Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby and Army Maj. Gen. William D. “Hank” Taylor, Joint Staff deputy director for regional operations, brief the media at the Pentagon, August 24, 2021.

Transcript

Right. Right okay. Good morning everyone. Thank you for being here have several updates for you. I’ll start with an Afghanistan evacuation update uh And then with a snapshot of relief operations in Haiti 1st Afghanistan specifically Kabul. I’m pleased to report our best departure results since evacuation operations begin have happened in the last 24 hours where 37 US military aircraft, 32 c 17 5 C one thirties departed from Kabul with approximately 12,700 personnel. On top of that 57 coalition and partner aircraft left Kabul aircraft with 8900 personnel. This tremendous display of a teamwork and focus resulted in a passenger count of 21,600 individuals leaving Afghanistan in just 24 hours. to date, 63,900 American citizens, NATO and other partners personnel, afghan s ivy applicants and vulnerable afghans are out of harm’s way now safer and on their journey to a better life. And the majority of these people, approximately 5000 or 58,700 of them have left just since August 14. I want to reiterate that we’re able to achieve this level of increased departures because of U. S. Military personnel and our partners work around the clock to conduct this highly important mission including airport security and flight operation. To that end. We’re seeing increased pace and increased pace in the flight schedule at Kabul as of yesterday in the last 24-hour period. Uh One aircraft left honor about every 45 minutes as we look beyond Kabul and in order to maintain a steady flow out of Afghanistan. We rely on the intermediate staging bases and safe havens in both centcom and the um a ours. We’ve been focused on building capacity while also rapidly processing and facilitating onward movement. It has been challenging to keep up with the flow, but we have made progress in caring for and safeguarding these vulnerable individuals and getting them moving onward. We are committed to doing more and to continue to expand and improve our facilities from adding shelter, two additional sanitation handwashing stations, refrigerator trucks, providing cold water and the appropriate food. And we’re working with our partners to increase this capacity as soon as possible in the UK are afghans transitioning through Ramstein Air base Germany has started departing to onward destinations. So far five aircraft and more than 800 travelers who have been screened and cleared for entry, departed for the United States Um has received nearly 8000 evacuees since August 20 and considering other installations in Germany, Italy and Spain and preparation to receive more flights to allow greater throughput to the United States. As I mentioned yesterday, the number of temporary safe haven locations across Europe and the Middle East now stands at 14. This allows us to expedite movement out of Kabul and gives us flexibility from these intermediate staging basis. We are appreciative of the support in this global effort from our allies and partners. We remain focused on the mission of bringing as many people home as we can and as quickly as we can. An update on North column operations In the past 24 hours Four flights landed at Dulles International Airport with more than 1000 passengers. Again, these passengers and their families will go to one of the four military installations designated as processing locations. All of this progress stems from the teamwork and professionalism, especially if our interagency partners here in the States. We know more hard work remains that our personnel in Afghanistan remain vigilant and we share the sense of urgency in this effort. We’ll continue to keep you updated on Afghanistan through the week. Lastly as we look at Haiti, the Department of Defense continues support of U. S. A. I. D. Relief efforts in Haiti over the last 24 hours Joint Task Force Haiti conducted 56 missions assisted in the saving of 40 lives and delivered more than ¬£35,000 of good supplies and medical supplies to the people affected by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Haiti For United States Marine Corps. M. v. Osprey has arrived to provide additional options for personnel and supply movement. These air assets are in addition to the 18 U.S. military and Coast Guard aircraft already supporting humanitarian relief operations. U. S. Maritime vessels continue support. Also that concludes my up. Yeah. Okay, before we get to questions, I just have a slight update on the on the baby count as the general. Uh let you know yesterday, three babies total just to clarify. one was born on the C17. That’s the one I think you guys know about. The other two were born shortly after arrival at Ramstein in the launch tool hospital there on base. So too were born at the hospital shortly after arrival. I am told that uh moms and dads and babies are all fine and healthy and always looking good there and if we can get more information on this, I’ll be able to provide it a little bit later. Leader John A couple questions I know that you are not gonna be able to answer whether or not the deadline is going to be extended beyond the 31st. But can you give us some perspective from the military? Can you get all Americans out In the next several days by the 31st? Do you need more military bases in the United States to house them? Do