US Secy Antony Blinken thanks Qatari Deputy PM for continued support in Afghan evacuation

Days after the United States ended its military involvement in Afghanistan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on Friday, thanked Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for helping in the evacuations of US citizens from Kabul after it fell to Taliban terrorists.

"Spoke with Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani about Qatar's help facilitating the departure of US citizens from Kabul. We're grateful for ongoing support," Blinken tweeted.

On Thursday, 9 September, a media report stated that around 200 people including US citizens have been allowed by the Taliban to leave the war-torn country through a Qatari flight. Earlier on Tuesday, 7 September, Blinken had said that the State Department was in touch with the Taliban to facilitate additional charter flights from Kabul for American citizens stranded in Afghanistan.  

Blinken informed that the US is monitoring the situation by being in "constant touch" with American citizens stranded in the southcentral Asian country, besides maintaining channels of communication with the Taliban on its commitment to allow people to leave Afghanistan if they wish to.

It should be noted here that Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also visited Qatar early this week to extend their gratitude to the Gulf Arab country for providing crucial help in evacuating thousands of people from Afghanistan. Qatar has also hosted the Taliban's political office for over 8 years and Doha is currently a state leading the Afghanistan diplomatic operations as several Afghans that worked with NATO and US forces await a transfer to the US and other nations. 

Biden administration concerned over some Taliban cabinet members

On Monday, 30 August, the US announced the completion of its massive evacuation operations in Afghanistan. President Joe Biden said that the US completed one of the biggest airlifts in history, evacuating over 120,000 people to safety. The last American soldier to leave the country, Major General Chris Donahue, boarded a US C-17 aircraft on 30 August, marking the end of a 20-year-long US mission in Kabul. The United Nations also resumed humanitarian flights on Friday, 3 September, to deliver relief supplies to Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has expressed concerns over affiliations and track records of several newly-announced Taliban cabinet members. On Tuesday, 7  September, the Taliban announced its interim government which will be headed by Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, the head of the Taliban's decision-making body 'Rehbari Shura.'

(With agency inputs, Image: AP)