A spokesperson from the Pentagon expressed on Saturday that he was "not familiar" with new guidelines from the American Embassy that American citizens should not travel to the Kabul airport at this time.
Pentagon says it is "not familiar" with US Embassy in Kabul's guidance that American citizens avoid Kabul International Airport. pic.twitter.com/WRGg6Y88J8
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) August 21, 2021
A reporter asks in the video:
"The Embassy has issued a warning telling people not to go to the airport. Can you talk about the security outside the perimeter? Is it getting worse, and what are the [unintelligable] that's there?" At this point, the person on the podium, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, looks to his right, signaling a person there.
"Is it Afghans trying to get in? Is it ISIS? Is it the Taliban? Can you just give us a clearer picture of the violence going on outside the airport?"
Kirby, who previously had told us he doesn't have a good idea how many Americans are still stranded, gives the same look to the right, and vacates the podium. To answer the question, up steps Major General Hank Taylor.
"Yeah, the first part of the question is, I think you talked about guidance going out to not come [to the airport]. I'm not familiar with that directive."
As was referred to by the reporter, the US Embassy had indeed importantly tweeted earlier on Saturday morning (North American time) that Americans stranded in Afghanistan should "avoid travelling to the airport" and to "avoid airport gates at this time":
???U.S. Embassy Kabul: “Becuz of potential security threats outside the gates at Kabul airport, we’re advising U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to the airport & to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a U.S. government rep to do so.” pic.twitter.com/6nTxPXfg15
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) August 21, 2021
As can be seen in the photo embedded in the above tweet, the Embassy has also provided a bullet-point list of steps to take in order to help Americans get evacuated in a safe and timely manner.
President Biden on Friday was also apparently unaware of any difficulties of getting to the Kabul airport. During a White House briefing, the following exchange occurred between Biden and a reporter, who asked him:
"Thank you, Mr. President. Two questions for you. The military has secured the airport, as you mentioned, but will you sign off on sending U.S. troops into Kabul to evacuate Americans who haven’t been able to get to the airport safely?"
The President replied with what many media outlets have considered to be a dubious assertion:
"We have no indication that they haven’t been able to get — in Kabul — through the airport. We’ve made an agreement with the — with the Taliban. Thus far, they’ve allowed them to go through."
"It’s in their interest for them to go through. So, we know of no circumstance where American citizens are — carrying an American passport — are trying to get through to the airport. But we will do whatever needs to be done to see to it they get to the airport."
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