you need more throughput in order to get that done? And do you need to increase the pace and one gun? No, no, but go ahead, keep going. You know. And um, mm. The other day the general told us that there were about 2500 I think Americans that have gotten out. But that number has increased over the last several days about how many have gotten out so far, about how many? Uh, okay, okay, so all the dead, the deadline. I’m gonna miss some of these leaders. So just uh walk me back um uh you’re right there’s been uh no change to the timeline of the mission which is to have this completed by the end of the month. We continue to make progress every day in getting Americans as well as S. I. V. Applicants and vulnerable afghans out. And you heard the numbers that the general briefed just a minute ago and the vast vast majority of these individuals are are afghans. Um So we are remained committed to getting uh any and all Americans that want to leave to get them out. And uh we still believe certainly now that we have been able to increase the capacity and the flow. We believe that we have that uh that we have the capability the ability to get that done by the end of the month. Um You asked for I think bases here in the United States was another one of your questions. Well you need to increase the number that it’s possible that that we might be looking at additional U. S. Military installations here in the United States right now we are looking we’re working with four of them. Fort lee, Fort McCoy, Fort Bliss and Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst in New Jersey. Those are the four that are operating now and are beginning to see a flow of uh of S. I. V. Applicants. It is very well possible that we could need to use additional U. S. Military installations here stateside. Uh as we make those decisions and as we’re able to announce them we certainly will. But we want to make sure that just like we wanted to make sure in Kabul that airlift wasn’t A limiting factor. We want to make sure that when we get these individuals to the United States that temporary safe secure. Uh and um an accessible temporary lodging is not is not the limiting factor to their ability to get on with their new lives. And to finish the process. I’m sure you had like three other ones that I forgot the Americans general at one point told us that 2500 I’ve gotten out. What is your assessment now? Is that a number that that have gotten out of Afghanistan? And do you think you can get all of them out? I think I answered the second part of that. I think I think we I think for all Americans who want to leave the State Department is working very hard to contact them and and we are getting them out every day. Uh And that’s not gonna change. Um And I understand the question about the specific detail. I would just tell you that several 1000 we know several 1000 Americans have been safely evacuated from Afghanistan. I understand that’s not the degree of specificity that you want but that is as far as I’m going to be able to go today. Several 1000 to include I would you know, several 100 just yesterday were able to get onto the airport for follow on transportation. So it’s every day we are moving Americans out of the country. Tara, Barring any other factors, decides whether do you anticipate that? Did you will be able to keep this pace up another 20,000 in the next couple of days to maybe have 100,000 evacuated before the end of the week. That’s definitely the plan Tara, but as you know, the throughput is a function of many different factors including even weather. So our plan is to continue this pace as aggressively as we can. You heard General Lyons speak to that? I think very specifically yesterday, that’s the goal. That’s the intention for you. The babies that were born on the aircraft and the U. S. Side of military base, are they considered American citizens? We’ve gotten that question a lot. That’s a good question. I do not know the answer to that. I’m probably gonna have to punt to my colleagues at the State Department or or immigration. I don’t know the answer to that and just remind it was one born on the aircraft actually in flight two born at launch stool shortly after the flight arrived into Ramstein and Ramstein Ramstein, if I can get you any more details, I certainly will. One last in the expansion effort. There’s a Fedbizopps opportunity now for speaking Farsi and Pashto speakers for Keesler Air Force base is Kesler going to be one of the expansions. I don’t have any announcements on future possible installations that might might be of use. We will do this in a rolling fashion. Tara as as if and when we decide we need additional installations will let you guys know as soon as we possibly can. Yeah, John has the us started preparations to leave in order to leave by August 31. When does the US military have to begin making those preps? When does that decision have to be made? So I’m not going to get into a specific tiktok here just as when we were talking about the retrograde out of Afghanistan at large for the military, we were very careful about the details we provided the threat environment is very real around the airport. So I am going to be equally as judicious about the kind of information that we give out. But roughly speaking, you need at least several days to get the um, the amount of forces and equipment that we have at the airport to get that safely and effectively retrograde ID, I won’t