US says it is focused on completing evacuation from Afghanistan by August 31
Washington(PTI): The Biden Administration Monday said it is now focused on completing its evacuation mission from Afghanistan by August 31, the deadline for removing all American troops from the country.
However, a final decision to extend the evacuation mission from the Kabul airport would be taken by President Joe Biden, according to officials from the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon.
Ultimately, it will be the President's decision how these proceeds, no one else's, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House news conference.
He was responding to questions on the August 31 deadline set by the Taliban for the US troops to leave the country.
The US currently has 5,800 troops at the Kabul airport, who are mainly engaged in evacuating its citizens and all those Afghans who helped the United States during its stay in the country for the last 20 years.
The President believes we are making substantial progress. Dozens of flights, thousands -- now tens of thousands of people evacuated from the country. We believe today will be an efficient and effective day and tomorrow and the next day as well. And as I said, he is taking this day by day and will make his determinations as we go, Sullivan said.
At the Pentagon, Defense Department Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters they have seen the public statements by the Taliban spokesman about their views on the 31st of August. I think we all understand that view, he said.
The goal is to get as many people out as fast as possible. And while we're glad to see the numbers that we got yesterday, we're not going to rest on any laurels. The focus is on trying to do this as best we can by the end of the month, he said.
And as the (defense) secretary said, if their needs to have additional conversations with the commander in chief about that timeline, he'll do that. But we're just not at that point right now, Kirby said.
Echoed the State Department Spokesperson Ned Price, President Biden will ultimately have to decide when this operation will come to a close. I can tell you that it is our goal to move as quickly as we can and as efficiently as we can to bring to safety as many people as we can.
And I think you are seeing in the metrics in recent days and certainly over the past 24 hours that we are making good progress on that, he said.
It is not our goal to be there one day, one hour, one minute longer than is absolutely necessary, but not going to get ahead of that, he told reporters at a State Department news conference.
As of Thursday morning, within the last 24 hours, 25 U.S. military C-17s, three U.S. military C-130s, and then a combination of 61 charter commercial and other military flights departed Kabul.
The total passenger count for those flights was approximately 16,000. Of that number, the U.S. military transported just under 11,000 personnel, said Major Gen Hank Taylor who has been tasked with the responsibility of airlifting American citizens out of Afghanistan during the Taliban crisis.
He described it as a worldwide effort, with several countries, multiple commands, and thousands of servicemembers across the joint force. Over the weekend, the airport in Kabul remains secure, he added.
Today, the number of troops at the airport continues to stand at 5,800. Commanders on the ground continue to actively monitor threats. They are empowered to make the appropriate force protection decisions. As always, U.S. forces retain the inherent right to use force in self-defense.
We're using all of our available tools to maintain the highest threat awareness, both in Afghanistan and throughout the globe. While this mission is not without risk, the safety of our personnel, American citizens, and Afghan evacuees at risk is of paramount importance, he said.
The US, he said, continues to make progress in the completion of this mission.
Since the end of July, we have relocated approximately 42,000 people. Since the beginning of evacuation operations on August 14, we've evacuated approximately 37,000. All of this progress stems from the teamwork, professionalism, and dedication of our military, our interagency colleagues, and our allies, and partners, he added.
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'Grew up in a family where women were bosses': Rahul tells students
New Delhi (PTI): "I grew up in a family where the women were the bosses," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told students during an interaction in Kerala recently, while asserting that women are generally more intelligent than men.
On International Women's Day, Gandhi posted a video of his interaction with the students on his YouTube channel on Sunday and said that a few days ago, he met some young women students in Kerala during a lunch interaction and had a very interesting conversation with them.
"I was deeply impressed by each student's dreams, curiosity, and confidence. Such conversations remind us that when women recognise their potential and move forward with an open mind, they can bring about extraordinary change," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
"Every woman is unique. Their sensitivity, understanding, and emotional intelligence provide balance and direction to society. Women also wield power in their own unique ways - with patience, long-term vision, and empathy," Gandhi asserted in his post in Hindi, accompanying the video.
"Therefore, they should have every right to move forward according to their identity, personality, and aspirations, rather than being bound by society's restrictive norms," he said.
"Heartiest greetings to all women on International Women's Day. May your strength, courage, and dreams continue to propel society toward a positive future," Gandhi said.
Posting the video on X, Gandhi said interacting with some young students in Kerala was incredibly inspiring.
"Their confidence and belief in their dreams demonstrate that women are the ultimate force for change," he said.
In the video, Gandhi is seen having a free-wheeling chat with the women students.
"I grew up in a family where the women were the bosses. So the boss of my family was my grandmother and I have always in my family, like on this table, been outnumbered by women," Gandhi tells the students.
"Women are generally more intelligent than men for the most part. Men are in a hurry and men get blinded by silly things.Women think longer term, they don't apply direct power they apply indirect power, it is more effective," he says.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge shared on X a quote by BR Ambedkar on gender equality - "You are not born to suffer. You are born to rise"
"Women are not merely participants in development. They are its driving force. Through their wisdom, resilience, compassion, and determination, women strengthen communities, and build stronger nations," Kharge said on X.
"On International Women's Day 2026, we celebrate the courage, leadership, and countless contributions of women everywhere. True progress will come when equality is not an aspiration, but a lived reality for every woman," the Congress chief said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also greeted women on International Women's Day.
"On this Women's Day, may every woman realise her strength, her rights and her power to shape the future. You matter. Your voice matters. Your dreams matter," she said on X.
केरल में कुछ युवा छात्राओं के साथ हुई बातचीत बेहद प्रेरणादायक रही।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 8, 2026
उनका आत्मविश्वास और सपनों पर विश्वास बताता है - महिलाएँ बदलाव की सबसे बड़ी शक्ति हैं।
सभी को #InternationalWomensDay की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ। pic.twitter.com/OV2fvth1rB
