for days and nights on end, hoping for a slim chance to get through those taliban checkpoints and the threats and on one of the few remaining flights out of the country. i've spoken to people who have tried to go through this. you see the smoke dispersed there, most likely to control the crowds. a local journalist who shot this video says the taliban even sprayed water on people to push them away. they're not allowing access for many afghans. our team of reporters covering this developing story from all angles in these critical last hours of the evacuation, let's begin with cnn's nick payton walsh. he is in doha. nick, you have reported this morning that the fact is the window is closing and it's closing before that august 31st date. >> reporter: i mean, i think as many expected familiar with the operation, there would need to be a period of days at the end it shifted from evacuation to the military withdrawal. i understand from a source familiar with the situation on the airport that they don't