US Embassy Urges Americans to Leave Afghanistan ‘Immediately’

The U.S. embassy in Kabul urged Americans to leave Afghanistan “immediately” due to a deteriorating security situation and the limited number of staff available to help U.S. citizens in the country.

“Given the security conditions and reduced staffing, the Embassy’s ability to assist U.S. citizens in Afghanistan is extremely limited even within Kabul,” a security alert from the embassy stated.

The alert included a link to the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, through which Americans may be notified in the event of an evacuation flight.

“However, the Embassy reiterates that U.S. citizens should leave Afghanistan as soon as possible using available commercial transportation and not plan to rely on U.S. government flights,” the alert added.

President Biden announced earlier this year that the U.S. would end its nearly two-decade war in Afghanistan and withdraw almost all American troops from the country. Since the announcement, the Taliban has gained control of most of Afghanistan’s rural regions, and has engaged in a campaign of assassinations against Afghan air force pilots.

“We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create the ideal conditions for our withdrawal, expecting a different result,” Biden said in April. “I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. . . . I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth.”