US in discussions with Taliban on future control of Kabul airport: State Dept
Aug 23, 2021
Washington DC [US], August 24 : The United States is engaged in discussions with the Taliban regarding the future control of the Kabul international airport, US State Department informed on Monday.
"A functioning state, a functioning economy, a government that has some semblance of a relationship with the rest of the world needs a functioning commercial airport," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said during a presser.
"We are in discussions with the Taliban on this very front. They have indicated to us in no uncertain terms that they seek to have a functioning commercial airport," he added.
This comes as Pentagon official has said that there are significant threats to the US airlift operations out of Afghanistan but their military is taking measures to mitigate them.
Earlier on Monday, National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan in a briefing said that the US is in talks with the Taliban on a daily basis and they are "consulting with the Taliban on every aspect," including on the situation at Kabul airport.
Despite ongoing talks with the Taliban, NSA Sullivan added that US forces at the Kabul international airport continue to face a serious threat from the Islamic State terror group.
In the press conference today, State Department spokesperson Price added that discussions with the Taliban have been "operational" and focused on their "near term" operations.
"Those near term operations and those near term goals in the first instance are focused on what is going at the airport compound at (Hamid Karzai International Airport)," he added.
Furthermore, Price stated the US has begun "to have conversations about what the international community would want to see of any future government in Afghanistan and to be very clear about what would be unacceptable to us."
Many countries have resorted to evacuating their citizens and diplomatic personnel from Afghanistan due to the precarious security situation, and some are planning to take in a limited number of Afghan asylum seekers.
