Black Hawks on the roof of the US Embassy in Kabul

While the Americans hurriedly leave their embassy in Kabul, scenes of grave defeat unfold. Most of the diplomats and civilian staff are to be evacuated in the next 72 hours.

aIn the end, everything happened in quick succession: the entire contingent of security forces could no longer wait. On Sunday, aerial photographs showed the US embassy in Kabul being hurriedly evacuated. Black Hawk helicopters flew back and forth between the diplomatic mission complex and the airport. Plumes of smoke rose from the roof of the embassy. The US side confirmed that they were in the process of dealing with “sensitive documents” that they did not Taliban want to leave to destroy.

It was said on Sunday that most diplomats and civilian staff should be fired in the next 72 hours. Until now, Biden’s policy was to leave the country by August 31. First embassy staff will be brought to security, then other US citizens, then Afghans with immigrant visas. It is also investigating whether people who are currently in the process of applying for their visas could be deported from the country, as well as Afghan nationals who work as local staff at the embassy.