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Pentagon Gives Update after Taliban Takes Over Afghanistan; Afghans Who Helped America Now Fear for Their Lives. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired August 17, 2021 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:30:00]

ADM. JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: And we have been focused on this for quite some time. There is a process by which they can apply for these visas. And the State Department has now opened up the umbrella for other, what they call P-1 and P-2 opportunities. So I'm not -- I'm not an expert on that process, Carla (ph), but there is -- there is a process to follow and I highly encourage if they aren't already in the system to get themselves into the system.

And I understand if I think I understand the second gist of your question is, are we going to be able to physically move someone from somewhere else in the country into the airport. And right now, our focus is on the airport itself and making sure that it stays safe and secure and that operations, air operations, which have resumed, can sustain themselves going forward. And there is an awful lot that has to be done in that. So, again, sacred obligation, we take very seriously, there is a process and I would highly encourage them if they're not already in that to consult with State Department officials to get themselves enrolled in that.

And then what we'll do, as we've said from the beginning, is help get them out of Kabul and we are also working very hard here locally to help get them if they need temporary lodging here in the United States while they complete that processing to do that. And you saw just yesterday we were able to announce two additional U.S. Military installation increasing capacity over the next days and weeks to build out to a maximum right now of approximately 22,000 capacity, if we need it.

REPORTER: And, secondly, I had asked about this yesterday, but the investigation into the civilian casualties, can the U.S. Defense Department confirm the number of civilian casualties that happened when this C-17 took off, what are the total number of casualties that you're tracking at the airport? You mentioned the two --

KIRBY: Well we know that there were two security incidents in which two armed individuals with hostile intent were engaged by troops and killed.

I don't have a firm number of additional casualties that we know have been reported, at least in press reporting, and certainly by this incident with the C-17 which took off, as you saw taxiing with people running alongside it and even attach themselves to the aircraft. What I can tell you is the Air Force is taking a look at this and I think you'll hear more from the Air Force later today about that. And I think I really need to leave it at that right now.

REPORTER: Can you say at least four?

KIRBY: I can't, Carla. I'm not in a position to give you a specific number but I, again, I think you'll hear more from the Air Force later today about this.

REPORTER: Does that include about the report that there was an Afghan civilian, his remains were found on a landing --

KIRBY: I think you're going to hear more from the Air Force about this today, Court. A couple more, Louie?

REPORTER: A couple of clarifications. General Donahue from the 82nd Airborne is headed to Kabul to become the overall commander of this particular mission. What happens to Admiral Vasely? And then another question.

MAJ. GEN. HANK TAYLOR, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, JOINT STAFF REGIONAL OPERATIONS: Admiral Vasely maintains the position as commander for the entire mission as US4A forward. As you know, elements of the 82nd Airborne Division have already been flowing in to do the actual mission of secure of HKIA. And so General Donahue and a piece of his staff will go forward and work specifically on the security mission of HKIA.

REPORTER: And then Admiral Vasely remains --

TAYLOR: That's right, as the overall commander, as US4A forward obviously under General McKenzie as the Cent Comm commander.

REPORTER: And if I could follow-up in something you said earlier. You said there were 700 Afghan security forces at the airport. Has a commitment been made to them that they will also be evacuated afterwards and once this mission is complete?

TAYLOR: Yes. I know that our commitment to ensure that the security there at HKIA is increased by having those members of the ANDSF with us at this time.

KIRBY: I mean, Louie, I think that would be -- that would have to -- it would be a decision by those individuals if they wanted to, to apply for a visa and to pursue approach, that it would be up to those Afghans to make that decision for themselves.

Okay. I'll take one --

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: A quick follow up.

KIRBY: Okay.

STARR: You mentioned -- you have mentioned that the department -- the administration thinks there could be thousands of Americans still in Kabul and in Afghanistan, possibly, and that you're prepared to, you know, evacuate them if they can get to the airport, et cetera, but there are thousands of Americans.

