saying it will rescue americans outside the airport, quote, if there s a need. but today the president s own state department issuing this travel alert, reiterating the u.s. government cannot ensure safe passage to the airport. stephanie ramos pressing the president about getting americans to safety. the military secured the airport, but will you sign off on sending troops to kabul to rescue americans who haven t been able to get to the airport safely? we have no indication that they haven t been able to kabul through the airport. we ve made an agreement with the taliban. thus far, they ve allowed them to go through. it is in their interest for them to go through. so we know of no circumstance where american citizens are carrying a american passport are
reporter: tonight the new york times reporting the fda is trying to give full approval to the pfizer vaccine as soon as monday. authorities say authorization is coming and their hope if and when it comes it will encourage more americans who are hesitant to get their first shot to stop the delta variant sweeping the country. it come as hospitals across the u.s. are in crisis mode, scrambling to find beds to treat a growing crush of covid patients, those patients increasingly younger and largely unvaccinated. i watched a 28-year-old previously healthy unvaccinated patient die from covid complications. and while we value every life, that, that one was tough because it could have been prevented. reporter: avery mitchell is 2 years old and one of 28 children being cared for at mississippi s only children s hospital. that s the most they ve seen since the beginning of the pandemic.