Afghanistan (Washington Insider Magazine) -As the Aug. 31 deadline for evacuation out of Afghanistan draws nearer, leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) prepare for an emergency meeting.
The G7, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, meets each year to discuss issues of global security and international coordination. They convene today and are expected to discuss the extension of the Aug. 31 deadline.
The meeting will be chaired by U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will call on international leaders to meet the U.K.’s “commitments on aid and the resettlement of those most in need,” according to a statement released by the U.K. government.
“Our first priority is to complete the evacuation of our citizens and those Afghans who have assisted our efforts over the last 20 years – but as we look ahead to the next phase, it’s vital we come together as an international community and agree on a joint approach for the longer term,” said Johnson.
“That’s why I’ve called an emergency meeting of the G7 – to coordinate our response to the immediate crisis, to reaffirm our commitment to the Afghan people, and to ask our international partners to match the UK’s commitments to support those in need,” he added.
U.S. President Biden has said that U.S. troops may stay beyond the deadline in an interview with ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos, but he has yet to issue any concrete decision.
“Americans should understand that we’re going to try to get it done before Aug. 31,” he said in the interview. “If we don’t, we’ll determine at the time who’s left.”
A White House statement on the meeting says that it will build on conversations Biden has had with his counterparts abroad throughout the past week. It said they will focus on humanitarian relief for refugees and evacuating “our citizens, the brave Afghans who stood with us over the last two decades, and other vulnerable Afghans.”
Both France and Germany have expressed doubts that the Aug. 31 deadline will be met and are expected to pressure the U.S. government to extend the deadline.
In an Aug. 23 interview with Sky News in Doha, Qatar, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said that the group will not accept a prolongation of the deadline. However, they declined to specify what actions they would take should the United States military remain in the country.
“If the U.S. or U.K. were to seek additional time to continue evacuations – the answer is no,” he told Sky News. “Or there would be consequences. It will create mistrust between us. If they are intent on continuing the occupation it will provoke a reaction.”
There are rising concerns in Europe over increased migration by Afghans and Iraqis and discontent among foreign leaders about the evacuation, as well as the appearance of U.S. unilateralism. There is also the looming decision about future policy towards the Taliban government, and whether to recognize their leadership.
According to reports made to the Washington Post, the CIA held a secret meeting in Kabul between CIA Director William Burns and Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar. While the CIA declined to comment on the content of the meeting, the Washington Post speculated that it is regarding the Aug. 31 deadline.
Pressure to complete evacuations is also building following reports of human rights abuses by the Taliban, including executions of civilians and military personnel. In a speech on Aug. 24 to the Human Rights Council, U.N. Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet said she received reports of executions and serious human rights violations from credible sources.
In addition to executions, Bachelet described evidence of “restrictions on the rights of women – including their right to move around freely and girls’ right to attend schools; recruitment of child soldiers; and repression of peaceful protest and expression of dissent.”
