President Biden said on Tuesday that the United States and its allies are on pace to finish evacuating Americans and Afghans from Afghanistan by his full military withdrawal date of Aug. 31.
Why it matters: Biden said America's massive rescue mission will end in around seven days, though he said he directed the Pentagon and the Department of State to develop contingency plans "to adjust the timetable should that become necessary."
President Biden told his fellow G7 leaders that the U.S. is on pace to complete its evacuation operation in Afghanistan by his Aug. 31 deadline, and that staying longer would increase the risk to U.S. troops, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.
Why it matters: Allies including the United Kingdom and France have lobbied the Biden administration to press the Taliban to extend the timeline, fearing they won't be able to get their citizens and Afghan allies out in time. But the Taliban has said it views the Aug. 31 as a red line, and Biden is still aiming to get out before then — though he has asked for "contingency plans," the White House said.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said Tuesday that "nobody is making excuses" and "everybody's focused on trying" to improve the conditions at the Qatar air base housing Afghan evacuees after Axios reported the base was awash with loose feces and urine and a rat infestation.
Driving the news: In an email obtained by Axios, a U.S. official describes conditions at the Al Udeid Air Base in Doha as "a living hell." The email highlights the despair inside the federal government and some elements of the Biden administration at the handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, Axios' Jonathan Swan, Hans Nichols and Glen Johnson write.
CIA Director William Burns secretly met with Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's de-facto leader, in Kabul on Monday, the Washington Post first reported.
Why it matters: Though the contents of the meeting are not known, Burns is the highest-ranking Biden administration official to meet with Taliban leadership as the U.S. races to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies from the country before the official withdrawal date of Aug. 31.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Tuesday that Afghans should stop attempting to reach Kabul's international airport, and reiterated that the militant group would not agree to extend the Aug. 31 deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw.
Why it matters: The evacuation effort has ramped up significantly over the last 48 hours, but given Mujahid's statement that "we are not in favor of allowing Afghans to leave" the window to complete the operation could soon begin to close.
Airbnb will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees globally starting Tuesday, founder and CEO Brian Chesky tweeted Tuesday.
Why it matters: "The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the US and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time," Chesky wrote in a thread. "We feel a responsibility to step up."
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday said the Taliban's treatment of women and girls will be a "fundamental red line."
Driving the news: The resurgence of the Taliban has left many young Afghan women and girls fearing for their futures and the progress gained over the last two decades.
The World Health Organization only has enough medical supplies on the ground in Afghanistan to last a week, after shipments of supplies were blocked due to restrictions at the Kabul airport, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: An estimated 18 million Afghans, roughly half the total population, were in need of humanitarian assistance as of last month.
Members of Afghanistan's national women's soccer team and other female athletes were part of an evacuation of 75 people from Kabul on Tuesday, according to international soccer players’ union FIFPRO.
Why it matters: "These young women, both as athletes and activists, have been in a position of danger and on behalf of their peers around the world we thank the international community for coming to their aid," the union said in the statement.
Shortly before 8 a.m. last Friday, an official at U.S. Central Command sent a searing wake-up call to colleagues: The sweltering Qatar air base where the Biden administration is housing thousands of Afghan evacuees was awash with loose feces and urine and a rat infestation, according to internal emails shared with Axios.
Why it matters: The email highlights the despair inside the federal government and some elements of the administration at the handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
President Biden is attempting to navigate between calls from allies to extend the Kabul airlift operation beyond Aug. 31 and warnings from the Taliban that doing so would cross a red line.
Driving the news: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to push Tuesday for an extension beyond the end of August at a virtual G7 meeting, which he's chairing.
Chris Miller, the Trump administration's last acting defense secretary, told CNN's "Cuomo Prime Time" Monday evening that there was never a concrete date to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Why it matters: Former President Trump has said President Biden should have stuck to the previous administration's May 1 deadline. But Miller told CNN's Chris Cuomo that there was always the provision for officials to "move the goal posts" on the date if required.
Ismail Sabri Yaakob began work on Monday as Malaysia's new prime minister, bringing the once-dominant but corruption-plagued United Malays National Organization (UMNO) back to power.
Why it matters: The new government will have to contend with the country’s worst-yet outbreak of COVID-19 and try to usher in a semblance of political stability.
