Many lives are still at stake in Afghanistan.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has now admitted mistakes made by the federal government.
The dramatic rescue operation for people at risk in Afghanistan * continues.
The USA * has assured its citizens of rescue and is even using helicopters in Kabul.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has now admitted mistakes made by the federal government.
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Chancellor Angela Merkel admits that the federal government misjudged the resilience of the Afghan army. "The army collapsed at a breathtaking pace," said Merkel at the start of the CDU election campaign. "We had assessed the resilience to be stronger," she adds, referring to the debate as to whether the government should have acted faster.
At the same time, she thanks the Bundeswehr soldiers who are now campaigning for the evacuation of people in Afghanistan.
It is an "extremely complicated mission," says Merkel.
“In these hours, the main thing is to save people.” The development in Afghanistan with the takeover of power by the Taliban is a “drama” and a “tragedy”.
After the rescue operation, there will be talk of what was and what was not done in Afghanistan, said Merkel.
“We wanted to give as many people as possible in Afghanistan a free, good and self-determined life,” she says.
"And we just have to say: It didn't work out that way."
Afghanistan evacuation: Bundeswehr plans helicopter missions
+++ 10.51 a.m.:
The Bundeswehr wants to bring Germans, EU foreigners and local staff safely to the airport in the Afghan capital Kabul with helicopters.
According to the Bundeswehr, two aircraft of the type Airbus H145M have been operational since Saturday (21.08.2021).
According to the Ministry of Defense, the Bundeswehr helicopters in Afghanistan can only be used in Kabul.
There is no way to fly to Mazar-i-Sharif via the Hindu Kush.
So far, the Bundeswehr has only been deployed within Kabul Airport.
This is secured by US troops.
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The Bundeswehr wants to save German citizens and local staff from Afghanistan (symbol picture).
© Marius Becker / dpa
Meanwhile, thousands of people continue to besiege the entrances to Kabul Airport.
This is what eyewitnesses from the German Press Agency (dpa) report.
The frightened people are hoping for a place on a plane to flee the Taliban.
There are practically non-stop shots at the airport, according to an eyewitness.
Rescue from Afghanistan: First US planes landed in Ramstein
+++ 9.11 a.m.:
Late Friday evening (08/20/2021) the first two C-17 transport machines with around 300 rescued people from Afghanistan landed at the US air force base in Ramstein near Kaiserslautern.
The Afghans are temporarily housed in an aircraft hangar.
This is reported by tagesschau.de.
The US rescue flights from Afghanistan are to be handled mainly via this European base.
There they want to prepare US citizens and local workers from Afghanistan for their onward flight to the USA.
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A transport plane carrying people who have flown out of Afghanistan lands at Ramstein Air Base.
© Uwe Anspach / dpa
According to the Pentagon, the US Army has been able to save at least 7,000 people from Afghanistan since last Saturday (August 14, 2021).
According to the Pentagon, it is unclear how many people seeking protection have to bring the USA to safety overall.
US President Joe Biden last spoke of around 50,000 to 65,000 Heflers, including their families.
Afghanistan crisis: US airlift over Germany
First report from Saturday, August 21, 2021, 7:03 a.m.:
Kabul - After almost a week of Taliban * rule, the dramatic rescue operation for people at risk in Kabul continues under high pressure: The USA even had to send helicopters to help around 170 US citizens from a hotel in the Afghan capital to the airport in safety. The Bundeswehr flew people to Uzbekistan again on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the criticism of the federal government's crisis management continues. Green chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock * accused Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) of failure.
US President Joe Biden *, who is also criticized for the rapid withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan following the takeover of power by the radical Islamic Taliban, secured the rescue of all Americans from the country on Friday (August 20, 2021) to.
"We will take you home," said Biden in the White House.
He made a similar commitment for the Afghan local staff.
But it is "one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history".
Afghanistan: USA want to use Ramstein base for evacuation
How dangerous and chaotic the situation around Kabul airport continues to be was shown by the fact that US soldiers had to fly off in helicopters to bring 169 people safely to the airport on Friday. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the people were picked up from the Baron Hotel near the airport by three Chinook helicopters. The reason was a "large crowd" in front of the airport, it was unsafe for the 169 people to get through. The Bundeswehr also sent two helicopters to Kabul, which have since arrived there and should be ready for use from Saturday (August 21, 2021).
The US had to interrupt its rescue flights from Kabul to Qatar for over six or seven hours on Friday because the capacities there to take in people from Afghanistan were exhausted.
Now the US Air Force Base Ramstein in Rhineland-Palatinate is to be used as a hub for evacuations.
Since last Saturday, the US has flown 13,000 people from Afghanistan, according to Biden.
Almost 6,000 US soldiers secure Kabul airport.
Bundeswehr flies more than 2000 people from Afghanistan
The Bundeswehr has so far flown over 2,000 people from Kabul, the last 172 on late Friday evening and a further seven on Saturday night, as the Bundeswehr announced on Twitter. A German was shot on the way to the airport on Friday, he was not seriously injured. Another German suffered minor injuries near the airport, according to ZDF information.
"We expect the Taliban to enable all foreign nationals and Afghans who want to leave the country to leave the country safely," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday.
Several thousand people are waiting for a seat in a plane in front of the airport alone.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel plan to visit an initial reception center for local Afghan workers in Spain on Saturday.
In a telephone conversation with the Greek head of government, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the EU of a new wave of “refugees” if Afghanistan's neighboring countries such as Iran were not helped to take in refugees.
info |
|
country |
Afghanistan |
population |
38.04 million (as of 2019) |
capital city |
Kabul |
area |
652,860 km² |
languages |
Pashto, Dari |
People from Afghanistan should get a visa for 90 days in Germany
In Germany, Afghans who have flown out and who have not yet been granted a residence permit will initially receive a visa for 90 days, reported Der Spiegel.
Your status should be clarified during this time.
In addition to local staff, who are often already on the lists of the federal government, women and human rights activists are also flown out.
The Left called for family members of Afghans already living in Germany to be accepted.
In view of the dramatic situation, the Green Chancellor candidate Baerbock attacked the federal government sharply. "I see a huge failure," she told the Süddeutsche Zeitung, especially with a view to Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD *) and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU *). For months it had been clear that local Afghan workers needed protection. The left also spoke of a "total failure" of the Maas and other ministers. After the election, a committee of inquiry and a review of all foreign deployments of the German armed forces were necessary, said left parliamentary group manager Jan Korte of the Rheinische Post on Saturday. (AFP)
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