The us embassy in afghanistan, is advising americans not to travel to kabul airport, unless theyve been instructed to do so, because of potential Security Threats At The Gates. Thousands of people are still massed outside the perimeter, desperate to board flights out of the country. It comes as the talibans co Founder And Head of its political wing, mullah abdul Ghani Baradar, arrived in kabul, for talks on forming a new afghan government. Heres frankie mccamley. Chaos of consuming clouds near kabul airport. At the front, reports bodies are carried away from the crush, with us fighting for their lives. Clear signs of tension is mounting. This man threatening people with a whip. The us is now advising its citizens not to travel to the airport unless specifically told to, but even those cant get through. Translation we have got a legal |visa, many people who are coming | here dont have the right documents, but we have got the visa and they wont lets through. This morning, a Plane Carryin
In it she urges the government to step up the Evacuation Efforts from afghanistan and says there are Safety Concerns for people trying to leave the country. Earlier my colleague Ben Boulos spoke to her. My office is in touch with hundreds of people at the moment, many of them filtered through Labour Mps but also coming directly to me through my inbox, through whatsapp, through friends in afghanistan. Raising many of the issues that your Report Hasjust put out there. You know, the fact that people are being beaten, shot at, turned back at checkpoints. The fact that people are being asked to carry documentation that links them to the united kingdom in order to prove their eligibility but that is the documentation that makes them a target for the taliban who are checking those documents en route. There are no safe corridors to the airport, there are makeshift camps that have sprung up where people are being beaten, and even reports of rapes. And so ive been asking the Government Today to
Were going to stay until we get them all out. He did not fully extend that same commitment to afghan nationals when he said thats the objective. Its unclear how many americans remain in afghanistan. Yesterday u. S. Officials gave differing answers. They said it was 5 to 10,000. Yesterday afternoon Jen Psaki said it was in fact 11,000 and congressional aides were told by State Department and pentagon officials the number was between 10 and 15,000 according to three sources familiar with those briefings. That is the number the president said tonight. He also answered questions about the execution of the pullout. Sir, you dont think this could have been handled better in any way . No mistakes . No. I dont think it could have been handled in a way that there were going to go back in hindsight and look, but the idea that somehow theres a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, i dont know how that happens. I dont know how that happened. So for you that was always priced into the decis
International airport. So much has happened today. Tonight we will take stock in whats happening on the ground, and we will answer questions that you submitted online, about why this happened and what could happen next. From nbc News World Headquarters in new york, im joshua johnston, welcome to the week. Let us begin at the monumental events that took place in afghanistan today. Taliban fighters marched into kabul, Intent On taking full control of the capital city. They faced a little resistance as they entered the president ial palace. They are flag now flies in place of afghanistans flag. Meanwhile, the american flag no longer flies over what was the u. S. Embassy. Diplomats removed, as they an Embassy Personnel were evacuated by helicopter. President of afghanistan has fled the country. He wrote on facebook that he did so to try and spare the city from additional violence. Just in time to. Commercial flights, out of afghanistan are off suspended. That blocks a key escapers, for afg