Afghan Who Fled Kabul Fears Many Won't Get Out In Time; Biden Fixed On Aug. 31 Deadline
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) -- While throngs of people still remain, trying to get on evacuation flights out of Kabul, President Joe Biden is sticking to the deadline.
"We are currently on a pace to finish by August 31. The sooner we can finish the better. Each day of operations brings added risk to our troops," he said Tuesday afternoon.
Outside Hamid Karzai International Airport, the Taliban is patrolling and no longer allowing Afghan citizens inside.
"The completion by August 31 depends upon the Taliban continuing to cooperate and allowing access to the airport," said President Biden.
House minority leader Kevin McCarthy criticized the Biden administration's approach to the growing crisis at the airport.
"Don't pick the date, solve the problem. Make sure every American is out and then that will be the date we depart," he said.
One of the lucky Afghans to escape the Taliban takeover was Nazar. He worked with the U.S. government for five years and was able to get on an evac flight, first to Qatar, and then with family in Fremont.
"There are people, too many people that don't have anything in their hands because it happened suddenly and they were not prepared for it," he said.