Page 989 - Capability News Today

>> we are in daily communication with the taliban about the security situation at the airport now. we want to preserve as much capability as long as we can to continue to conduct evacuations, while safely removing our people and our equipment, all at the same time. thats our focus right now, is on properly executing the mission and effectively and safely drawing it down. >> and as you hear him say, effectively and safely, drawing down that mission. the pentagon also said that they would need at ...

So just walk me back. youre right. theres been no change to the timeline of the mission which is to have this completed by the end of the month. we continue to make progress every day in getting americans, as well as siv applicants and vulnerable afghans out. and you heard the numbers that the general briefed just a minute ago and the vast, vast majority of these individuals are afghans. so we are -- remain committed to getting any and all americans that want to leave to get them out. and we sti...

In afghanistan. were going to have to try to keep a close watch to make sure that al qaeda doesnt reconstitute itself there. and that we take action against isis k -- um -- and make sure that it doesnt pose a growing threat to us. thats more difficult to do -- um -- when you dont have those troops on the ground. but of course, when we did have the troops on the ground, they were targets and we were risking american lives in that fashion, too. so not a bright line here but i think the drawdown is...

>> they understand afghanistan is a dangerous place right now. were trying to move as many americans as fast as we can and want to get it done before the end of the month. >> can you address the situation and the conditions in qatar to be described as -- the 14 different way stations. the three main hubs are ramstein, qatar and bahrain. are there way more now? >> lets set this a little bit. yes, those are three main hubs but we are adding to that. you have seen italy, u.s. military installations...

To miss some of these, leta, so walk me back. youre right, there has been no change to the timeline of the mission which is to have this completed by the end of month. we continue to make progress every day in getting americans as well as siv applicants and vuln vulnerable afghans out and you heard the number that the general briefed just a minute ago and the vast majority of these individuals are afghans. so, we are remaining committed to getting any and owl americans that want to leave to get ...

Numbers throughout the day. when we go back to hubs and spokes, ill give you the macro. and then we could possibly get back with you on the the real details of their -- so both within the cent com and the u com aor, we have main hubs, think of ramstine and then going into qatar. from there, wb the last 24 to 72 hours, both of those commands have started billing up and going from an initial operational capability to get full what we would call smaller satellite areas to ensure that with the throu...

States that he is sticking with this august 31st deadline. we also heard from the pentagon today in this briefing, john kirby said very clearly, that they have the capability to get this done by the end of the month. but what he was saying, they could get done, is get all americans out who want to get out. not clear if he means get all of the afghan allies out, the siv applicants and such. youre reaction in. >> what the president committed to was getting american citizens out and the afghan alli...

Outcome has not changed one bit. there is nothing. they are not using any of the levers of power in any dimension, not political, diplomatic, economic, not security wise, not military. so you have to look at that and say okay, they are getting the outcomes they want because they can bomb the taliban into the stone age like that. they can destroy all those weapons that are in place, they can tell pakistan to cease and desist right now or we are turning off the money. they can tell them stop doing...

And some of them are leery of even going because they dont think they can get it done that fast. >> so the ability to continue through-put is very important. and so, we look at airport operations and the ability to get aircraft landed safely, immediately in and loaded, that drives a lot of what we call time on ground to maximize the amount of evacuees that we can get out. as you saw in the last day the numbers, that required, as you just said, you know, aircraft on average to be on the ground le...

Grade timeline to speak to today. well work through that as appropriate as we get closer to the end of the mission. and as you well know, we very methodically and deliberately plan in the movement out of assets and equipment and resources so that we can preserve the capability we need for as long as we need it. i think ill just leave it at that. >> it took several days to flow these 5,800 in. so i knowgistical hurdles to get them in. it could take a day or two to get the military back out so tha...