[10:35:07]

With that estimate in mind, is the administration confident that all Americans are essentially free of Taliban control? Do you have anything that indicates the Taliban are going after any of these Americans?

KIRBY: Well, there is a lot there, Barb. I can only tell you what we know, and that there hasn't been any hostile interactions by the Taliban to our people or to our operations. Part of our operations include helping evacuate American citizens and that process continues, the general gave you an update, 165 or so just in the last 24 hours.

I can't speak to the locations of whereabouts of every single American throughout the country and their desires to stay or go. That is something we're not equipped to do here. Again, you have got to understand the limited tailored mission that we're trying to conduct right now.

I'll take one more and then we got to let the general get back to his day. And I forgot to get to Tom Squitieri. So, Tom, I'll give it to you.

REPORTER: Hi, thanks, John. Good morning. Just to follow up on the security at the airport. The Turks were supposed to be in charge of security there. What is role that they and other foreign militias or -- not militias, foreign militaries may be doing to help? Thank you.

TAYLOR: Good question. And the Turks remain absolutely linked into the security mission with US4A. So, they are continuing to assist in the security and the running of HKIA.

KIRBY: Okay. Thanks, everybody. We're going to have to call it a day. We will be able to brief you again later this afternoon. It probably won't be on camera but we'll do another on the record briefing this afternoon. So, we'll see you then. Bye-bye.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN NEWSROOM: Okay. A really was a significant briefing with some critical questions and some key answers there at the Pentagon from Admiral John Kirby.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NEWSROOM: Well, a lot of work to do, clearly. I mean, it struck me that 1,400 to 1,500 total evacuations so far, given the one plane we saw, that famous photograph, had some 600. They did say that they're going to increase daily capacity to 5,000 to 9,000 evacuations per day.

HARLOW: Which is a lot. Let's go to the White House. Our John Harwood is there.

John, this struck both Jim and myself, and that is the important question that was posed, why the self-imposed August 31st deadline to get everyone out. The White House could ostensibly extend that in September if they deem it to be safe. What do you understand about that and if the White House would be willing to do that.? JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John Kirby didn't rule that out. He said that is going to be a commander-in-chief decision. He's operating off the -- or talking off the timeline that he has. And if you look at 14 days between now and the 31st of August, if they, in fact, can sustain a pace of 5,000 to 9,000 evacuees a day, you get to 100,000 in that timeframe.

What was a little unclear and Kirby was cagey about this is how long and how significant is the accommodation that the Taliban is going to make. He talked about securing the airport and getting people who get to the airport out. Then there is the additional question, of course, of the thousands of people who are not near or at the Kabul airport, can they get there. And he was not spelling out what the Taliban has said or not said about their ability to get those people there.

I would expect as long as you have a smooth evacuation, since this is now the difference, this evacuation is the difference between a temporary humiliation that they suffered yesterday and a long-term calamity. If they can get 100,000 people out, American citizens and our allies, that would go a long way towards salvaging the exit for President Biden.

And I would expect as long as that is going peacefully without the hostile interactions, John Kirby said no hostile interactions or threats between -- from the Taliban to U.S. forces, as long as that is ongoing, I would expect the deadline should, it need to be extended, to be extended. But as you indicated, a whole lot of work to do to ramp up to 5,000 to 9,000 a day then and sustain that pace for the next couple of weeks.

SCIUTTO: It is notable in other news from the press conference that Kirby confirmed that there were communications, there are communications between U.S. forces and the Taliban outside of the airport in terms of some guarantees, I imagine, about security.

Kylie Atwood at the State Department, can you clarify who among the Afghan people are now eligible to get special access to leave the country? Because John Kirby noted that they've expanded what is called P-2, a different category, not just translators who say worked for the military, but looking here, people who worked for U.S. contractors, people who worked for U.S. government-funded programs, et cetera.

