airport gates already. there's no doubting the success of the second biggest airlift in the history of mankind. yes, there are thousands still to get on these planes. there are many people stuck in kabul. but for most of these people, this is a moment of celebration in terms of their freedom, but also bittersweet because of what they're leaving behind. >> reporter: that bitterness is immediate to this brother who has a visa for the u.s. and has been trapped outsidehe airport. she's moments from flying. marines do their bt to help as these gates are still controlled by the taliban. but her plane is due to take off and she's swept away with her younger sisters to a new life. not knowing if her brother will ever join her there. now, jake, a number of u.s. troops have already been sent out of the country as part of
may start seeing the americans looking at leaving, being seen to leave, and that small window for those they still have out in kabul, radically shrinking. remember, there are thousands of local afghan employees of the u.s. embassy who have to get on the airport. tens of thousands of siv applicants. sam talked about scenes at serena hotel trying to get on, you know, there was always going to be the moment where the panic turned into worse panic because the chaos at the airport was beginning to disappear and withdraw and we have to be obviously very hopeful that the days ahead remain calm and that those who can get out do manage to and that those 5,800 u.s. troops leave slowly in an orderly fashion with many as they can possible take. important to remember, the last 24 hour air lift was startling. seems like they can do it. they just have to get people on the airport first. >> waiting to hear a complete number over the last 24 hours,
into the city of kabul and providing safe corridors so people can travel to the airport more easily or the decision to leave august 31st. so many of these decisions are driven by the desire to not have one more service member be killed in afghanistan. they are very worried about a terrorist threat there, as somebody on the ground there, how real and credible does a terrorist attack seem as a possibility? >> reporter: well, judging by the attitudes struck by military personnel here, they're taking it extremely seriously. they don't feel particularly safe. they are anxious that as the numbers draw down that they become a better target of opportunity as it were. there have been inevitably secret pinprick missions out to go and rescue people who are stuck in tricky locations. but the idea of sending large
relationship with while the gates are still closed. there are efforts being made on an almost individual basis to get people through the gates, if they've got these siv visas, but this is all being conducted during a period of extreme tension. at about 5:00 this morning, 45 minutes or longer, just off to the west here, there was a substantial fire fight. we don't know who this was between but there was a very sustained exchange of gunfire. there is also now large crowds c coalescing around the hotel, helping small numbers of people, even the ambassador himself driving people to the airport to help with the evacuation, and on top of that, the taliban have now told cnn on the ground inside kabul that they are now actively hunting for isis because they have caught, they claim, four isis or alleged isis
constant communication with taliban officials in kabul and around kabul to try and ease the pathway for individuals, both mesh americans and afghans with special immigrant visas to get to the airport. there is every reason to believe that that coordination would cease to exist post-august 31st. there is also the terror threat. a very real, very acute threat, they believe, will come to pass if they stay longer from groups like isis-k who they believe are a very real threat at the moment and a very real threat for u.s. personnel. >> phil mattingly at the white house, thanks so much. today the pentagon reported a massive increase in pace of evacuations in kabul. evacuating 21,600 people in the last 24 hours. since august 14th, more than 58,000 individuals have been evacuated by the u.s., by u.s. allies, and by private citizens. moments ago the biden administration confirmed that that number includes more than
convoys into the city means that they simply expose their flanks to any and all terrorist groups. the taliban they've been working very, very closely with indeed. but that will be exhausted on august the 31st. but the real principal threat is islamic state, isis-k. they are bitter enemies of the taliban. so the taliban has every interest in crushing any attempt by isis-k and earlier on today we had information from commanders on the ground from the taliban commanders on the ground inside kabul that four isis-k members have been arrested filming possible locations for terrorist attacks, jake. >> it's a very real fear. cnn's sam kiley live for us at the kabul airport, thank you so much. let's bring in our panel of experts. susan, let me start with you. what will you be watching for president biden to say when he speaks in a few minutes? >> well, jake, you know, they've been pushing it off for hours today, so i'm curious what kind of behind-the-scenes drama
afghanistan. more than 20,000 people have been evacuated from kabul here in the last 24-hour period. plus, a new report about a high profile meeting between the head of the cia and the taliban. >> and president biden's economic agenda in the balance this morning. all of a sudden overnight, things on hold. does speaker pelosi have the votes to get the infrastructure bill over the finish line? democrats infighting. i booked our hotel on kayak. it's flexible if we need to cancel. cancel. i haven't left the house in a year. nothing will stop me from vacation. no canceling.
operators filming possible targets on the streets of kabul. this against the background of course of the national security adviser in washington, d.c. saying that there is a persistent and real threat from the islamic state, and that is going to play very heavily into the mind of both the military and president biden who will be discussing today whether or not it is worth trying to extend the deadline here, which would extend the period of risk of islamic state attack either on refugees trying to get out and become evacuees or indeed on u.s. and coalition troops here in the airport. the taliban have said that they absolutely see the august 31st dead lean as an immovable limit and anything after that will be seen as a persistent occupation with unknown consequences that may follow. there should be diplomatic wiggle room because the taliban is trying to wiggle itself into
as they're concerned -- their final day for the u.s. to be there. and the u.s. military has drastically ramped up the number of evacuations of americans and others. as cnn's oren liebermann reports for us now, the evacuation process was further complicated today with the taliban saying that they will no longer let any afghans enter the airport to leave the country. >> reporter: the tide of afghan evacuees flowing out of kabul is at a new peak. as the effort to move as many people as possible enters its final seven days. 21,600 people flown out in 24 hours. averaging nearly 350 per flight. that's 15 times what the u.s. flew out a week ago. since august 14th, 58,700 people have been evacuated from kabul. the airport which once had 14,000 people on the field waiting for flights now down to about 5,000.