98 Countries Pledge to Accept Afghans After U.S. Military Departs

WASHINGTON — The United States and 97 different countries said connected Sunday that they would proceed to instrumentality successful radical fleeing Afghanistan aft the American subject departs adjacent week and had secured an statement with the Taliban to let harmless transition for those who are leaving.

The Taliban’s main negotiator, Sher Mohammed Abas Stanekzai, had announced connected Friday that the radical would not halt radical from departing, nary substance their nationality oregon whether they had worked for the United States during the 20-year war.

The associated connection released connected Sunday connected behalf of much than fractional of the world’s governments and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said that they had “received assurances from the Taliban” that radical with question documents showing they were wide to participate immoderate of those countries could safely depart.

The countries besides pledged to “continue issuing question documentation to designated Afghans” and cited a “clear anticipation of and committedness from the Taliban” of their harmless passage.

“We enactment the nationalist statements of the Taliban confirming this understanding,” the connection said.

Notably missing from the connection were Russia and China, 2 imperishable members of the U.N. Security Council who have pledged to assistance the Taliban rebuild Afghanistan.

The connection did not pass of immoderate consequences should the Taliban renege connected the agreement, though a elder State Department authoritative said it was meant to convey an implicit connection astir incentives — namely, overseas assistance to the authorities — that the planetary assemblage would usage to enforce it.

The main American envoy to Taliban bid talks, Zalmay Khalilzad, tweeted connected Saturday that the Taliban’s assurances were “positive” and that “we, our allies, and the planetary assemblage volition clasp them to these commitments.”

That stood successful stark opposition to the tens of thousands of Afghans who alleviation agencies said feared being near down and surviving nether Taliban rule. That includes those who worked for the American subject oregon the U.S. Embassy since 2001 and were eligible to immigrate to the United States.

“Most of the guys that we’re tracking present are terrified to adjacent effort to spell done Taliban checkpoints,” said Michael P. Mulroy, a erstwhile C.I.A. serviceman and apical Middle East argumentation authoritative astatine the Pentagon during the Trump administration.

“So erstwhile we’re not there, erstwhile the full absorption of the satellite isn’t connected the Taliban, I person zero inclination that they volition bash thing but astir apt prosecute, and successful galore cases execute, radical who worked truly intimately with the U.S.,” Mr. Mulroy said connected Saturday.

Tens of thousands of the Afghans who had worked for the United States were believed to beryllium among the much than 114,400 radical evacuated truthful acold from the planetary airdrome successful Kabul, the capital, since Aug. 14. That full besides included astatine slightest 5,400 U.S. citizens, astir of whom clasp American and Afghan passports. The elder State Department authoritative said connected Sunday that dozens much person been brought to information since then.

The State Department said an further 350 Americans were inactive waiting to beryllium evacuated arsenic of Saturday and estimated that different 280 who claimed to person U.S. citizenship had either signaled they would not permission oregon had not committed to it.

Sunday’s associated connection was the latest successful a bid of diplomatic moves to compel the Taliban to prosecute terrorists, uphold quality rights and signifier an inclusive authorities aft its fighters seized powerfulness from the country’s Western-backed leaders connected Aug. 15. It is a singular — and uncomfortable — shift for the United States and its closest allies, who invaded Afghanistan aft the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and regarded the Taliban arsenic an enemy.

Understand the Taliban Takeover successful Afghanistan

In his connection connected Friday, Mr. Stanekzai, the Taliban negotiator, said “we person nary issues” with Afghans’ traveling overseas for aesculapian treatment, business, acquisition oregon what helium vaguely described arsenic different reasons. “No 1 volition forestall you from traveling,” helium said, according to a partial transcript of his remarks that a U.S. authoritative provided to The New York Times.

But Mr. Stanekzai said Afghan citizens needed archetypal to get passports from the Afghan interior ministry and past to effort to unafraid visas and different approved question documents from overseas governments earlier they could leave. At best, it is simply a process could instrumentality months, if not years; astatine worst, it volition alert the Taliban arsenic to who does not privation to unrecorded nether their rule.

Another impediment to departures is the planetary airdrome successful Kabul, and who volition tally it aft Americans troops permission connected Tuesday. At that point, the airdrome volition beryllium nether the power of the Taliban.

Officials from Turkey, Qatar and the Group of 7 nations planned to conscionable connected Monday to sermon the aboriginal of Afghanistan, including the airport, 2 officials acquainted with the talks said connected Saturday.

Ned Price, the State Department spokesman, said connected Friday that it was “probably unreasonable” that the airdrome would beryllium operating usually instantly aft the U.S. troops withdrew. But, helium said, officials were successful talks with allies, and the Taliban, to get nonmilitary flights resumed arsenic rapidly arsenic imaginable — successful portion to “provide accidental for Afghans who whitethorn privation to permission the country.”

He would not remark on reports that Turkey and Qatar were readying to tally the airdrome with the Taliban.