- How long the deadline for withdrawing troops in Afghanistan will be extended
- What kind of aircrafts have been sent to Afghanistan for evacuation flights
President Joe Biden said Sunday that his administration may extend an August 31st deadline for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan as the Pentagon enlisted the help of U.S. Airlines to evacuate Americans and Afghan partners from the country. In a statement, President Biden said “There’s discussions going on among us and the military about extending the deadline, our hope is that we will not have to extend. But there are going to be discussions I expect about how far along we are in the process.”
The escalated activity came as thousands attempted to flee Afghanistan, fearing the Taliban would kill them. U.S. Officials are working to stop potential attacks and defend the airport. Mr. Biden had raised the possibility last week that troops could remain in Kabul past Aug. 31 if necessary to make sure Americans and Afghans who worked for the U.S. over the past two decades aren’t abandoned.
The U.S military has deployed dozens of C-17 cargo aircraft to fly evacuees out of Kabul. Some flights have transported more than 400 people, packed tightly on the floors of planes designed to carry cargo. The Civil Reserve Air Fleet, or CRAF, created after the post-World War II Berlin Airlift, is authorized under the Defense Production Act, which the government has used to compel companies to produce goods and provide services on an urgent basis.
