U.S. sending 1,000 more troops to evacuate embassy staff from Kabul


With Taliban fighters now in Kabul, the Pentagon is sending an addition 1,000 troops to Afghanistan's capital in order to evacuate U.S. Embassy personnel.
Taliban militants, fresh off of wins in other major cities and provincial capitals, entered Kabul on Sunday, causing Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to flee. Taliban members have settled in the presidential palace, conducting interviews with international journalists from inside.
The U.S. flag has been lowered from the embassy building, The Washington Post reports, and personnel, including acting U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ross Wilson have been moved to Kabul's airport. Before they left the embassy, workers rushed to burn sensitive documents. There are still 4,000 or so embassy staffers — U.S. citizens and Afghan nationals — waiting to fly out of the country, two defense officials told CNN.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Amid reports on Sunday afternoon that the airport was coming under fire, the U.S. Embassy instructed U.S. citizens in Afghanistan to shelter in place. A U.S. defense official with knowledge of the situation told the Post that as of Sunday evening, the Taliban has not launched any attacks against the airport, but the scene is still chaotic.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU offices
Speed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping mission
Speed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital kills 20
Speed Read The dead include five journalists who worked for The Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peace
Speed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump
-
Trump halts Gaza visas as Israelis protest war
Speed Read Laura Loomer voiced her concerns over injured Palestinian kids being brought to the US for treatment and a potential 'Islamic invasion'
-
Kabul braces for a waterless future
THE EXPLAINER A confluence of manmade and environmental factors makes the Afghan city the first modern capital to risk running out of groundwater
-
Russia tries Ukraine land grab before Trump summit
Speed Read The incursion may be part of Putin's efforts to boost his bargaining position