Evacuation flights resume from Kabul's airport as U.S. troop levels surge to 4,000.
Source: NYT
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon said Tuesday that evacuation operations at Hamid Karzai International Airport were accelerating, with additional American troops flowing in and hundreds of passengers flying out.
Overnight, nine Air Force C-17 transport planes brought in 1,000 troops, with the expectation that more than 4,000 troops would be at the airport by day’s end, Maj. Gen. William Taylor of the military’s Joint Staff told reporters Tuesday morning.
Seven C-17s left Kabul overnight carrying about 700 American citizens, citizens of other foreign countries, and Afghans who had helped the American war effort, as well as their family members, General Taylor said. About 1,400 people have been evacuated since the operation began, he said.
A day after massive crowds spilled onto the airfield, delaying flights for hours, the Pentagon’s goal over the next day or two is to conduct up to one flight per hour. Officials hope to fly out between 5,000 and 9,000 passengers a day, weather and security conditions permitting.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/17/world/taliban-afghanistan-news
Stranded? Not so much.