[playht_player width=”100%” height=”90px” voice=”Michael (en-US)”]Taliban spokesperson Dr. Suhail Saheen said that the USA will “cross a red line” if they don’t retreat their troops by August 31.
“It’s a red line. President Biden announced that on 31 August they would withdraw all their military forces. So if they extend it that means they are extending occupation while there is no need for that,” Shaheen told Sky News.
“If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations – the answer is no. Or there would be consequences. It will create mistrust between us. If they are intent on continuing the occupation it will provoke a reaction,” he added.
Two unnamed sources also stood up in rejection of the prolonged presence of American troops on Afghan soil. According to Reuters, those sources confirmed that no Western government has made then a formal proposal on a transition.
Biden Considering Leaving Troops On Afghanistan Despite Taliban Warnings
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged POTUS Joe Biden not to rush evacuation. Apparently, the Democrat President is considering the proposal despite the Taliban threat.
In the meantime, an Afghan soldier was killed and three other people were harmed during a shootout nearby the Kabul airport. According to CNN, the shootout started when a sniper opened fire against the Afghan soldiers guarding the perimeter of the northernmost access to the airport. Needless to say, American and German forces rushed to the scene to take over and replace local soldiers at the spot.
This situation has also halted the arrival of humanitarian aid towards Afghanistan, according to UNICEF and WHO. At the impossibility of managing their flight schedule, the WHO has urged the countries that are sending empty flights to Kabul to evacuate people to make a stop at Dubai to get loads of medicine and food to help the U.N.
