At the Mercy of the Taliban
17th August 2021
We have noted that U.S. officials estimate there are somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 Americans still in Afghanistan, and they do not know where those individuals are. Steve has pointed out the obvious potential for a mass hostage situation if the Taliban simply refuses to permit Americans and other Westerners to get to the Kabul airport.
Amplifying that story, earlier today both Jake Sullivan and Jen Psaki declined to offer any assurance that all Americans will be successfully extracted from Afghanistan. The fact is that the fate of Americans stranded in that country is out of our control. For now, the Taliban is taking the position that as long as foreigners are leaving, they will not interfere with them.