Pentagon Says Almost 450 Americans Are Still in Afghanistan

Passengers committee a U.S. Air Force C-17 astatine Hamid Karzai International Airport successful Kabul, Afghanistan, connected Aug. 24, 2021. (Master Sgt. Donald R. Allen/U.S. Air Forces Europe-Africa via Getty Images)

Nearly 450 American citizens are estimated to stay successful Afghanistan astir 2 months aft U.S. troops withdrew from the country, according to the Pentagon.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken primitively said the Biden medication believed determination to beryllium “under 200, and apt person to 100, who stay successful Afghanistan and privation to leave,” connected Aug. 30, the time earlier the past American troops near Afghanistan.

“In presumption of however galore American citizens we estimation are presently successful Afghanistan, the Department of State is successful interaction with 196 American citizens who are acceptable to depart—and arrangements are being made for them to bash so, either via aerial oregon implicit ground,” Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said astatine a Senate Committee connected Armed Services proceeding Tuesday.

“Another 243 American citizens person been contacted and are not acceptable to depart, either due to the fact that they privation to enactment successful Afghanistan oregon aren’t ready,” helium added, bringing the full fig of citizens remaining to 439.

Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma asked Khal astir the numbers the medication antecedently released astir those near successful Afghanistan. “One of the galore confusing things astir this full happening is that we truly don’t cognize however galore Americans are near successful Afghanistan,” helium said.

Inhofe noted that the medication “always said 100 to 200 U.S. citizens near successful Afghanistan,” but present says it “has already withdrawn 234 and is successful interaction with 363 others, 176 of whom privation to leave,” referring to numbers fixed by the State Department past week.

Kahl told the committee that the numbers changed successful the days since State Department spokesperson Ned Price said astatine a property briefing past Friday that astir 100 to 200 Americans remained successful Afghanistan and wished to leave, Fox News reported.

“That fig has risen successful caller days arsenic much Americans successful Afghanistan person decided to depart successful airy of our palmy facilitation of dozens of departures successful caller weeks,” helium said, Fox News reported.

By Sebastian Hughes

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