get into a specific Tiktok and this is gonna be the pace and uh, whatever the daily extraction is going to be that’s going to be up to the commanders on the ground to determine what they’re gonna move and and how and when they’re going to do it because We have a calm commitment mission all the way through to continue these evacuations. So you have to be able to do both. And it’s a balance and the secretary is going to trust the judgment of our commanders on the ground to properly meet that balance. But it sounds like you’re still working on August 31 deadline were absolutely still aiming towards the end of the month. Public statements by the Taliban, the same as the private statements being made to U. S. Officials about the deadline and when us should leave. What I can tell you is that the Taliban have have have been very clear about what their expectations are as well with the public and private statements are the same without getting into details. I’m not seeing much dissonance. Can you give any more details about the fire fight that took place today? A second firefight outside the airport and that there were some arrests by the by the Taliban of some so-called ISIS. Uh people taking videos of the airport. I know I don’t have those details were working with Centcom right now is that you know, is currently ongoing. So uh I know that Centcom has continued to do that and there is no security if you would breach or any problems there at security of the airfield providing any intel to the Taliban about an ISIS threat. I know the commanders on the ground continue to communicate to ensure that the safety of not only around the gates but the other checkpoints so that we can continue to process vulnerable afghans, you know other coalition folks and American citizens in. Okay here we go over here David. When this uh evacuation began there were already close to 1000 U. S. Troops at that airport. So just to be clear when we’re talking about pulling U. S. Troops out, we’re Talking about pulling all the troops so you go to zero at the at the embassy, is that correct? That’s correct. No I followed the question. That’s correct. You have to take out more than you put in. Yes. Yes. I’m how does how does that happen without the active cooperation of the Taliban to keep the crowds away as U. S. Troops for thin out their perimeter and then pull back. I’m gonna let the general take that in just a second because I think he’s much more informed than I am about this. But don’t just make the larger issue that that any retrograde out of uh or draw down if you will out of an environment that you can’t assume is always going to be permissive. Is one that has to be done very carefully and it has to be sequenced in a very methodical way so that the safety and security of our people and the people were trying to protect is considered of paramount importance. And so we are gonna and our level set with you now we’re not gonna be able to tell you uh you know, once we start to affect this uh withdrawal when you know, and like I said, we’re still planning on the end of the month. Whenever we started, we’re not gonna be able to provide a Tiktok every day of exactly what we’re moving out and at what pace so that we can limit vulnerabilities in the information space and in the actual physical space of the airport as we move out. But it’s all done in a very careful methodical way so that you can preserve as much capability to the very end as you need as well as security. And not just the security for our folks, but the security for the people that were trying to safely evacuate. But I’ll turn it over to the general Casey has more detail. Mr. Kirby. I mean you cover that very well. I just would add to that is, you know, security is paramount uh during any, you know, phase of an operation. So as you look at, as we go forward here, the commanders are gonna continually communicate coordinate to ensure that security is set to allow all those flight operations, all those things continue to the end. Does the methodical orderly withdrawal that he just referred to? Does that require the assistance of the L. A man? I mean, it requires the coordination that I think we’re doing right now to maintain that security. Yeah, there’s no there’s no question that David, as we work through this, the daily communication with the Taliban commanders is gonna have to continue. That’s just that’s just a hard fact. There. Promise of cooperation expire on August 31. I’m not going to speculate about or even speak for for them or for their intentions that we are. Again, We are, the mission has been to end on the 31st. That is the assumption that we are working towards and uh and and we’ll just have to keep moving forward Carla, you uh are there any additional air evacuations in the city of Kabul? Has the U. S. Military done any evacuations of any sort outside of the city of Kabul? Because there are still lots of Americans that aren’t even in Kabul. I’ll let the general take that. So when you talk about evacuations, you mean going out and we continue to closely coordinate to ensure the safe arrival of Americans and others on Hk area. So we have not gone any further air operations this time. But as I said earlier, we continue to ensure the capabilities that we’ve had and as required that were able to do so, is there a plan in place to help extract Americans who are outside of Kabul at this point we are always planning and assessing what needs to be