There would be consequences if US forces overstayed, warns Taliban

Refusing to permit any overstay of western forces, the Taliban has warned that “there would be consequences” if the United States and its allies stayed in the country beyond next week.

“If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations – the answer is no. Or there would be consequences,” Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen told Sky News on Monday.

The sudden invasion of Kabul by the Taliban and the collapse of the Ashraf Ghani government last week, just before the August 31 deadline for western troops to withdraw, sparked a mayhem with several people trying to flee the country.

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At a time when the country should have seen fewer military personnel, more reinforcements were sent by the western forces to manage the panicked crowds and help in the evacuation of foreign nationals and Afghans – many of whom are afraid of being targeted by the Taliban for working with western forces.

Shaheen said the western nations have to pack their bags soon and any overstay would be construed as “extending occupation”.

While at least seven people died in the mayhem when hundreds of Afghans crowded the tarmac of the Kabul airport in their panic to flee the country last week, many have been killed in shootout by Taliban fighters during protest.

On Monday, an Afghan was killed and three others were wounded during a reported gunfight between Afghan guards and unknown attackers, German military sources reported.

Despite the Taliban’s threat and US President Joe Biden’s resolve to end military presence in Afghanistan by August 31, the European Union and Britain have said that it would be impossible to wrap up the evacuations by the set deadline.

Hinting at a further extension of deadline, Biden on Sunday said talks are underway to explore the possibility.

The US President also acknowledged the chaos at the Kabul airport which had people running on the tarmac, tying themselves up to the parts of departing planes and mothers giving their babies to soldiers over the airport fences. He, however, said these incidents were the cost of evacuation.

“There is no way to evacuate these many people without pain and loss and heartbreaking images you see,” he said.

Biden’s statements came after the Taliban slammed the US government for failing to bring order at the airport despite “all its power and facilities”.

“There is peace and calm all over the country, but there is chaos only at Kabul,” Taliban official Amir Khan Mutaqi had said at a meeting with community elders and politicians.