Jake Tapper Confronts Jake Sullivan on Afghanistan Evacuations: What Happens to People Still There After Deadline?

CNN’s Jake Tapper confronted White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday over whether the United States will be able to complete evacuations from Kabul by the August 31st deadline.

The deadline set by President Joe Biden is this Tuesday, and there’s serious concern about another attack in Kabul following the horrific one just days ago that killed 13 U.S. service members and dozens of Afghans. ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attack, and on Friday the Pentagon said the military carried out an airstrike that killed two ISIS-K militants.

“You and I both know there are Americans on the ground in Kabul right now who can’t get into the airport,” Tapper told Sullivan. “They can’t even reach it. There are legal permanent residents of the United States who can’t get out. There are Afghans who have the special immigrant visas who cannot get out. They’re obviously not all going to get out by the deadline. They just aren’t. So, what happens to them after Tuesday?”

Sullivan said “we believe that we’re down to a population of 300 or fewer American citizens” remaining in Afghanistan.

He went on to say that after the deadline, the U.S. believes it has “substantial leverage to hold the Taliban to its commitments to allow safe passage for American citizens, legal permanent residents, and the Afghan allies who have travel documentation to come to the United States.”

“We will use that leverage to the maximum extent and we will work with the rest of the international community to ensure the Taliban does not falter on these commitments.”

You can watch above, via CNN.