Biden said the U.S. strives to complete the Afghan evacuation operation by August 31

　　Xinhua News Agency, Washington, August 24 (Reporter Liu Pinran) U.S. President Biden stated on the 24th that the U.S. goal is to complete the withdrawal from Afghanistan by August 31. He also asked relevant departments to formulate emergency plans to adjust time when necessary. surface.

　　In a speech at the White House in the afternoon at the White House on the G7 summit on Afghanistan, Biden said that the withdrawal from Afghanistan has made "significant progress" in the past 10 days and the United States is striving to complete the withdrawal by August 31. However, whether the evacuation can be completed on schedule depends on the cooperation of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

　　Biden said that he has asked the U.S. Department of Defense and the State Department to develop contingency plans to adjust the timetable if necessary.

The Taliban is currently cooperating with the U.S. evacuation operation, but the evacuation operation still has risks and challenges, especially the threat from the Afghan branch of the "Islamic State" to the U.S. military and civilians.

In the past 12 hours, about 12,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Since the start of the evacuation operation on August 14, more than 70,000 people have been evacuated.

　　According to US media reports on the 24th, the Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency William Burns and the head of the Taliban Political Committee Baradar secretly met in Kabul on the 23rd. The content of the meeting may involve the time limit for the deployment of US troops in Afghanistan.

　　According to reports, some members of Congress in the United Kingdom, France and the United States have previously asked Biden to postpone the deadline for withdrawal from Afghanistan to after August 31 in order to complete the evacuation operation.

　　Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid made it clear on the 24th that the United States must withdraw all troops and personnel from Afghanistan before August 31, and this period will not be extended.

　　Biden announced in April this year that the U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan will begin to withdraw on May 1 and will withdraw completely before September 11.

In July, he also stated that the US military mission in Afghanistan will end on August 31.

On August 15, the Taliban entered and controlled Kabul, declaring that "the war in Afghanistan has ended."