US troops to stay in Afghanistan till all Americans out – Live

US president says troops will stay in Kabul to get all Americans out, even beyond the August 31 deadline for withdrawal.

Joe Biden, the president of the United States, has committed to keeping troops in Afghanistan until every American is evacuated, even if that means maintaining a military presence beyond his August 31 deadline for withdrawal. The pledge on Wednesday came as 5,000 people were evacuated from Kabul’s airport and armed members of the Taliban kept some Afghans desperate to leave the country from reaching the airfield. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged evacuations had not reached targets, but said the US military does not have the forces and firepower in Afghanistan to expand its current mission from securing the Kabul airport to collecting Americans and at-risk Afghans elsewhere in the capital and escorting them for evacuation.