Afghan evacuees are reported to be in the United States and are estimated to reach more than 65,000 based on remarks from President Joe Biden.
The Christian Post said the first batch of evacuees from Afghanistan have arrived at the Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. The evacuees will undergo "further processing" after they are transferred to Fort Bliss in Texas "within the day."
According to the Department of Defense's Major General Hank Taylor during a press briefing held at the Pentagon on Saturday explained that the additional processing of the evacuees is meant to secure the safety of American citizens.
Taylor revealed that the government began its evacuation program for Afghans in July with 22,000 and was followed by another 17,000 by August 14--two days before Biden announced the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country. Taylor highlighted that the group of evacuees that arrived 24 hours after Friday in D.C.'s Dulles Airport was a result of "three flights from Afghanistan."
"The U.S. military airlifted nearly 6,000 evacuees in a single day. In the last 24 hours, six U.S. military C-17s and 32 charters departed Kabul. Through this combined effort, the total passenger count for those flights was approximately 3,800," Taylor said.
Taylor also stressed that there are 5,800 troops in Afghanistan handling the evacuation program and to ensure the security and operation of the airport in Kabul from the Talibans.
"I would add that intelligence, law enforcement and counter-terrorism professionals are conducting screening and security vetting for all SIV (special immigrant visas) and others--vulnerable Afghans--before they are allowed to enter the United States," Taylor disclosed.
Besides those that have arrived in the United States, Taylor elaborated that the evacuation would require "additional space" and involves "a complicated process" such that some of the evacuees had to be flown to the U.S.-owned Ramstein Air Base in Germany via Qatar on board a C-17 Globemaster plane on Saturday. He said that the evacuation in Afghanistan--"a massive effort"--is only made possible through the "cooperation of" America's "partners throughout the world who share in this incredible effort."
Meanwhile on Sunday, Biden gave an update on the Evacuation Operation in Afghanistan from The White House's Roosevelt Room. He said that in a "little over 30 hours this weekend" a total of "11,000 individuals" were flown in from Kabul totalling "33,000 persons" evacuated since July.
This involved "23 U.S military flights" in a 24-hour period alongside "35 charter flights" to other countries receiving the evacuees. He disclosed that priority in the evacuation are American citizens followed by "citizens of our NATO Allies and our partners" prior to "Afghan allies."
"Altogether, we lifted approximately 11,000 people out of Kabul in less than 36 hours. It's an incredible operation," Biden said.
"Let me be clear: The evacuation of thousands of people from Kabul is going to be hard and painful no matter when it started and when we began," he added. "It would have been true if we had started a month ago or a month from now. There is no way to evacuate this many people without pain and loss, of heartbreaking images you see on television. It's just a fact. My heart aches for those people you see."
Biden also revealed that despite their efforts much needs to be done. He commended the military for what have been accomplished so far, which he said is the result of "tireless diplomatic effort" involving "two dozen countries across four continents."
"We are proving that we can move, though, thousands of people a day out of Kabul. But we have a long way to go, and a lot could still go wrong. But to move out 30,000 people in just over a week, that's a great testament to the men and women on the ground in Kabul and our armed services," Biden announced.
In an interview with ABC News on August 19, Biden revealed that the government estimates "somewhere between 50,000 and 65,000 folks total, counting their families" of Afghans will be evacuated in the entire operation.
"The commitment holds to get everyone out that, in fact, we can get out and everyone that should come out. And that's the objective. That's what we're doing now, that's the path we're on. And I think we'll get there," Biden said.
