Biden left with difficult choices after deadly Kabul attacks

WASHINGTON – The attacks that killed astatine slightest 12 U.S. work members extracurricular the Kabul airdrome Thursday near President Joe Biden with progressively fraught choices: proceed the evacuation and hazard much deaths oregon extremity it earlier than planned and hazard leaving down Americans who are inactive seeking to permission the country.

As details of the attacks emerged, the White House rescheduled Biden's archetypal in-person gathering with Israel's caller premier curate and canceled a video league with governors astir Afghan refugees arriving successful the United States.

Biden had pledged to get retired of Afghanistan each American who wished to leave. As of Wednesday, the State Department said astir 4,500 American citizens had been flown out, with astir 1,500 yet to go.

Biden connected Thursday was to big Israeli person Naftali Bennett, who is connected his archetypal sojourn to the United States since taking office. The gathering was rescheduled for Friday. Biden besides had planned to conscionable virtually with a bipartisan radical of governors who person said they privation to assistance resettle Afghan refugees fleeing their present Taliban-ruled country. A regular briefing by authorities wellness and aesculapian experts besides was postponed.

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The deadly developments successful the Afghan capital of Kabul forced the White House to teardrop up Biden's schedule. He was monitoring the airdrome situation, which was prompted by the upcoming Tuesday deadline helium acceptable for removing American citizens and troops from Afghanistan.

A fig of U.S. allies said they were ending their evacuation efforts successful Kabul, astatine slightest successful portion to springiness the U.S. the clip it needs to wrapper up its evacuation operations earlier getting much than 5,000 U.S. troops retired by Tuesday.

Suicide bombers and gunmen targeted crowds massing adjacent the Kabul airdrome successful the last days of the monolithic airlift that has drawn thousands of radical seeking to fly the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

At slightest 12 U.S. work members were killed successful the bombings, including 11 Marines and 1 Navy medic, according to 2 U.S. officials. Officials accidental a fig of US subject troops were wounded. They warn, however, that the numbers whitethorn grow. The officials spoke connected information of anonymity to sermon ongoing operations.

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A U.S. authoritative said the onslaught was “definitely believed” to person been carried retired by the Islamic State group, whose affiliate successful Afghanistan grew retired of disaffected Taliban members who clasp an adjacent much utmost presumption of Islam.

In Washington, House Republican person Kevin McCarthy of California called for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to bring the enclosure backmost into league to see authorities that would prohibit the U.S. withdrawal until each Americans are retired of Afghanistan. Such a instrumentality is highly improbable due to the fact that Democrats aligned with Biden clasp bulk control.

Despite aggravated unit to widen the Tuesday deadline, Biden has repeatedly cited the menace of violent attacks against civilians and U.S. work members arsenic a crushed to support to his plan.

The explosions detonated arsenic the U.S. worked to get remaining Americans retired of the country. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that arsenic galore arsenic 1,500 Americans whitethorn beryllium awaiting evacuation.

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Asked during an interrogation with ABC News astir reports the evacuation could extremity connected Friday, Ross Wilson, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, declined to comment.

Wilson said “there are harmless ways to get to” the airdrome for those Americans who inactive privation to leave. He added that “there undoubtedly volition be” immoderate at-risk Afghans who volition not get retired earlier Biden's deadline.

The airlift continued Thursday contempt warnings of vehicle-borne weaponry threats adjacent the airport. The White House said 13,400 radical had been evacuated successful the 24 hours that ended aboriginal Thursday greeting Washington time. Those included 5,100 radical aboard U.S. subject planes and 8,300 connected conjugation and spouse aircraft. That was a important driblet from the 19,000 airlifted by each means the time before.

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Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor successful Washington and James LaPorta successful Boca Raton, Florida, contributed to this report.

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