Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Bundeswehr Airlift
German evacuation flights could end today
Will the Bundeswehr fly the route between Kabul and Tashkent for the last time today? Media reports point to the rapid end of the evacuation flights. But what happens after that? The Taliban speak of a “problem-free” exit even after the US has withdrawn.
The evacuation flights of the German armed forces from Kabul to the Uzbek capital Tashkent could end today, as ARD and “Spiegel” report. This would end the mission faster than expected, because in view of the imminent withdrawal of US troops on August 31, several media reports had previously mentioned Friday or Saturday. The federal government has not yet given an official confirmation of the exact time.
Roderich Kiesewetter, chairman of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group in the Foreign Affairs Committee, could not confirm the date either, but it is obvious that the US partners would have to leave Afghanistan two or three days before the deadline at the end of August, as he did in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin” explained. An evacuation plan must be negotiated with the Taliban so that Afghan local staff can be evacuated after the current Bundeswehr mission. That is exactly what Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer demanded.
According to a high-ranking Taliban leader, Afghans will be able to leave the country without any problems in the future. “If they want to go abroad for jobs or want to improve their lives, they can later apply for passports, get visas and legally leave the country,” said Taliban deputy chief Mullah Jakub in an audio interview broadcast on official Taliban channels. Nobody will stop them. Leaving as chaotic as it is now is a problem for everyone.
According to the Defense Ministry, the Bundeswehr had flown 4,654 people from Afghanistan by morning. The day before, 983 people were brought to Tashkent with the help of five flights.
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