'Now the most challenging and dangerous hours begin' - govt spox on Afghanistan evacuation deadline

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German government spokespersons discussed the ongoing evacuation in Afghanistan, during a press conference in Berlin, on Wednesday, as the August 31 deadline for the withdrawal of NATO forces nears.

“Now the most challenging and dangerous hours begin for us and we will leave no stone unturned to evacuate those in need of protection as long as this is somehow possible,” said federal spokesperson David Helmbold.

Spokesperson Christofer Burger added talks were ongoing with the Taliban about “how to continue to help people leave Afghanistan after 31 August.”

US President Joseph Biden, speaking at the White House on Tuesday, confirmed the withdrawal of US soldiers by August 31, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said no airlift would be possible without US support.

SOUNDBITES:

SOT, David Helmbold, Federal Spokesperson (German): “The presence of international troops in Afghanistan will now come to an end on 31 August. This means that we have to follow certain procedures. For security reasons, I cannot go into detail here, but it is clear that the security situation has become increasingly tense in recent days. Here we share the assessment of the USA. And the situation is getting worse. The safety of soldiers and evacuees alike is paramount at the moment. Now the most challenging and dangerous hours begin for us and we will leave no stone unturned to evacuate those in need of protection as long as this is somehow possible and we hope that we succeed with as many as possible.”

SOT, Christofer Burger, Federal spokesperson (German): “Foreign Minister Heiko Maas already said last week that the time window for this airlift will be limited. What the Minister has already said, but what I would like to underline here is that the end of the airlift, the end of the military evacuation operation does not mean the end of our efforts to help people leave and get to safety.”

SOT, Christofer Burger, Federal spokesperson (German): “Yes, we are also talking with the Taliban about how to continue to help people leave Afghanistan after 31 August. This will no longer take the form of a military evacuation operation after 31 August, but there are various other options that we are working on.

SOT, Christofer Burger, Federal spokesperson (German): “One of them is the question of continuing to operate Kabul Airport, for example for special civilian flights, that is a topic we are discussing, not only with the Taliban, but also with various partners, both in the region and internationally, who of course also have an interest in this. But this also includes the question of how we can make it easier for people who come to neighbouring countries by land to travel on from there to Germany, either because they are German citizens or because they belong to the group of people we have identified as particularly worthy of protection and for whom we have a responsibility.

#AfghanistanEvacuations #AfghanistanConflict #Afghanistan #Germany

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