done to help Americans get to H Guy to Kabul airport. I haven’t gone to the phones at all. So let me start doing that. Uh I need my glasses again. Jack Jack Death from foreign policy. Thanks john I’m just wondering um do you have a specific update on the throughput now, obviously you’ve obviated the 5000 and 9000 number. I know you mentioned the 30 C 17 eVAC flights, but just wondering if there’s a specific update on on what your goals are for for daily throughput, I think as you go back to what General Lyons said last night and for those that right now the pace, you know, the throughput that we’re able to maintain uh as I said earlier is about a plane every uh 45 minutes, but also that is also driven upon the requirement of what needs to be taken out. So right now, uh we assess that we have the required airflow, not only us military, but as you said, you saw those numbers of our coalition or other partners that are coming in, we assess that we will be able to maintain the throughput that we’ve seen the last Uh two days uh and then we will continue to assess what those requirements are from here forward of what we have to get that through put into Kabul. So you’re you’re looking at about 20,000 per day. I actually I feel my uh we’re trying to get as many out as we can uh and so uh if we can exceed what what our previous expectations were and we have over the last couple of days, that’s a good thing and we’re going to continue to drive at that injuries. Two good questions firstly is the intention to get every American out who wants to leave plus as many five holders or applicants or is it to get out all Americans plus as many afghans as possible? By the august as many Americans who want to leave that we can get as fast as possible. As many of our S. I. V. Applicants who who we can get to the airport and get them out as fast as possible. As many vulnerable afghans that we can also work towards getting. But it’s we understand the the challenges of time and space here. We’re mindful of that. That’s why we are uh trying to continue to keep up this capacity and even improve it. If we can to lead this question, you said you have the ability to get all Americans who want to leave. And he said several 1000. Do you have a percentage for how many Americans have been removed without giving a number more than half removed? I can’t give you that number address because I don’t think there’s a perfect number that that we that we know with certainty of all Americans in Afghanistan. Uh There’s no requirement that can’t you can’t force an American when they go to a foreign country to tell you that they’re there um and we encourage them to do that. The State Department has a robust set of communication vehicles at their disposal to, especially in a country like Afghanistan to, we want to know when Americans are there but they don’t, you know, they don’t have to tell us. So um that’s why it’s difficult for us to give you, you know the denominator here, how many are there? And what I can tell you is and this is out of my lane but I’ll do it anyway. I mean the State Department has been working very hard to reach out to those who they know are there or even who they here are there to communicate to them. Let them know what evacuation plans are possible and achievable for them. So they’re working very hard at this. Our job at the Defense Department is to is to help facilitate them. They’re safe passage to the airport. Uh and then getting them manifested them and getting them on a plane out once you have registered have more or less than half of the Americans have registered have been evacuated. I do not know. I don’t you have to go to the State Department for what they think they have on the registry. But I think even they would tell you address that that is an imperfect database because not every American has to register. So it’s perfectly conceivable that you might have an American who nobody knew was in Afghanistan but still pipes up on the net and says, I want to get out and we’re gonna help that person get out to the best ability that we can. Barbara understand this. This is the answer we’ve gotten for days and days and days from every podium in this town. Even if this administration does not have the denominator, that is not my question. My question is, can this administration tell the American people how many Americans it has evacuated from Afghanistan? And if you cannot, can you please explain not the denominator? Why? Why can’t you just say the number? But I think we’re just gonna leave it at several 1000 right now and I understand that’s not a satisfying answer to you. I would tell you that that the number literally changes almost by the hour. It else I understand Barbara we’re going to leave it at several 1000 for right now. We have a follow up since everybody else asked like eight questions. Thank you. I have two other follow ups. If I may um just to clarify, general Taylor’s answer, if there had been no missions outside of Kabul, can you tell us about missions that have taken place at least outside essentially the fence line of the airport and my other follow up is um as you prepare to depart whenever that happens, your previous retrograde as you called, it included provisions for destruction of weapons in place. Can we assume that this? Mhm mitt, This part of the effort to leave Afghanistan will also include that what you cannot put on an airplane? Any weapons you can’t put on an airplane