TIL Desk/World/Washington/ The United States has said it is looking at a number of ‘options’ on its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan after the August 31 withdrawal deadline. August 31 is the cut-off date set by both the US and the Taliban for America’s pullout from the war-torn country. “With regard to our own potential presence going forward after the 31st, we’re looking at a number of options,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.
“I’m sure we’ll have more on that in the coming days and weeks, but we’re looking at a variety of options, he said, referring to America’s diplomatic presence in Afghanistan after the withdrawal deadline. Over the next few days,” Blinken said, the focus of the US is on getting American citizens, other Afghan partners, third-country partners — who were working in Afghanistan with the US — out of Afghanistan and to safety.
And for that purpose, ‘whether we like it or not’, it’s important to work with the Taliban, who are ‘largely in control of Afghanistan’, to try to facilitate and ensure the departure of all those who want to leave, Blinken said. “And that has actually been something that we’ve been focused on from the beginning of this operation, because as a practical matter it advances our interests,” he added.