[10:40:04]

Can you explain how big that program is?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, I mean, I think it is a good question because what we don't know is exactly how the Biden administration is determining who they're flying out right now. Because, initially, they said that these Afghans had to go through a certain level of their background screening before they could be flown out of the country to locations here in the United States or to third countries for the final processing of their visas. But it appears that they are clearly expanding that now given the unfolding crisis in the country. And as you guys have noted, it is significant that the Pentagon is now saying that the Kabul airport is secure, that there are flights going in and out, because that is what's going to enable them to actually continue with these operations. 5,000 to 9,000 people, that would their best effort, the most number of people that they could get out of the country on a daily basis if they're able to get their operations up and running to that point. And that is going to be what we'll watch in the coming days. Now, that the flights are going in and out, can they get up to the 5,000 to 9,000 number that they estimate that they can?

I also think it's significant, as you noted, Jim, that Kirby spoke to the fact that Pentagon military officials are in touch with Taliban officials. He said multiple times a day. He wouldn't describe what those interactions looked like but he said the results speak for themselves, so essentially saying that things are going all right right now. But the bottom line is there are a lot of people who are trying to get out of the country. And one thing that we learned this morning is that it is hard to estimate exactly how many Americans are in the country. But the Pentagon is saying there are between 10,000and 15,000. That is another group to keep our eyes on.

SCIUTTO: No question. What does it say about the country that so many people want to leave? John Harwood, Kylie Atwood, thanks so much.

And still to come, I'm going to speak with a translator that worked alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan, his fear for his and his family's safety right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00]

SCIUTTO: Many thousands of Afghans who worked with the Americans over the past 20 years now fear for their lives and their family's lives, afraid of Taliban retribution for helping the U.S. My next guest is an interpreter who worked for the U.S. He has now fled to a neighboring country as he continues to wait for his visa. He fears for his life there too because of ties outside of the country to the Taliban. I'm going to use only his first name. It is Mohamed. Mohamed, thank you for joining us.

MOHAMED, WORKED WITH U.S. IN AFGHANISTAN: You're quite welcome.

SCIUTTO: Tell me, you say your life is in danger now because of your work with the Americans. Do you fear that the Taliban will attack you?

MOHAMED: Yes. In fact, (INAUDIBLE) under this certain time (ph). I worked for U.S. Army Special Corps and coalition forces and USAID for about ten years. So, I was highly known and targeted by them. And the people like me, there are never forgiving them and never forgetting them. So I had a lot of (INAUDIBLE).

SCIUTTO: Do you believe that the U.S. abandoned you? Do you feel abandoned, betrayed by the U.S. military? MOHAMED: Yes. See, I can tell you one thing, when the U.S. left Afghanistan and they closed their works and everything, so many interpreters that we had, most of my friends that we had in our (INAUDIBLE) had died. So, there was no other way for me too. I was taken (INAUDIBLE) several times to I just got one way that I should escape. And escaping from here was (INAUDIBLE). I should be dead (ph) or safe. But staying here, it was definitely dying.

Several times, I decide if someone resigned from the job, they will not kill them. But when people (INAUDIBLE) to resign, the resigning people, they will definitely kill. At night, they come to your houses, they put hand grenades on them, they your peers, they kill the interpreters. So the interpreter are the people that they will never forgive them. If they see hundreds that we are, forgetting the interpreter, it is not true. They are not forgiving them. They are only saying this that someone should not help them and let them be alarmed so they should be easily killed.

And because they say the most dangerous enemy, they are hitting us and calling us, that the most dangerous enemy of Taliban and Al Qaeda is the interpreter, because the interpreter is the eyes in front of the coalition forces and U.S. forces.

SCIUTTO: I see.

MOHAMED: So, killing the interpreter is cutting the tie (ph) and make the U.S. Army forces blind. That is why it is extremely important that they should be killed. So that was the situation --

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this. You have applied for a visa to come to the U.S. Are you hearing anything from the U.S. government?

[10:50:00]

Are you told when you'll get an answer or if you will get an answer?