or dangerous items you would destroy in place. I think the general answered your first question that there is no other additional operations to speak to. Uh we continue to facilitate safe passage. I believe there are no there are no additional operations to speak to that I’m aware of. Not outside outside outside the airport either but we continue to facilitate uh safe passage for Americans uh S. I. V. S as they as they need to get to the airport. And as I mentioned to lead a just in the last 24 hours, I can tell you that several 100 Americans have made it safely to airport gates for further on transportation, us government assistance that I’m just going to leave it at that barb. Um And uh as for your question on retrograde um the short answer is yes as a part of any retrograde and I know that’s a technical pentagon term that uh the drawdown of both people and equipment will be done in the same manner that we would do it anywhere else. And obviously uh there’s a strong bias to be able to get our material out with our people. Um If there needs to be destruction or other disposition of of equipment there at Hamid Karzai International Airport then we’ll do that and we’ll do that appropriately. Carl and I get you already. I’m sorry. Okay we’ll come back to my fault. My fault. My fault, Helene. Um can we, can I ask you both about the bottlenecks because you’ve got 20,000 people out in the last 24 hours, which is a big number, the biggest you’ve had yet. Do you have 20,000 people now inside the airport to get out in the next 24 hours? Or are there bottlenecks that are preventing people from getting in and getting people on planes and those planes in the air? Because there’s nowhere to receive them. I’ll talk about just bottlenecks. And I think I talked a little bit about that earlier and as we uh those that depart Kabul and get to those staging bases within um or you know, centcom a or that is the coordination that I was talking about earlier to ensuring that we place uh you know, evacuees In one of those 14 locations there to prevent a bottleneck. So that as our increased throughput, as you know, increase that number that they’re able to hold their centcom and eucom are continuing to coordinate together uh and with the joint staff in Transcom of where to put those evacuees to allow flights to continue to leave Kabul. So as we look at those on Kabul, there is no a constraint of allowing flights to leave today, we still expect the throughput that we saw in the last two days uh to be able to continue with no bottleneck and others, we continue to manage that on an hourly minute basis to ensure uh we know where to fly people to and you have enough people in the airport compound now in Kabul and you don’t have the exact number in Kabul it, there are evacuees on Kabul right now being processed through all stages of, you know, the process there to be ready to fly, but you don’t have the number. Yeah, it’s, I don’t have the exact number, I don’t just when I left here, but we have uh folks ready to evacuate, we can get, you know, that’s on the airport now, it does general said it literally changes by the hour. I mean if you think about what we did yesterday, It’s virtually just do the math. It’s almost 1000 people per hour over the last 24 hours. So it changes a lot. So uh well, it’s a fair question. We’ll take it, we’ll get you the number of what there is now, I would just caution you to understand that that number constantly changes. That’s the whole goal is to is to keep the throughput so you get, you get down to a certain level and then you know, you get more and you’re so you just keep you keep moving people through, its constantly fluid. Yeah, thanks john good morning, I know you said your fixed on August 31 after departure Brooke, I think we can probably find that number now. Can you just go get it and bring it up here so we don’t have to wait till the end of the briefing. I’m sorry you had said earlier, your fixed on August 31 as a departure date. Nevertheless, there is some discussion of the possibility of changing that mission. There’s something like that fall under what you would call sometimes speculation or that fall under what you would call planning. Because you’ve always made a distinction between those two. When we ask you about the possibility of things and I’m just trying to get clarity on that. Thanks. I’m not completely sure I understand the question. So let me take a stab at it. If I fail, you can tell me I failed. The the President’s direction has been to complete this, withdraw this evacuation and withdraw by the 31st of august, that is the that is the direction that we are operating under and therefore that is driving a lot of our plans. Uh you heard the US say and you heard the Secretary say that uh that uh that if there needed to be a conversation about changing that that that he would have that conversation. I’m not going to get into internal deliberations about uh what people may be thinking one way or the other. But you heard the national Security advisors say yesterday that that he believes that we can accomplish this mission by the end of the month. So we are still driving towards the end of the month, that’s where we are now. And if and when there is any change to that will certainly make it clear to the American people is because in the past couple of weeks the pentagon has come under rightly or wrongly criticism for not quote unquote planning for eventualities