Blinken Says ‘There Is No Deadline’ on US Helping Evacuate Americans, Afghan Allies: ‘That Effort Will Continue Every Day’ Past 8/31

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the U.S. will continue efforts to help evacuations past the August 31st Afghanistan withdrawal deadline.

Blinken said in his press conference the United States believes up to 1500 Americans remain in Afghanistan — that they are in contact with 500 and reaching out to 1000 others to verify their status.

The August 31st deadline set by President Joe Biden is just six days away, and there have been bipartisan worries that the U.S. will not be able to evacuate everyone in time, particularly given a public warning issued by the Taliban. The president himself said Tuesday that they are currently on pace to finish by the deadline, but is asking the Pentagon and State Department to have contingencies in place.

Blinken acknowledged the continued evacuations are happening “in a hostile environment” with “the very real possibility of an ISIS-K attack.”

“We’re taking every precaution, but this is very high risk,” he said.

He brought up Biden’s earlier remarks before addressing the deadline:

Let me be crystal clear about this. There is no deadline on our work to help any remaining American citizens who decide they want to leave to do so, along with the many of Afghans who have stood by us over these many years and have wanted to leave and have been unable to do so. That effort will continue every day past August 31st. The Taliban have made public and private commitments to provide and permit safe passage for Americans, for third-country nationals, and Afghans at risk going forward past August 31st. The United States, our allies and partners, and more than half of the world’s countries — 114 in all — issued a statement making it clear to the Taliban that they have a responsibility to hold to that commitment and provide safe passage for anyone who wishes to leave the country, nor just for the duration of our evacuation and relocation mission, but for every day thereafter.

“Our expectation, the expectation of the international community,” Blinken added, “is that people who want to leave Afghanistan after the U.S. Military departs should be able to do so.”

You can watch above, via MSNBC.