The Taliban are on the rise in Afghanistan.
Now the USA and Great Britain are reacting and getting their citizens out of the capital, Kabul.
Washington / Kabul - The US military operation in Afghanistan is due to end by the end of August.
At the same time as the troops withdraw, the Taliban are conquering more and more cities, military bases and provinces in the country.
That is why the US is now correcting its strategy - and taking precautionary measures if the capital Kabul should fall.
England has also decided to send additional soldiers to Afghanistan.
On Thursday, the third largest city in Afghanistan, Herat, fell to the Taliban.
The second largest city, Kandahar, is also fiercely contested.
The Afghans would now have to "fight for their own state," said US President Joe Biden earlier this week.
The international community of states will not recognize a new government if it has seized power by force, said Biden.
USA wants to secure the airport - part of the diplomatic staff should leave the country
In view of the advance of the militant Islamist Taliban in Afghanistan, the USA wants to reduce its embassy staff to a minimum in the coming weeks. In addition, 3,000 additional soldiers are to be relocated to Kabul Airport to support the orderly withdrawal of parts of the staff, the US State and Defense Department announced on Thursday.
“It's not an evacuation.
It is not a complete withdrawal, ”said the spokesman.
He did not provide any information about how many people will leave the embassy.
One will limit oneself to a “diplomatic core presence” on site.
The Taliban had made it very clear that they were not out to attack diplomatic institutions, Price said.
But one will not rely on the words of a group like the Taliban.
For this reason, one now takes "prudent precautionary measures".
Great Britain wants to get British citizens from Afghanistan - 4,000 Brits live in the country
Great Britain also wants to send several hundred more armed forces to Afghanistan to help with the repatriation of the
British from the country. The
British Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday evening that the
600 additional military forces would arrive in Kabul in the coming days
. Like the German government, the British Foreign Office had previously recommended all its citizens in Afghanistan to leave the country as soon as possible.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said that the armed forces should assist British citizens and former employees of the British military in particular, "in the face of increasing violence and the rapidly deteriorating security situation". According to the BBC, there are an estimated 4,000 British people left in Afghanistan.
(dpa)