that seem to have happened in Kabul. And so this seems to be a possible eventuality of a mission that may have to extend past the deadline. So I was just asking, is there planning going on in the event that this has to happen? We are at planning organization tom we we plan for all manner of contingencies even as we execute the orders that we’ve been given and that’s what we’re doing right now, Megan. Uh So you’ve always said that airlift is not the limiting factor here. Obviously there’s a lot more people getting into the airport and getting out. What do you attribute that to? Is that expanding the perimeter or their checkpoints that are getting more people through? Um and you know, we don’t have the number of how many people are on each car right now, but about how long are they spending there Before they’re able to get on a plane? So within the last 48 hours, That timeline of staying uh in Kabul has been very short as as soon as we’re getting people in and processed as you can see a flight every 45 minutes is a lot in getting people out of there. Um, so as we look at what have been the factors behind that, um numerous weather continues to play in everybody’s factor, great coalition and partners and other people volunteering aircraft and as General Lyons said yesterday, the ability to get not only the aircraft coming into Kabul but others providing aircraft to fly, you know, people from the, from the lily pads or the safe havens into the States and then moving them around has has allowed us to keep that throughput going. And then also, I think the continued ability to inform and get the word out of how to get into the gates, where to come the processing of the, those, not only through the gates, but they’re processing internally on Kabul by our our troops that are, there continues to become more efficient. Are there more people showing up now than there were last week when there was so much panic, I would say as we look at those that are showing up with the right documentation, the right people that have come, I think is one factor that has allowed us to increase the throughput. There also have been, there’s there’s the um, the crush of those first few days has reduced um as more order and structure around the airport has increased security. Uh the processing flow itself has just gotten better. Uh and the crowds around the airport are smaller than they were before. Um So the situation around the airport right now is it’s just not the same. It’s not as chaotic as it was in those first couple of days, Theresa, thank you for taking my question. I’ve spoken to service members and spouses on one of the bases where evacuees are expected to be housed and they have a serious concern about covid. So what our service members or anyone living on these bases being briefed to try to ease that concern because obviously as of yesterday, they’re still very concerned about that issue. Sure. And they have every right to be. We’re in the midst of a pandemic and conducting one of the largest airlift operations in recent American history is no small feat in the best of circumstances. And this one is obviously not the best of circumstances because in addition to this, we’re doing it in the midst of covid pandemic. What I can tell you is that uh screening occurs at every stop at every stage of the process. Um And uh and we’re doing the best we can to uh to make sure that we’ve got enough visibility on on everyone’s health. Uh But uh but again, we’re really the focus is on getting the numbers out. And so there’s an elementary elementary screening done at Kabul for those who are symptomatic. Um Additional screening takes place at the temporary safe havens and then of course upon arrival here at the United States. Um uh there’s a screening that’s done as well. So it’s on everybody’s mind, believe me, I mean we’re also mindful of the health of our our aircrew and our and our and our troops at the at the airport. It’s a constant process and we’re not we’re not um we’re not leaving anything for granted. We’re taking it seriously. Sylvie, I their flag for covid any stuff in the way they pulled I don’t know the exact medical process. Let me go over here. Apparently I’m missing out Sylvia. I’ll come back to you. I promise. Okay, thank you. Mr. Kirby you are hearing different statements from the White House pentagon, for example, number of troops operation in Kabul etcetera. Can you talk about why there is a consensus among the highest level of the United States? Is there any communication issue? I’m sorry I misunderstood. What what’s the dissonance that you’re talking about? So for example, Biden Al Qaeda gone from Afghanistan but Blinken say yes, there is Al Qaeda. So we can see different statement from the White House, different comments from the pentagon. Is there any communication issue from the highest level? No, I think you’re reading way more into things than you need to think we’re all cited on the fact that there’s still an Al Qaeda threat uh in Afghanistan. Uh and as well as Al Qaeda affiliates that we we know are there nobody is we’ve said that consistently. Uh there’s there’s no gap in understanding here. Just for example, sake say 11,000 American in Afghanistan. But you say 10,000 between 5000 between 10,000. So different statement is why I want to ask, look, the Defense Department can’t speak specifically to the number of Americans in Afghanistan. I think we already addressed this earlier