US military mission limited to Kabul airport security, not retrieving Americans

Turkey's future role in security at the air base likely will need to be renegotiated, according to sources.
The family (front) of an Afghan national working at the French Embassy queue at Hamid Karzai International Airport as they prepare to leave on a special flight to France, Kabul, Afghanistan, July 17, 2021.
The family (front) of an Afghan national working at the French Embassy queue at Hamid Karzai International Airport as they prepare to leave on a special flight to France, Kabul, Afghanistan, July 17, 2021. - Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images
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Jared Szuba
@JM_Szuba

The Pentagon placed the head of the 82nd Airborne Division in charge of securing Kabul’s main airport this week after chaos on the runway temporarily halted evacuation flights from Afghanistan.

Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue arrived in the Afghan capital to relieve pressure on the US commander overseeing the evacuation, Rear Adm. Peter Vasely, officials confirmed Wednesday.

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