as events happen, and things stand now, and very much dependent on how the vaccination program goes (is mandated vaccination a federal or a state thing?) other things shall invariably happen, and preliminary test of political temperature coming up in a few months
never imagined 2022 would be interesting, but am changing mind
on another front for Team Biden, let's see what if anything he does as Trump's soulmate Boris pleads - tough spot the hurried withdraw, coupled with the rapid melt, and paired with all the weapons gifted together created a dangerous situation where any group can do anything and create a firefight around and within a crowd
If we go by Sun Tze's stratagems in this situation, the 'get out of Dodge' option might be best.
However, there are attendant problems that might have long-tail consequences
bloomberg.com
Allies Call on Biden to Delay Withdrawal: Afghanistan Update
24 August 2021, 05:55 GMT+8
The U.S. military is speaking with the Taliban several times a day, as the group warn of “consequences” if the U.S. delays withdrawing all troops from Afghanistan past an end of month deadline.
“It’s a red line,” Qatar-based Taliban spokesman and negotiator Suhail Shaheen said in an interview with Sky News. If the U.S. or U.K. were to seek additional time to continue evacuations “the answer is no. Or there would be consequences,” he added.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to push U.S. President Joe Biden to delay the departure of U.S. troops beyond the deadline to allow for more and safer evacuations of foreign nationals and their Afghan staff.
Taliban Name Obscure Official Central Bank Chief as Crisis Looms
Johnson has called for a virtual meeting of Group of Seven leaders on Tuesday to discuss the crisis. Biden has hinted the U.S. may extend the deadline as Americans struggle to reach Kabul’s airport.
On the ground, some militants wanted by Islamabad have been freed from jail in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s interior minister said. The militants are from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group that has previously carried out attacks in Pakistan. And an Iranian official said Afghan local officials have asked traders to increase supplies of fuel as they grapple with a spike in gasoline prices triggered by the Taliban’s seizure of power.
Key stories and developments:Taliban Name Obscure Official Central Bank Chief as Crisis LoomsTaliban Seek Hike in Iran Fuel Imports as Prices JumpHarris Looks to Assure U.S. Allies Over Chaotic Afghan ExitThe World Asks What U.S. Commitments Are Worth: Balance of PowerA Conversation With Ajmal Ahmady, Afghanistan’s Former Central Bank ChiefHere Are the Shadowy Taliban Leaders Now Running AfghanistanWhy Taliban Triumph Revives Fear of al-Qaeda Revival: QuickTakeWhat Will the Taliban Do to a $22 Billion Economy?: EditorialAll items are in Eastern Time:
Johnson musters G-7 to Press Biden to extend deadline (5:54 p.m. ET)Biden faces calls from his closest allies to extend the deadline for the evacuation in Kabul, as fears grow that the fast-approaching cutoff will create even greater chaos.
The airlift will dominate a virtual Group of Seven summit Tuesday, convened by Johnson just a week before the Aug. 31 date set by Biden to complete the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The American exit ultimately accelerated the rapid Taliban takeover and collapse of the Afghan government. -- Alex Morales and Kitty Donaldson
More Than 230 Aircraft Committed to Evacuation, U.S. Says (3:53 p.m.)
The U.S. Air Mobility Command said more than 230 aircraft have been committed to the Afghanistan evacuation effort. C-17s and C-130s are being used to airlift evacuees from Afghanistan to intermediate staging bases, and in some cases, other aircraft like the KC-10 aerial refueling tankers and C-5 are being used to transport them to the U.S., in concert with recently activated aircraft from commercial airlines.
General Steve Lyons, the head of U.S. Transportation Command, told reporters that aircraft departing from Kabul are now carrying an average of 450 evacuees per flight. Lyons said that at least three babies have been born during the evacuation. -- Tony Capaccio and Dan Flatley
Sullivan Says U.S. on Track To Evacuate Americans (3:06 p.m.)The U.S. is on track to evacuate all Americans from Afghanistan by the Aug. 31 deadline for its withdrawal from the country, Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.
Sullivan said roughly 37,000 people have been evacuated in the past week, but didn’t say how many of those were U.S. citizens. The number of Americans in Afghanistan has been difficult to track, he said, because some never registered with the U.S. embassy and others failed to unregister when they left.
Sullivan also said the U.S. hasn’t stipulated a precise number of Afghan asylum seekers it will accept into the country. -- Josh Wingrove
U.S. Military Talking ‘Several Times a Day’ With Taliban (11:52 a.m.)American military officials are talking with the Taliban “several times a day” to coordinate evacuation efforts at the Kabul airport, according to Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby.
Operations at the airport “does involve communication and de-conflication with the Taliban,” Kirby said, adding that U.S. officials have seen the statements from the Taliban about Aug. 31 being a “red line” for the group.
“I think we all understand that view,” Kirby said, declining to comment about extending the deadline beyond saying that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and President Joe Biden will discuss options when the time comes. --Daniel Flatley
— With assistance by Justin Blum
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