in the briefing. Well, you know, there is no uh, firm certain hard number on that because not every American that goes to Afghanistan has to tell the government that there there, we have made it clear that any American that wants to leave. We’re going to find a way to get to them or find a way to get the information to them to help them make the right decisions for, for transportation out of the country. But everybody’s cited on the car that this is a dangerous perilous environment. There is, it’s very dynamic, It’s very fluid. Uh, and we’re doing the best we can to move as many people as we can as fast as we can follow up. If they cannot reach the airport who live in Afghanistan, the Americans don’t Taliban ISIS threat for them. If they stuck somewhere. If they cannot communicate, we absolutely understand that Afghanistan is a dangerous place right now, which is why we’re trying to move as many Americans as we can as fast as we can. And we want to get that done before the end of the month. Gordon The situation in the conditions at Alloudi and cutter which have been described as squalid for a lot of people coming through there. Um and then if if you could um I didn’t quite understand what the general was saying earlier about the 14 different station like a way station because I understood the kind of three main hubs to be Ramstein, Qatar and Bahrain. So are their way more now. I’ll let the general come up here in a second. But let me just just just set this a little bit. So yes, those are three main hubs. But we are adding to that. You’ve seen Italy uh, U. S. Military installations in Italy. U. S. Military installations at Spain also provide additional capability. And there are other countries in the gulf region who are willing to take on a temporary basis some individuals. So uh it’s a it’s a bigger broader sort of hub and spoke network than it was just a few days ago and I’ll let the general fill that out for you on your first question. Just let me level set it right away. We are aware of and as concerned as anybody about what what what it would have been some uh terrible sanitation conditions at Qatar that were facilitated by the sheer numbers and the speed with which those numbers got there. Uh and we all recognize that and nobody, nobody here wants anyone to be less than safe, secure, comfortable and well cared for as they go through this process. We take it very seriously but we’ll be the first to admit uh that uh that that there were conditions at L. U. D. Could have been better. They are improving now I’m not gonna stand up here and tell you that they’re perfect because they’re not because evacuees continue to flow into Qatar. Uh And there’s a lot on the ground right now and as the general said, we’re working hard to clear out that population so that we can ease the pressure there uh and and continue to move these people along their way to their to their new lives. Uh Nobody’s making excuses. Nobody’s ducking from this. We recognize that things were were and in many ways still are not at the level of sanitation and good hygiene that we want. I can I can tell you that from the secretary on down everybody’s focused on trying to improve that. And as a matter of fact and you saw a statement from Central Command last night, they are taking measures to ease that pressure and to improve conditions there. But it’s something we’re gonna watch, not just there but every other temporary safe haven that were that were operating from before. The general speaks to the hubs. Can you just clarify, you said you don’t think there is a crush around each kaya currently or less of one. Or can you clarify what you uh that the uh that the crowd sizes smaller uh now than it was in those first few days. Um, and uh, and so we’re not experiencing to the degree we did, you know, last Monday, um, the physical crush and chaos. I’m not suggesting, Gordon? That there aren’t desperate people outside that airport who want in. Absolutely, we’re not we’re not ignoring that. I’m just saying that to Megan’s question, that we’re not seeing the same pressure put on the system. Now that there was in the early days, john first go back to the question. So approximately right now 5000 little 5000 or on h chi going through the processing uh, continuing to be manifested and ready to fly. So, uh, gates are still open. We will continue to assess those numbers throughout the day. When we go back to hubs and spokes, I’ll give you the macro and then we can possibly get back with you on the, on the real details of their so it’s both within the centcom and the UK. Um, a are, we have main hubs, you know, think of it Ramstein and then going into Qatar But from there within the last 24-72 hours, both of those commands have started building up and going from an initial operating capability uh to get full what we would call smaller satellite, uh areas to ensure that with the throughput that we’ve had, that we can safely and humanitarian lee, you know, keep those people there until their flights go back into the States when you specifically talk about. And I can just bring it up just, you know, when talking to centcom this morning as we look at capabilities. And I just talked about this a little bit earlier, but a lot of work has been done in the last 48 hours of, you know, bringing in more portable hand washing stations, refrigeration trucks to ensure there’s cool water and the food is there to ensure that people have these