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24 Aug, 54 tweets, 14 min read
1) Afghanistan thread for Tuesday August 24.

It is unlikely that there will be an extension to the evacuation window from Kabul airport beyond August 31, according to the UK’s Defense Minister.
2) All hands on deck, US evacuations “could” be in the home stretch.
3) Leaders of the Group of Seven countries were set to discuss on Tuesday whether to seek an extension to a Aug. 31 deadline for the evacuation of thousands of people trying to flee Afghanistan and whether to recognize or sanction a Taliban government.

But note point 1 ☝🏾
4) France to surveil an Afghan evac’d from Kabul, who is suspected of links to Taliban, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Monday. 4 others thought to be close to the main suspect, are also subjects of surveillance measures by French Intelligence, Darmanin told AFP.
5) Today’s G-7 Leaders Meeting on 🇦🇫 starts at 15:30 by vid conf. Called by UK PM Johnson to discuss situation 🇦🇫 & coordinate int’l action. EU repped by Charles Michel (EUCO head), Ursula von der Leyen (EUC head). Charles Michel & Ursula von der Leyen presser at 17:00;
6) DC nuggets :
A) President Joe Biden, has said 🇺🇸 soldiers “might” stay beyond 8/31 deadline, warned evac would be hard, painful & much could still go wrong;
B) Dem Rep Adam Schiff (Chairman of House Intel Comm, said he didn’t believe evac could be finished in 8 days left;
6)(cont)
(C) I think it's possible, but very unlikely given number of Americans who still need to be evac’d, Schiff said.
D) Taliban official said Monday an extension wouldn’t be granted, though he said foreign forces hadn’t sought one. Washington said negotiations continue;
7) AJ highlights:
A) Norway: Evacuation deadline should be extended;
B) Pakistan urges ‘inclusive’ deal with Taliban;
C) Egypt evacuates more than 40 citizens from Kabul;
D) 16,000 evacuated from Kabul airport in past 24 hours, 11,000 via US military ops: Pentagon;
7)
 (E) British gov’t to discuss criminalising entering Afghanistan: The Telegraph;
F) More than 40,000 foreigners and Afghans have been evacuated since July, of whom 37,000 left since August 14, a day before the Taliban took over Kabul;
8) FT - She was welcomed by Chancellorship candidate Armin Laschet, who called for evacuation of as many women as possible. Ghafari said that she was grateful to the German gov‘t for saving her and her family's life. She emphasized that they are not in 🇩🇪 as migrants.
9) Qari Yousef Ahmadi said Monday, as per Arabi21,
the "Taliban movement in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" would "build relations with all neighboring countries, including Pakistan, within the framework of mutual respect, while taking into account national interest”.
10) Players from Afghanistan women’s national football team leave the country among a group of more than 75 people evacuated on a flight from Kabul;
11) WHO only has enough supplies in Afghanistan to last for one week, a senior regional official says.
12) China says the international community should support chances for positive developments in Afghanistan, rather than impose sanctions that would be not productive on the Taliban;
13) CIA Director William Burns met with Taliban Leader Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul on Monday;
14) Taliban makes governmental appointment, according to Pajhwok news agency. Gul Agha would be Finance Minister, Sadr Ibrahim would be Interior Minister, Najibullah would be Intelligence Chief, Mullah Shirin would be Kabul Governor & Hamdullah Nomani the Mayor of Kabul;
15) Spain will not be able to rescue all Afghans who served Spanish missions in Afghanistan because of the “dramatic” situation on the ground, Defence Minister Margarita Robles says;
16) The European Union will ramp up humanitarian support for Afghans in and around their country to more than 200M euros ($234M) from over 50M euros ($58M), the head of the EU’s Executive Commission says;
17) UN’s top human rights official Michelle Bachelet says that she had received credible reports of serious violations committed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, including summary executions of civilians and restrictions on women and on protests against their rule;
18) Russian President Putin discussed Afghanistan situation
in a phone call with Indian PM Narendra Modi, according to the Kremlin. The two leaders agreed to establish a permanent channel for bilateral consultations on Afghan developments,
as per Kremlin statement;
19) Airbnb has announced the company will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees globally for free;
20) Australia evacs 1,600+ people since last Wednesday;
21) Similar to Spain in point 15;
22) Stay tuned.
23) The European Union has evacuated all its staff from Afghanistan, apart from some officials still working at Kabul airport, a spokesperson for the Executive European Commission says;
24) The UN World Food Program (WFP) has called for the international community to donate $200M in food aid for Afghanistan so essential supplies can be delivered to remote regions before winter;
25) 21,000 people evacuated yesterday, 58,700 evacuated in total. More details in the brief video, of the situation on the ground at HKIA.
26) FT - - @AmrullahSaleh2 appears to be conceding that the Taliban have the upper hand in Andarab.
27) Dushi District in Baglan province might be under resistance forces.
28) With militia fighters and former government soldiers in its ranks, the NRF has set up machine gun nests, mortars and surveillance posts fortified with sandbags in anticipation of a Taliban assault on their bastion, the Panjshir Valley;
29) State of play inside Kabul.
30) Timeline is very tight.
31) Taliban will “guarantee” security of crowd of people attempting to flee their rule from Kabul airport, Taliban Spox Zabihullah Mujahid said. He added that foreigners should be the only ones leaving, and that Afghan interpreters should not seek refuge in the US.
32) So, Aug 31 deadline appears to be standing.

FT - “Pentagon spokesman pledges U.S. will try to evacuate as 'many vulnerable Afghans' as possible ahead of Aug. 31 deadline.”
33) FT
“We are not in favour of allowing Afghans to leave”
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid adds it would be a “violation” of the agreement to allow evacuations of foreign nationals beyond August 31”.
34) Evac detail.
35) From @Kevinliptakcnn - “President Biden spoke for seven minutes during this morning's G7 meeting, the White House says.”
36) One week will come very quickly and evacuation activities will coincide with Army pullout activities.
37) Withdrawal of 5,800 soldiers starts Friday.
38) Welcome to the internet age.
39) Taliban to block Afghans from entering Kabul Airport.
40) It’s going to be a challenging week.
41) EUCU President Michel says a number of G-7 leaders raised concerns w/President Biden about Aug. 31 deadline for getting their nat’ls & Afghan helpers out of Kabul. Michel says that “several leaders expressed concerns about timing of August 31,” during Tuesday’s G-7 Summit;
42) A bit of friction is in the air.
43) Biden Afghanistan remarks moved from 12pm to 4:30pm.
44) Here we go…
45) PT
Per @Haavisto Finland has evacuated about 150 out of 170 people from initial list and just now decided that about 120 more (those who worked as sub contractors to defend/secure Finnish embassy). Glad ethics won out. #turpo

Also thanks US & Nordic cooperation.
46) Video clip of a resistance force unit.
47) Quite the eye-opening 🧵 here.
FT - This is a one sided negotiation until US pulls out, but at that point Taliban will probably have US citizens as hostages.
FT - At that point I’m willing to bet they’ll demand int’l aid and recognition in return for protecting those people.
48) PT - In Kabul the shock of this transition is profound. Most people under 20. They never knew Taliban rule. Now their choice is try to get out, if they can, or hope the Taliban have really changed.”
49) White House hunkering down.
50) No details, as this time, on the number of departing soldiers.
51) It will more intense, as the days go by.
52) More than 4,000 Americans evacuated to date.
53) 70,700 people evacuated since August 14.
54) 🧵 concerning coordination of efforts with respect to the Afghanistan evacuations.
55) “Retrograde” has commenced.
56) Important if accurate. At present, unconfirmed.

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