MOHAMED: Yes, I will. It is important questions. And I want to tell you that clearly and when to (INAUDIBLE). When I applied (INAUDIBLE) complete, 100 percent clear and permission about me that I am in danger, I had ten-year job with the U.S. and coalition forces and I am targeted and I have the right to be safe and on the safe list. So the U.S. -- so, the United Nation asked me how could they help me. It took one year, and after one year, after the interviews, after searching about me, they ask me how should they help me. I told them that they should view my history in the U.S. embassy because they know me well, I have spent ten years with them and (INAUDIBLE) day and night. And I have worked with (INAUDIBLE).

So they told me, do you agree that we should give you to the U.S., I said yes. There are the countries too, but I was not (INAUDIBLE) with that. I told them that, no, you should give my case to the U.S. One day, give my case to the U.S., the U.S. got several interviews from me in U.S. embassy and finally UCIES (ph). When they got my finally told me that you are rejected for discretionary reason, there is no reason but you are rejected. SCIUTTO: Mohamed. So, you have heard the Taliban say that they have made a lot of promises. What do you believe Afghanistan will be like under Taliban control?

MOHAMED: See, one thing clearly I'm telling you that you know the Taliban very well that they only know they are not changed, they will not change and they will never change. They are uneducated people. They know only killing, even they don't forgive the people, the women and children. They are not only killing, they are killing (INAUDIBLE) people. So we are the criminal for them. How will they forgive us? They will never change for us ever. They will kill us. They will kill our kids and they are doing it right now. They are doing it right now too.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Mohamed, I know the threat you're facing is very real. We wish you the best of luck and we wish you safety but the best of luck in getting the visa and getting out safely. Mohamed, please take care.

MOHAMED: Yes, I will, thank you so much. But I will need and as I helped the U.S. army for ten years, as my brothers, so now I need your help. When you they need help, I help them. Now I need their help, they should help me.

SCIUTTO: Mohamed, we wish that you get that help.

MOHAMED: The only one family, U.S. family, only U.S. family that they are helping. Me (INAUDIBLE).

SCIUTTO: Yes, understood.

MOHAMED: (INAUDIBLE) of this danger. The government is not helping me now.

SCIUTTO: We will stay in touch with you. We hope you get that help, Mohamed, and we will have much more on this story right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:55:00]

HARLOW: All right. So, before we go today, a little bit of news from me. Starting next week, I will be taking a break from being with you every morning on this show so I could go back to school. Yes, school. I'm going to study law for a master's degree and I can tell you never thought I would be back here going to school at nearly 40 years old but it is something that I've wanted to do for a long time. And if this year-and-a-half has taught me anything, is why not try.

And what I love about this job is covering legal and constitutional issues, something I learned interviewing Ruth Bader Ginsburg that you can't have it all at once but at different times. She also said, if you have a caring partner, you help that other person when they need it. I have that partner, my husband who is about to take on a lot while I try this, and my bosses, the rare kind, who make the impossible, possible.

It is only going to be until the spring so you're not getting rid of me very long. You will see me here on CNN whenever I don't have class, so basically every holiday imaginable. And although my new schedule will not allow me to be with you every morning here, it's going to let me try something new.

So you may have heard of this new project we're working on at CNN called CNN Plus. It is an exciting streaming service and it launches early next year. I'm going to spend some time in the coming months working on new project for that with my wonderful producer, Nora Neus, more on that soon. Of course, you are in the best of hands with this guy, Jim, and our amazing team, our writers, our producers, our director, the control room staff who we love. I'm going to miss you a lot. I'm going to miss them and a lot and I will be here before you know it.

SCIUTTO: Well, I'm going to miss you.

HARLOW: Thanks, and thank you for being here this week.

SCIUTTO: I'm happy to. I've always felt confident with your smarts and your homework by my side. Folks, no one works harder than this woman sitting next to me.

HARLOW: That is very kind.

SCIUTTO: And I'm excited for you.

HARLOW: Thank you. Who is going to give you context?

[11:00:00]

SCIUTTO: I won't get Poppy context.

HARLOW: I'm going to leave some in your desk for you.

SCIUTTO: But I know I'll see you again.

HARLOW: Thank you. I learn from you every day. I'm excited to be back here with you --