Biden agrees with Pentagon recommendation to stick to Aug 31 Afghanistan exit deadline

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A Biden administration official said President Joe Biden has agreed with a Pentagon recommendation to stick with the 31 Aug deadline to withdraw from Afghanistan, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

Reuters reporter Steve Holland reported the news first.

The Pentagon recommendation was made on Monday based on concerns about security risks to American forces, the official told Reuters.

This comes after Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said there is currently no plan to change the timeline.

“There’s been no change to the timeline of the mission, which is to have this completed by the end of the month,” Mr Kirby said in a news conference Tuesday.

Mr Kirby said the military continues to make progress in getting Americans and special immigrant visa applicants out of the country.

“We remain committed to getting any and all Americans that want to leave to get them out,” he said.

Similarly, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanded that the Taliban guarantee safe passage for those who want to leave Afghanistan. Mr Johnson’s words came after a virtual G7 summit, wherein he, French President Emanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to convince Mr Biden to extend the deadline to get as many people out from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.