The Pentagon insisted that Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, is not in “imminent” danger of falling to the Taliban.
“Kabul is not right now in an imminent threat environment, but clearly, David, if you just look at what the Taliban has been doing, you can see that they are trying to isolate. What they want to do if they achieve that isolation, I think only they can speak to,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a reporter during Friday’s briefing.
US TROOPS ‘WILL TEMPORARILY DEPLOY’ TO AFGHANISTAN TO HELP EVACUATE DIPLOMATS
The Taliban have strung together a weeklong military offensive in which they’ve gained territory in various parts of the country rapidly, leaving the Pentagon “certainly concerned,” Kirby said.
Hours before the briefing, the militant group captured Kandahar and Herat, the former of which has significance given its location, marking the Taliban’s 14th provincial capital under their control, with 34 countrywide.
“We have noted with great concern the speed with which they have been moving and the lack of resistance they have faced,” Kirby added.
The deteriorating situation in Afghanistan prompted the Biden administration to announce Thursday the deployment of thousands of troops to assist with the withdrawal of U.S. diplomats from Afghanistan, though they maintain the embassy will remain open.
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The “bulk” of the 3,000 troops heading to Afghanistan will be there by the end of the week.
The plan is for these troops to be out of Afghanistan by the end of the month, which coincides with the date Joe Biden set for a complete withdrawal, Kirby said a day earlier.
