Afghan president in urgent talks as Taliban take key town near Kabul By Reuters

KABUL (Reuters) -Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani held pressing talks with native leaders and worldwide companions on Saturday as Taliban rebels pushed nearer to Kabul, capturing a city south of the capital that is without doubt one of the gateways to the town.

America and Britain rushed in troops to assist evacuate their embassies after the militants captured city after city as U.S. and different international forces which have backed the federal government withdrew.

Many Afghans have fled from the provinces to the capital, pushed out by preventing and petrified of a return to hardline Islamist rule, as resistance from Afghan authorities forces crumbles.

“As your president, my focus is on stopping additional instability, violence, and displacement of my folks,” Ghani mentioned in a quick televised handle, including that he was consulting authorities, elders, politicians and worldwide leaders.

He gave no signal of responding to a Taliban demand that he resign as a situation for any talks on a ceasefire and a political settlement, saying his precedence remained the consolidation of the nation’s safety and defence forces.

“Severe measures are being taken on this regard,” he mentioned, with out elaborating.

Qatar, which has been internet hosting so-far inconclusive peace talks between the Afghan authorities and the Taliban, mentioned on Saturday it had urged the insurgents to stop hearth throughout a gathering with their representatives on Saturday.

Earlier the Taliban, dealing with little resistance, took Pul-e-Alam, capital of Logar province and 70 km (40 miles) south of Kabul, in line with a neighborhood provincial council member, who spoke to Reuters on situation of anonymity.

The city is a staging put up for a possible assault on Kabul. Its seize got here a day after the insurgents took the nation’s second- and third-biggest cities. The Taliban says it’s near capturing Maidan Shahr, one other city near Kabul.

An Afghan authorities official confirmed on Friday that Kandahar, the largest metropolis within the south, was below Taliban management as U.S.-led worldwide forces full their withdrawal after 20 years of conflict.

The U.S.-led invasion, which ousted the Taliban from energy, was launched after the Sept. 11 assaults on the US in 2001.

Herat within the west, close to the border with Iran, additionally fell to the group.

Kandahar’s loss was a heavy blow to the federal government. It’s the heartland of the Taliban https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/kandahar-southern-hub-key-control-afghanistan-2021-08-13 – ethnic Pashtun fighters who emerged in 1994 amid the chaos of civil conflict. It is usually near the city of Spin Boldak, one of many two fundamental entry factors into Pakistan and a serious supply of tax revenues.

EMBASSY EVACUATIONS

American troops have begun flying in to Kabul to assist in the evacuation of embassy personnel and different civilians, a U.S. official mentioned on situation of anonymity.

The Pentagon has mentioned two battalions of Marines and an infantry battalion will arrive in Kabul by Sunday night, involving about 3,000 troops. An infantry brigade fight workforce will transfer to Kuwait to behave as a fast response pressure for safety in Kabul if wanted.

The Czech Republic mentioned it was evacuating its two diplomats on Saturday and Italy mentioned it will evacuate its embassy if crucial.

Some embassies have begun to burn delicate materials forward of evacuating, diplomats mentioned.

Many individuals within the capital have been stocking up on rice and different meals in addition to first help, residents mentioned.

Visa (NYSE:) purposes at embassies have been working within the tens of 1000’s, officers mentioned, and Washington was asking nations to briefly home Afghans https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/desperation-us-scours-countries-willing-house-afghan-refugees-2021-08-13 who labored for the U.S. authorities.

A U.S. defence official mentioned earlier than the autumn of Pul-e-Alam that there was concern that the Taliban may make a transfer on Kabul inside days.

“Kabul will not be proper now in an imminent risk atmosphere, however clearly … in the event you simply take a look at what the Taliban has been doing, you’ll be able to see that they’re making an attempt to isolate Kabul,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby (NYSE:) mentioned.

REFUGEE CRISIS

The explosion in preventing has raised fears of a refugee disaster and a rollback of features in human rights, particularly for girls. Some 400,000 civilians have been compelled from their houses this 12 months, 250,000 of them since Could, a U.N. official mentioned.

Canada mentioned it will resettle greater than 20,000 weak Afghans https://www.reuters.com/world/canada-accept-20000-vulnerable-afghans-such-women-leaders-human-rights-workers-2021-08-13/#:~:textual content=REUTERSpercent2FStephanepercent20Mahepercent20OTTAWApercent2Cpercent20Augpercent2013percent20percent28Reuterspercent29percent20-%20Canada,reprisalspercent2Cpercent20Immigrationpercent20Ministerpercent20Marcopercent20Mendicinopercent20saidpercent20onpercent20Friday together with girls leaders, human rights staff and reporters to guard them from Taliban reprisals.

Of Afghanistan’s main cities, the federal government nonetheless holds Mazar-i-Sharif within the north and Jalalabad, close to the Pakistani border within the east, along with Kabul.

The velocity of the Taliban’s features has led to recriminations over the U.S. withdrawal, which was negotiated final 12 months below the administration of President Joe Biden’s Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.

Biden mentioned this week he didn’t remorse his choice to comply with by with the withdrawal. He famous Washington has spent greater than $1 trillion and misplaced 1000’s of troops over 20 years, and referred to as on Afghanistan’s military and leaders to step up.