U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Aug. 18 that the military doesn’t have the capacity to collect “large numbers” of Americans who may be struggling to escape Afghanistan. Austin’s remarks were in response to questions about the Taliban allegedly blocking Afghan allies from reaching Kabul’s international airport, as well as concerns about the possibility of thousands of Americans being stranded in Afghanistan if the military sticks to its Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline. Austin and the State Department gave differing accounts of what’s happening on the ground in Kabul. “We will continue to coordinate and deconflict with the Taliban, and make sure that those people who need to get to the airfield have the right credentials to ensure passage,” Austin said. “And the Taliban has been checking those credentials—and if they have them, they have allowed them to pass.” However, in an Aug. 18 statement, the U.S. Embassy in …
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