humanitarian capabilities. I would also say just as a scheduling note that this afternoon’s briefing, I’ll be joined by General Van Herck of Northern Command as well as general Walters of European command. So they will also be able to address in greater detail some of these specific questions about the temporary safe havens and you’ll have a chance to talk to them directly Laura commit to evacuating the afghan commandos and other troops that are helping with the evacuation currently. Yes, follow them. Any anyone, any of them that want to leave. And uh and we have to assume that that’s that’s all of them. Uh they will be evacuated. Yes, I don’t have an exact number as I think we’ve talked about Before. The general has somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-600. We know Afghan forces are there at the, at the airport with us and and actually helping us in the security mission and they will all be able to come out. They will all be able to come out and then also just as a follow up on what is happening to the money that was intended to go for the Afghan security fund. Yeah, obviously, uh, and we’re working closely with Congress on that. But that, that money is being held now. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Let me go to the phones. I haven’t in addition to not getting one side of the room, I have not done a good job here on the phones. Dan them off. Hey john, good morning. Thanks for taking my call. Um, looking to check in, uh, just get some additional fidelity on what’s going on at the gates. Uh, we’ve heard a lot of uh, frustration with some of these veterans groups and other organizations that are trying to assist people to get to the Gates and through the gates. Sounds like there’s uh, at least to some degree insisted inconsistencies on who’s being allowed in when they’re being allowed in and just some chaos there. That’s do a degree understandable, but also frustrating. Thanks Gates, uh, continue the coordination there is the critical piece of understanding uh, getting through the checkpoints and that has been a lot of the work that’s been done over the last 48 hours is the coordination between us forces forward there. The commanders to ensure who comes through and what checkpoints that people are coming through to expedite. Um, and the key has been, we have had an increase in information coming uh to the Forster’s commanders on the ground of who needs to come. I think that has been one of the uh increase in our throughput is understanding in all of, you know, the populations of who is wearing, who needs to come through the gates so that we can provide better information which gate, when to come in, make sure those the conditions are set to come onto each guy. Okay, um get time for a couple more Sylvie, you have been very patient. Um I wanted to go back to the airport and I know you don’t want to speak about the Dateline and the Dateline deadline and you know, August 31 or not, but whenever the U. S. Troops are living. Um are you speaking about with the Taliban’s about the Taliban or a third party, the third country about the security of the airport to allow the airport to remain open? I’ll let the general uh take it, I would just say that we are in daily communication with the Taliban about the security situation at the airport. Now, um our focus from a military perspective is going to be whenever and right now we’re The plan is to end this mission on 31 August, I don’t want to suggest that that’s not what we’re planning on as we get there. As I said earlier, we want to preserve as much capability as long as we can to continue to conduct evacuations while safely removing our people and our equipment all at the same time, that’s our focus right now is on uh properly uh executing the mission and effectively and safely drawing it down. But I’ll ask the general if he has any other thoughts. I just think when you talk about transition, um absolutely. Uh there’s planning going on of how to transition uh all of the space that we currently occupy uh here in the future. Okay, Okay, Theresa Good. It’s just a follow up to my previous question for those that are symptomatic. What are they being told when, when they arrive for processing and then once they’re being told they’re arriving, are they being told? Hey, you know, like what’s the process for those who may have symptoms? I don’t know how the information, how they’re getting the information about where they need to go, which gates they need to go to etcetera, etcetera. So what are they being told? Let me take the question and see if we can get a more contextual answer that I suspect what they’re being told and how the process is being done varies at each location because there are different demands. Obviously the man that Hamid Karzai International Airport, in terms of timing is a much more urgent than it would be, you know at Ramstein. So where there is obviously much greater medical capability. So I think it’s gonna vary. But I let me see if we can get you a better answer. Okay, I’m gonna have to wrap it up. Uh We’ll see you again at 1500 again. Uh three o’clock, sorry, uh with General Van Herck from Northern Command and general Walters of European command, um I will basically turn the podium over to them and uh I assume that that will be the focus of of the briefing. If I need to stick around after for for other issues, I’ll do that as well. So we’ll see you later this afternoon. Thank you. Yeah.