Watch Live: Biden speaks as Americans and Afghans flee Kabul
CBSN
President Biden is speaking Friday about the evacuation effort in Afghanistan, as American citizens and their families and vulnerable Afghans struggle to flee the country following its takeover by the Taliban. What: President Biden addresses the nation on U.S. efforts to evacuate Americans and vulnerable Afghans from Afghanistan Date: Friday, August 20 Time: 1 p.m. ET Location: White House Online stream: Live on CBSN in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device.
On Thursday, the U.S. military evacuated 3,000 people from the airport in Kabul on 16 flights, including 350 U.S. citizens, according to the White House. That's still below the 5,000 to 9,000 per day the Pentagon has said it will be able to fly out of Kabul. The air base in Qatar where evacuees are arriving has now reached capacity. Bahrain will begin receiving flights from Kabul Friday.Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.