Three stories to read this afternoon: 🔴Taliban say they don't plan to take Kabul 'by force' 🔴Parliament to be recalled next week 🔴At least 20 dead and dozens injured after fuel tank explodes in Lebanon
"No one's life, property and dignity will be harmed and the lives of the citizens of Kabul will not be at risk," the Taliban said.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is holding emergency talks with US diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad and top NATO officials, a presidential palace official has said. Late last night, the Taliban said that its rapid gains show that it has been popularly accepted - and attempted to reassure Afghans and foreigners, including diplomats and aid workers, that they would be safe.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN it is"simply not in our interest" to remain in Afghanistan and the situation in Kabul is"manifestly not Saigon", a reference to US evacuation of the South Vietnamese city at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.President Joe Biden has set a red line for the Taliban: If you attack US personnel or the US mission in Afghanistan there will be a"swift and strong US military response".
Both countries are rushing in troops to evacuate diplomatic staff. The choice of highly-trained combat forces – marines and paratroopers - underlining the threat and the need to deploy service personnel with the ability to fight should the order come. Mr Biden has defended his decision to withdraw US troops from the country in the coming weeks, and said the task of fighting back against Taliban insurgents must fall to Afghan forces.
"What a disgrace it will be when the Taliban raises their flag over America's embassy in Kabul. This is complete failure through weakness, incompetence, and total strategic incoherence."
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