Biden news - live CIA in secret Taliban talks as military warns president to extend rescue deadline today

Afghanistan: Extension to the evacuation deadline 'unlikely', defence secretary Ben Wallace admits

Reports have emerged that CIA Director William Burns held a secret meeting in Kabul yesterday with Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar. The news has not yet officially confirmed or denied by the agency, and comes as the Taliban warn of “consequences” if the US extends its presence in Afghanistan beyond its self-imposed 31 August deadline.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden is under pressure to extend the presence of American armed forces in Afghanistan as allied nations rush to help people escape the Taliban.

Following the rapid collapse of the Afghan military and government, which his administration failed to foresee, Mr Biden will face demands from the UK, France and others to hold Kabul airport past 31 August and allow further evacuation flights.

A G7 virtual summit is due to take place today, after which the president will give an address on the crisis.

Show latest update 1629807950Taliban will be held accountable for actions, says Lord Ahmad

The Taliban will be held accountable if they do not respect human rights, the British minister for south Asia has said.

Speaking at a meeting of the Human Rights Council on Tuesday, Lord Ahmad said: “The Taliban need to make a political decision to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. And they must understand that they will be held accountable if they do fail to do so.”

“We urge the Taliban to allow the safe and orderly departure of foreign nationals, and those who wish to leave Afghanistan,” he added.

He also urged the international community to tackle Afghanistan’s humanitarian disaster, which he said had been “exacerbated by famine, Covid and internal displacement”.

Rory Sullivan24 August 2021 13:251629806930Russia and China jostling to mediate in Afghanistan

Russia, China, the United States and Pakistan are all interested in serving as middlemen in resolving the crisis in Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

At the same time, he said, Russia opposes the idea of allowing Afghan refugees to enter the ex-Soviet region of Central Asia - located between Russia and Afghanistan - or having United States troops deployed there.

Tom Batchelor24 August 2021 13:081629806123Irish minister warns ‘not everybody will get out' of Afghanistan

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said not all Irish citizens may be evacuated from Afghanistan by the end of the month.

On Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that a team of Irish diplomats supported by the military has been deployed to Afghanistan to help evacuate any citizens remaining in the country.

Mr Coveney said on Tuesday: “I don’t want to raise expectations unrealistically, that everybody will get out as a result of this.

“Even beyond the 31st of this month, into September, we will continue to work with Irish citizens if they’re in Kabul.”

Tom Batchelor24 August 2021 12:551629804630UK evacuates more than 8,400 people from Afghanistan

The UK has evacuated more than 8,400 people from Afghanistan as part of the rescue mission began less than two weeks ago.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Tuesday that Operation Pitting, the military evacuation that began on 13 August, has so far taken 8,458 people out of Kabul.

This included people departing the Afghan capital in nine military flights over a 24-hour period.

Embassy staff, British nationals, those eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) programme and a number of nationals from partner nations were included in the evacuation figure.

Tom Batchelor24 August 2021 12:301629803372Ben Wallace says he’ll ‘prioritise people over pets’ amid row with animal welfare boss in Afghanistan

Ben Wallace has insisted he will “prioritise people over pets” in the Afghanistan evacuation amid a row with a former Royal Marine turned animal welfare charity boss who claims to have been “abandoned” in the country.

The defence secretary also accused Paul Farthing â€" known as “Pen” â€" of talking “bollocks” after he suggested he had been left by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to fend for himself in Kabul.

Mr Farthing founded the Nowzad animal shelter in Kabul rescuing dogs, cats and donkeys after serving with the British Army in Afghanistan in the mid-2000s.

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Tom Batchelor24 August 2021 12:091629801751CIA directors holds secret meeting with Taliban leader

CIA director William Burns met Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul on Monday, the Washington Post has reported.

This secret meeting came as the militant group said there would be “consequences” if US troops remained in the country beyond 31 August.

Rory Sullivan24 August 2021 11:421629801631Airbnb to house 20,000 Afghan refugees for free

Airbnb has announced that it will provide 20,000 Afghan refugees with free housing.

“The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the US and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. We feel a responsibility to step up,” said the company’s co-founder, Brian Chesky.

He also expressed his hope that other businesses would be inspired to help Afghans.

Rory Sullivan24 August 2021 11:401629801031Credible reports of serious Taliban violations, says UN human rights official

There have been credible reports of summary executions and women’s rights abuses perpetrated by the Taliban, the top UN human rights official has said.

Speaking in Geneva on Tuesday, Michelle Bachelet urged the Human Rights Council to monitor the Taliban closely.

She also said that the hardline Islamist group’s treatment of women would be a “fundamental red line”.

“There are grave fears for women, for journalists and for the new generation of civil society leaders who have emerged in the past years,” she said.  

Rory Sullivan24 August 2021 11:301629800431Ex-marine accuses MoD of blocking evacuation flight Watch: Ex-Royal Marine accuses MoD of blocking Kabul evacuation flight

Ex-Royal Marine Pen Farthing has claimed he has been “left behind enemy lines” in Afghanistan after his evacuation flight which he privately funded was allegedly blocked from leaving Kabul.Pen Farthing, who has since set up a charity, has claimed that the government doesn’t want to be seen to be bringing back animals before people.Farthing had been told he had a seat on an evacuation flight for himself, but is keen to get his 25 staff plus their families out of the country â€" and some of the animals he looks after if there is space.

Rory Sullivan24 August 2021 11:201629799568Australia evacuates 50 female Afghan athletes

Australia has evacuated more than 50 female Afghan athletes and their families, following calls to do so from high-profile sports stars.

They are among the 1,000 people to have been flown out of Kabul by Australia since 15 August, the Australian Broadcoasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Tuesday.

FIFPRO, a worldwide football association that was involved in the efforts, confirmed the group evacuation.

“We are grateful to the Australian government for evacuating a large number of women footballers and athletes from Afghanistan,” it said in a statement.

“These young women, both as athletes and activists, have been in a position of danger and on behalf of their peers around the world we thank the international community for coming to their aid.”

Rory Sullivan24 August 2021 11:06

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