UK in race against time to evacuate citizens from Afghanistan as Biden sets 10-day rescue deadline

UK in race against time to evacuate citizens from Afghanistan as Biden sets 10-day rescue deadline
August 21, 2021, 9:07 am

troops in Afghanistan

The Sky news reported that the UK is in a race against time to help its own citizens and Afghans who have worked with the British flee Afghanistan.

It comes after the US president indicated rescue missions must be completed within 10 days.

According to the Sky News, Joe Biden suggested at a news conference on Friday that US efforts to rescue Americans from the country could be over by the end of the month in a move that is likely to present a similar deadline for British armed forces.

In the mean time, American soldiers are leading the evacuation effort out of Afghanistan with tens of thousands of people still waiting to be rescued ahead of the 31 August deadline.

The president has said he "thinks" troops can meet the deadline, despite US media reports suggesting the defence secretary has said Americans are having trouble getting through checkpoints and are being beaten by Taliban fighters.

The move comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK would have to "manage the consequences" of the US withdrawal from the central Asian country.

Read more: Britain ready to work with Taliban ‘if necessary’

Boris Johnson said: "We went into Afghanistan to support and help protect the United States.

"So when the United States decides emphatically to withdraw in the way that they have, clearly, we're going to have to manage the consequences."

The Sky News reported according to The Times, Mr Johnson feels "let down" by the US president over the way he handled the withdrawal.

Mr Johnson used the meeting of the 30-nation group on Friday to pursue his own diplomatic push for international leaders to take a united front in dealing with the Taliban.

He hinted the UK could be willing to work with the group "if necessary" to "find a solution" after two decades of military engagement.

Source: skynews

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