Afghanistan: situation still critical around Kabul airport and "potential security threats"

The situation seems more chaotic than ever around Kabul airport.

Thousands of Afghans, with or without their families, congregate with the very slim hope of flying away from the capital, every day, even more under the yoke of the Taliban.

Entering the part of the airport managed by the American military and an Afghan special forces brigade is a miracle.

To get there, these candidates for exile had to escape the checkpoint of the new leaders of the country.

It is in this burning context that the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell deemed it "impossible" to evacuate all Afghan collaborators by August 31 and deplored that the security measures taken by the United States at the airport of Kabul hamper this evacuation. “The problem is access to the airport. The Americans' control and security measures are very strong. We complained. We asked them to show more flexibility. We do not manage to get our employees through, ”he confided in an interview by telephone to AFP.

The American troops are, it is true, on the teeth vis-a-vis this influx of Afghans.

Some still have humanity in the middle of barbed wire, to exfiltrate a baby in the middle of the crowd, as seen in a video that is now making the rounds on social networks.

Assist another or help an old man in distress, as reported by CNN reporter Clarissa Ward.

But for the majority, the fences do not open.

Behind them, the Taliban, now accused of tracking down Afghans who had worked for NATO to arrest them - and of restricting access to the airport - observed the scene almost mockingly.

I witnessed several moments like this at Kabul airport.

A female soldier carrying a weeping Afghan toddler.

A Marine supporting an elderly man as he struggled to walk.

Servicemen rushing a dehydrated newborn to get medical attention.

So many working so hard.

https://t.co/YCn2m7NtzD

- Clarissa Ward (@clarissaward) August 21, 2021

A US soldier rescues a baby at the gates of Kabul airport on Friday.

Omar Haidiri / AFP OMAR HAIDIRI

The situation still seems to be tense this Saturday.

American nationals are urged to avoid traveling to the airport because of "potential security threats", urged the United States embassy in Afghanistan on Saturday.

“Due to potential security threats outside the gates of Kabul airport, we advise US citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and avoid the airport gates at this time, unless you receive individual instructions from a US government official, ”detailed a bulletin posted on the Embassy's website.

To read also "I saw the Taliban in my street and I cried": first days of anguish for the women of Kabul

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby soon after declined to elaborate on the nature of these threats: "I will not go into detail on our assessment of the threats or what the intelligence services are saying," he said. declared during a press conference, specifying that the situation in the city was very "fluctuating" and that the threat could evolve "from one hour to another".

"We continue to have regular communications with the Taliban leaders in Kabul, especially those in charge of the crossing points at the airport," he said, however.

17,000 people already evacuated by the Americans

About 17,000 people have been evacuated by the United States since August 14, including 2,500 Americans, General Hank Taylor of the US General Staff said on Saturday. In the past 24 hours, around 3,800 people have been evacuated on 38 flights, he said. At the same time, three planes arrived at Washington International Airport. The United States plans to evacuate more than 30,000 Americans and Afghan civilians through its bases in Kuwait and Qatar. “We are fighting against both time and space,” said John Kirby.

The comings and goings of American military planes had been interrupted for several hours on Friday, because the base where they landed in Qatar was saturated.

The situation there even bordering on humanitarian catastrophe.

“There are thousands of Afghans in atrocious conditions.

This is our third day here, there is only one bathroom and one WC.

There are no blankets, ”a source told AFP.

According to Qatari authorities, "all evacuees have been provided with adequate accommodation", but the US State Department is criticized for its mismanagement of evacuations, with a lack of staff to manage the number of arrivals and barriers bureaucratic slowing down departures.