Biden news: Psaki shuts down GOP impeachment threat as Israel PM extends ‘condolences and deep sadness’
White House and Pentagon provide updates on response to Kabul attack as hundreds continue to be evacuated from Afghanistan
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Following a suicide bombing at Kabul airport that left 13 American service members dead and 18 wounded, among dozens of others killed, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett extended “condolences and deep sadness for the loss of American lives” during a meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday.
After pledging to “hunt down” those responsible for the attack, the president was briefed by military officials on Friday on the likelihood of “another terror attack” and the “maximum force protection measures” underway at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Military officials also updated the president and vice president “on plans to develop Isis-K targets,” according to statement from White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
“The next few days of this mission will be the most dangerous period to date,” the statement said.
Injured US service members have been transported to the US Army’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
One Afghan family’s astonishing escape from Kabul to a new life in America
Psaki swats down impeachment chatter and GOP backlash on Kabul: ‘Now is not the time for politics’
Tributes paid to US Navy sailor killed in Kabul attack: ‘He was helping to save lives’
Two House Republicans introduce articles of impeachment against Secretary of State Blinken
Pentagon admits ‘thousands’ of Isis-K militants released from US prisons by Taliban
Isis-K, a sworn enemy of the Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Ms Psaki told reporters on Friday that the president has made clear “that he does not want them to live on earth anymore.”
A number of Republican lawmakers have called on the president to resign over the ongoing crisis. GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy said there will be “day of reckoning.”
Ms Psaki dismissed calls from GOP lawmakers, adding that “the backdrop” of their calls “is the men and women of the US military deployed on the ground are bravely continuing to implement a mission to save lives on the ground.”
“Yesterday they lost 13 of their own and the president made absolutely clear that we’re going to hunt down, go after and kill the terrorists who are responsible,” she said. “Everyone should be supportive of that.”
US military officials have stressed that the attack has not stopped evacuations, which will continue until the end of the month as planned. US forces have evacuated roughly 12,500 people over a 24-hour period into early Friday morning, according to the White House. Since the end of July, the US has relocated approximately 110,600 people, the White House said on Friday.
Follow live updates as they happenened
Sweden says evacuation mission is over despite some citizens being left behind
Sweden has said that its evacuation mission from Kabul airport “has been completed” but not every citizen has been able to leave Afghanistan.
Foreign minister Ann Linde admitted on Friday that officials had “not reached the ambition of evacuating even more [Swedes]” along with civil society groups and former local employees of the Armed Forces.
“The reason why it didn't work is partly because the Taliban stopped Afghan citizens that we had managed to get to the airport,” Ms Linde said.
In total, Sweden has evacuated about 1,100 people.
US under fire for trusting Taliban with list of names of aides for evacuation
US officials are facing strong criticism today for reportedly giving the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the city’s airport.
Joe Biden said on Thursday that he was not aware of the US military sharing such information with the Taliban, but added that he could not rule it out.
Our reporter, Maroosha Muzaffar, has the full story below:
US under fire for trusting Taliban with list of names of aides they want to evacuate
The decision to share a list has reportedly led to behind-the-scenes outrage among lawmakers and US defense officials
‘Better than even’ chance of another attack within days, ex-US Navy admiral says
There is a “better than even” chance that Kabul sees another terrorist attack in the coming days as evacuations from Afghanistan continue, a retired US Navy admiral has warned.
When asked about the possibility of another attack, James Stavridis told NBC’s Today: “I think better than even…
“These kinds of attacks tend to go in waves, think about three to four years ago, it felt like every month you were seeing a spectacular Isis attack somewhere around the world.
“That’s the DNA of this group, it’s quite horrific to contemplate that.”
You can find his comments in full below:
US says 105,000 people evacuated from Afghanistan since mid-August
About 12,500 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan in the last 24-hour period, raising the total evacuees since 14 August to roughly 105,000, according to the White House.
Since the end of July, about 110,600 people have left the country, the White House said.
Evacuations have resumed after two blasts killed dozens of people, including 13 US soldiers, outside the gates of Kabul airport on Thursday evening, with troops on alert for more possible attacks.
About 5,000 of the 12,500 individuals evacuated on Thursday were air-lifted out that night, according to White House figures.
You can see images below from the Rota Air Base in southern Spain, where a group of 450 Afghan citizens have arrived today after being evacuated from Kabul:
Russia condemns attacks at Kabul airport
The Russian government has strongly condemned the deadly attacks at Kabul airport on Thursday and officials remain seriously concerned about the situation in Afghanistan, a spokesperson for the Kremlin has said.
“Unfortunately, pessimistic forecasts are being confirmed that terrorist groups and organisations that have settled there, the Islamic State first and foremost, and its derivatives, would take advantage of the chaos that has arisen in Afghanistan,” Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
Mr Peskov noted that the incident “adds to the tensions in Afghanistan”, which remain an issue of “serious concern” for the Kremlin.
US and coalition forces evacuate 12,500 people from Kabul from Thursday into Friday morning
From Thursday until early Friday, roughly 12,500 people were evacuated from Kabul on 25 military flights carrying 8,500 evacuees and 54 coalition flights carrying 4,000 people, according to the White House.
The number of evacuated people has reached roughly 105,000 since 14 August. The US has “re-located approximately 110,600 people” since the end of July, according to the White House.
Obama: ‘Michelle and I were heartbroken'
Former President Barack Obama has issued a statement in the wake of Thursday’s attacks in Afghanistan.
“Like so many of you, Michelle and I were heartbroken to hear about the terrorist attack outside the Kabul airport that killed and wounded so many US service members, as well as Afghan men, women, and children,” he said.
“As president, nothing was more painful than grieving with the loved ones of Americans who gave their lives serving our country,” he continued. “As President Biden said, these service members are heroes who have been engaged in a dangerous, selfless mission to save the lives of others.”
Trump keeps referring to Isis-X instead of Isis-K after insisting he could have stopped suicide bomber
Speaking to Sean Hannity, Trump – who declared that he “completely” destroyed Isis and campaigned on that pledge – repeatedly referred to Isis-K as Isis-X and insisted he would have stopped the attacks that killed dozens of people, including US service members, in Kabul, despite the genesis of the attack and withdrawal tracing directly back to his administration’s aborted efforts in 2020.
He corrected his mistake but then claimed that Isis-X will become real anyway.
“They have people, as I said, that broke away ... because the Taliban wasn’t mean enough and vicious enough,” he said. “And that’s the new Isis-X, where they broke away, or Isis-K. They’ll have an Isis-X pretty soon, which is going to be worse.”
Trump keeps referring to ISIS-X instead of ISIS-K in interview
Trump releases video message claiming attacks ‘would not have happened if I were your president’
Pentagon officials to provide update
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby and Army Maj Gen William D ‘Hank’ Taylor will provide a briefing momentarily on the ongoing evacuation efforts in Afghanistan.
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