Taliban agrees to allow 200 foreigners leave Afghanistan
The planes will be among the first international flights to depart from Kabul airport since the Taliban seized control of the city in mid-August, sparking the chaotic evacuation of 124,000 foreigners and at-risk Afghans led by the United States.
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FollowTwo hundred Americans and other foreigners who remain in Afghanistan will exit the war-ravaged nation on charter aircraft from Kabul on Thursday after the new Taliban administration consented to their departure. The planes will be among the first international flights to depart from Kabul airport since the Taliban seized control of the city in mid-August, sparking the chaotic evacuation of 124,000 foreigners and at-risk Afghans led by the United States.
The action comes only two days after the Taliban declared a temporary government comprised primarily of ethnic Pashtun males, including wanted terrorist suspects and Islamist hardliners, dashed Western expectations for a more moderate administration. The official could not confirm whether the American citizens and other foreign nationals were among those stuck for days in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif because their private charters had been denied permission to exit.
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The Taliban's declaration of a new administration on Tuesday was generally seen as a signal that they were not trying to extend their base and show a more accommodating face to the world, as they had previously stated. On Wednesday, foreign countries greeted the temporary administration with caution and dismay. Hundreds of women gathered to the streets in Kabul to protest.
Many opponents urged the leadership to respect fundamental human rights and resuscitate the economy, which is on the verge of collapsing due to severe inflation, food shortages, and the threat of less foreign funding as countries strive to isolate the Taliban. No one in the Biden administration, according to White House spokesperson Jen Psaki, "would argue that the Taliban are regarded and cherished members of the global community."
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The European Union expressed its displeasure with the nominations, but stated that it will continue to provide humanitarian assistance. Long-term assistance would be contingent on the Taliban respecting fundamental freedoms. Saudi Arabia expressed optimism that the new administration will assist Afghanistan in achieving "security and stability while rejecting violence and extremism." According to analysts, the cabinet's composition may impede recognition by Western countries, which will be critical for greater economic involvement.
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