A top Republican claims the Taliban is preventing the takeoff of at least six planes authorized to rescue hundreds of evacuees from Afghanistan. The airfield in question is more than 260 miles from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, where military planes evacuated hundreds of Americans and allies during the Taliban takeover.
The would-be passengers were Afghans, many of whom did not have passports or visas and so were unable to leave the country, according to an Afghan official at the airport in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif. He stated that they had exited the airport while the matter was being resolved.
However, the leading Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said that the group included Americans who were seated on the planes, but that the Taliban were preventing them from taking off, essentially holding them "hostage." He didn't disclose where he got the information. It was not feasible to reconcile the accounts right away, as per ABC News.
Many evacuees were left in Afghanistan after the August 31 deadline
A terrifying airlift highlighted the last days of America's 20-year war in Afghanistan at Kabul's airport to remove tens of thousands of people - Americans and allies - who were concerned about the future, given the Taliban's history of persecution, particularly of women. Many people were left behind as the final military withdrew on August 30.
The United States agreed to continue working with the Taliban's new authorities to help anyone who wished to flee, and the insurgents committed to letting anybody with the appropriate legal documents depart. Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas told "Fox News Sunday" that six planes were being used to transport American citizens and Afghan translators.
Following the withdrawal of all US soldiers from Afghanistan, the government acknowledged that it had left behind at least 100 American citizens who are now unable to flee the country.
According to the Afghan official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic, their intended passengers were staying in hotels while officials sorted out whether they would be permitted to exit the country.
He said the issue was that many people did not have the proper travel documents. Residents in Mazar-e-Sharif also reported that the passengers had left the airport, Daily Mail reported.
At least ten families were spotted waiting for a decision on their destinies at a local hotel, according to witnesses. They didn't have passports or visas but claimed to have worked for firms with ties to the US or German militaries. Others have been spotted at restaurants.
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Taliban vows to let Afghans with proper documents leave Afghanistan
Just weeks after Taliban militants retook the nation in a rapid attack, pictures of that chaotic evacuation - including individuals clinging to an airplane as it took off - came to characterize the closing days of America's longest conflict.
Since their takeover, the Taliban have tried to distinguish themselves from their previous incarnation, which controlled the country and enforced oppressive restrictions across society in the 1990s. Work and education were denied to women and girls, men were compelled to grow beards, and television and music were outlawed.
The world is now waiting to see the new government's face, and many Afghans are dubious. Government personnel, including women, have been urged to return to work in the weeks after they gained control, but some women have been forced home by lower-ranking Taliban. Universities and institutions have been forced to reopen, but students and teachers have stayed away due to fear.
Per Times Leader, women have peacefully protested, with some even speaking with Taliban officials about their rights. However, Taliban special forces firing from the air have scattered some of them.
Afghans with passports and visas would be able to travel once the country's airports are operational, according to the Taliban's statements. More than a hundred nations signed a declaration indicating they would keep an eye on the new leadership to see whether they kept their word.
Technical experts from Qatar and Turkey have come in recent days to help open the civilian airport. Ariana Airlines, the state-owned airline, began domestic flights on Saturday and continued on Sunday. Because the airport lacks radar, aircraft are limited to daytime hours to enable visual landings, according to the official Shershah Store.
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