The United States Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, issued a security alert on Sunday warning Americans in Kabul to “shelter in place.” Specifically, they were told to stay away from the embassy and airport amid the “deteriorating” situation.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Sunday morning that the United States is in the process of evacuating personnel from the embassy in Kabul as the Taliban takes over the capital. The Epoch Times explained the militant group has been successful in quickly taking over almost the entire country of Afghanistan in about one week.
On Sunday, the militant group made its way into Kabul where there have allegedly been negotiations between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban to facilitate a “peaceful transfer of power.”
“The Afghan people should not worry … There will be no attack on the city and there will be a peaceful transfer of power to the transitional government,” Interior Minister Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal said in a pre-recorded speech. “The safety of the city is guaranteed, there will be no attack on the city, and the agreement is such that the transition of power will take place in a peaceful manner.”
Hours before the Taliban reached Kabul, where it reportedly took control of its presidential palace, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.
Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, confirmed through social media that Ghani has left the country, according to USA Today.
“The former president of Afghanistan left Afghanistan, leaving the country in this difficult situation,” Abdullah said. “God should hold him accountable.”
The escalating situation comes amid an early withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan which was set to be complete by Aug. 31. Because of the rising threat against U.S. forces, the Biden Administration earlier this week deployed more than 3,000 troops to Kabul to help evacuate the U.S. Embassy and aid Americans in leaving the country as the Taliban’s takeover advances, according to the Associated Press.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the matter, slamming Biden’s handling of the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in a statement from his Save America PAC on Saturday.
Trump attributed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan to a “complete failure through weakness, incompetence, and total strategic incoherence,” displayed by the Biden Administration.
“After I took out ISIS, I established a credible deterrent. That deterrent is now gone. The Taliban no longer has fear or respect for America, or America’s power,” said President Trump. “What a disgrace it will be when the Taliban raises their flag over America’s Embassy in Kabul. This is complete failure through weakness, incompetence, and total strategic incoherence.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Afghan and American flags in Kabul were taken down, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., reported. “The Taliban flag will soon be flying along side that of Al Qaeda as we head into the 20th anniversary of 9/11,” Waltz stated.
Associated Press reporter Zeke Miller revealed the Taliban soon plans to “declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in Kabul.”
This story is developing.