#Psaki press conference update#

And we’re all contending with the human costs of these developments. When you work on any policy issue - domestic policy, foreign policy, any policy issue - the human costs and consequences loom large. We intend to continue these operations over the coming days before completing our drawdown. We are monitoring for any potential terrorist threats, as I just mentioned, including from ISIS-K. We are in contact with the Taliban to ensure the safe passage of people to the airport.

We are engaging diplomatically, at the same time, with allies and regional countries and with the United Nations to address the situation in Afghanistan. These operations will continue in the coming days as we move to evacuate American citizens and Afghan nationals who worked with us, along with other vulnerable Afghans.

They are facilitating flights for our allies and partners to get citizens and others out of Afghanistan. They are moving American citizens as well as Afghan nationals and third-country nationals. They have now secured the airfield and are conducting flights out of the country. They have safely and effectively drawn down our embassy compound and retrograded our diplomatic personnel. I want to salute the Defense Department, the intelligence community, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and especially our country team in Kabul, who have been doing incredible work under very trying circumstances. Just to say a few words about where we come from and where we are: I want to start by saluting our troops and our civilian personnel at the Kabul Airport. They were joined by Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, Chairman Milley, Director Haines, Director Burns, myself, Ambassador Wilson, Ambassador Khalilzad, General McKenzie, and other senior officials. citizens, SIV applicants, and other vulnerable Afghans at risk, and how we would do this safely and efficiently and with the laser-focus of the team on monitoring for and preventing any potential terrorist threats at or around HKIA, including from ISIS-K. They discussed the status of ongoing evacuations of U.S. military evacuation flights are taking off.įollowing this operational briefing with his military commanders, the President and the Vice President met by secure videoconference with their national security team to hear intelligence, security, and diplomatic updates on the evolving situation in Afghanistan. The President was briefed that DOD personnel have now secured HKIA, HKIA is open, and U.S. He spoke with Secretary Austin, Chairman Milley, General McKenzie, Admiral Vasely, and myself. This morning, the President spoke with his military commanders for an operational briefing on the security at the Hamid Karzai International Airport, commonly known as HKIA. And then I’ll be happy to take your questions.

I’m going to start with just an update, in terms of the President’s engagement today in engaging with his national security team, and then make a few comments, broadly, on the situation.

#Psaki press conference update#

So, joining me today is our National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, who will provide an update on Afghanistan and then take some of your questions.Īnd with that, I’ll turn it over to Jake.

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