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Latest on Afghanistan: Biden Says US "Preparing" to Withdraw on Aug. 31; The Taliban prevent Afghans from leaving Kabul.

President Joe Biden said the United States was "on track" to meet the Aug. 31 withdrawal schedule, but was preparing for emergencies just in case.

His words from the White House came the same day the Taliban announced they would ban Afghans from going to Kabul airport and advised women to stay home for a while to stay safe, raising concerns about the treatment of women by the Taliban.

Meanwhile, the evacuation has continued, with more than 70,000 people leaving the country in the past ten days.

The footballers leave the country on an evacuation flight from Afghanistan.

On board Tuesday, the Afghan women's football team was part of a group of more than 75 people evacuated on a flight from Kabul, leading to a "significant triumph".

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FIFPRO, the international footballers union, praised the Australian government for allowing players, team officials and their families to leave Afghanistan and said work was still underway to help d 'other people.

"These young women were in danger as athletes and activists, and we are grateful to the international community for coming to their aid on behalf of their colleagues around the world," the union said in a statement.

In a country where women's participation in sports was seen as a political act of rebellion against the Taliban, an Afghan team was formed in 2007.

Earlier this month, players were warned to remove social media posts and pictures of themselves with the team to avoid retaliation after the fall of the US-backed Afghan government.

Blinken will provide an update on remaining US troops in Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Biden said, will provide an update on the number of Americans remaining in Afghanistan - a number the White House has not disclosed - as well as the number of departures and the forecast for evacuation Wednesday.

"Every day that we are on the ground, we know that ISIS-K is planning an attack on an airport targeting both American and allied personnel and civilians," Biden said.

Although the Taliban worked with the United States to get the Americans to leave, Biden called the situation "tense," citing the outbreak of gunfire. "In time, we risk breaking it."

“The sooner we finish, the better,” the band members say. Biden said the United States will withdraw from Afghanistan on schedule by August 31.

Biden said on Tuesday that the United States would complete its withdrawal from Afghanistan on schedule before the August 31 deadline, but emergency measures were being prepared in case the Taliban refused to evacuate.

"We are currently on track to complete the project by August 31." The sooner we can do it, the better, ”Biden said. “Our troops face increased risk every day of the operation. However, completion by August 31 is on condition that the Taliban continue to cooperate in providing airport access to travelers and ensuring that our operations are not disrupted. "

He said he has contacted the Pentagon and the State Department to prepare for the eventuality in case the schedule needs to be adjusted.

After meeting with the leaders of the G7 countries on Tuesday morning, Biden presented the idea in the afternoon at Roosevelt Hall in the White House.

“Since August 14, we have helped evacuate 70,700 people to date. Since the end of July, 75,900 people have been injured, ”Biden said.

The United States is trying to expel Americans, as well as Afghan translators and others who aided the US military during two decades of conflict.

Those evacuated from Afghanistan are transferred to Fort Bliss.

LAS CRUZ, New Mexico - Afghan refugees continued to arrive at Fort Bliss in El Paso as part of Operation Allied Shelter on Monday.

It's unclear how many people will be treated at the base, which will serve as a temporary detention center for thousands of people when the United States withdraws from Afghanistan 20 years later.

Refugees are being hosted at the Doa Ana Ridge complex at the El Paso outpost, located on land crossing Otero and Doa Ana counties in New Mexico, according to US Army North.

Texas Senator John Cornin announced last week that the facility was preparing to welcome up to 10,000 Afghan migrants.

Biden talks to his allies about the timeline of the United States.

According to White House spokesman Jen Psaki, in a virtual meeting with leaders of the G7 countries, Biden said the US mission in Kabul "will end depending on the success of our goals."

He also clarified that with each day of operations on the ground, we increase the risk to our ISIS-K soldiers, and that the completion of the mission by August 31 depends on continued coordination. with the Taliban, including continued access for evacuees. at the airport, ”Psaki said.

According to Psaki, Biden has contacted the Pentagon and the State Department for emergency measures in case the schedule needs to be adjusted.

The White House made the announcement after the Taliban announced that Afghan citizens would be denied access to Kabul airport, which thwarted US efforts to deploy Afghan translators and other allies who had helped US forces during two decades of conflict.

Due to the expected reduction in cooperation with the Taliban, the Pentagon advised Biden to stick to the August deal. 31 evacuations, according to a White House spokesman, taking into account security concerns faced by the military following a potential terrorist attack by ISIL-K and other militant groups.

The Taliban, who took control of the Afghan government earlier this month as part of a US withdrawal, have expressed opposition to maintaining the United States after August. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban, said his group would not accept "any renewals" before the deadline. Afghans have also been urged by the extremist group not to try to leave the country.

According to the Pentagon, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan will take time.

The withdrawal of some 6,000 US troops from Hamid Karzai International Airport will take time, and flights to evacuate civilians are expected to be reduced or halted by August 31. The troops and their equipment were delivered within days, and it will take time. to remove them. without issue.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday that the evacuation must be carried out in a systematic and precise manner. Safety will be a top priority.

It is possible that some equipment is left behind. “We'll do it, and we'll do it right,” Kirby said if he needed to be destroyed.

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