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Pentagon Update On Afghanistan Withdrawal And Evacuations; Around 17,000 Evacuated Last Week, 2,500 Are Americans; Henri Now A Hurricane; Afghan Citizens Desperate To Leave, Flock To Kabul Airport; "We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert". Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired August 21, 2021 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:59:48]
MAJ. GEN. HANK TAYLOR, DEPUTY DIRETOR, JOINT STAFF REGIONAL OPERATIONS: The commanders are metering how many people come in and out of the gate to ensure the safe and ability to screen applicants as they come on to HKIA. There has been no reported change to the current enemy situation in and around the airport at this time.
JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Yes, of course.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This region is part of -- it was a security alert that came out of the embassy this morning. "Because of potential security threats outside the gates at Kabul Airport, we're advising U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and avoid airport gates this time unless you receive a specific call to come there."
So can you explain what is this threat? Is it Taliban? Is it -- is there an ISIS or al Qaeda angle to this?
KIRBY: Yes. I think you can understand, Courtney, why we're not going to get into specific details about the threat environment or what our intelligence is giving us.
We have said from the very beginning of this that we're going to try to do this in a safe and orderly way. And that means making sure that nobody gets hurt to the maximum extent possible.
So what you're seeing out of our State Department colleagues, I think, is a prudent notification to make sure that whatever movement there is to the gates from outside the airport is done as safely as possible, and that people have the information they need to make the best decisions for themselves going forward.
So I do understand the question and the interest, but I hope you understand that we're going to be very careful about what kind of extra context we're going to put out there in the information environment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a crowd (ph) threat that led to the evacuation via helicopter on Thursday of some Americans from right near the airport. So I guess what we're trying to figure out is, is this just a, there's large crowds and it is difficult for Americans to get there? And not there's actually a threat against the airport? KIRBY: Again, I'm not going to get into specific threat assessments.
The situation in Kabul, in the whole city, is fluid and dynamic. And you have seen the images over the last 24 to 48 hours yourself of the situation outside the perimeter of the airport. And it changes. It changes almost by the hour. And it changes in locations around the airport. It's very, very fluid and dynamic.
And so I don't want to speak for the State Department, obviously but like our military commanders, they're going to make decisions in real time about what is in the best interest of innocent civilians that have need to get to the airport. And we want to get inside the security gates.
We're just going to -- this will change, you know, every day. There will be modifications to our assessments of the security environment and what we think is in the best interest of people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I ask you one other that's not related to this? There are some reports that the Afghan military and maybe some others who are rising up against the Taliban, particularly some in the north. And I'm wondering if there has been any request for U.S. military air strikes to support them? And if so, is that the kind of thing that the U.S. Military would engage in?
TAYLOR: We don't want to anticipate or talk about the future. As you know, no current requests for that have come in, but we continue to maintain the current capability that we've had on the ground and in the air since we began operations.
KIRBY: The only thing I'd add is the mission hasn't changed. The mission of the United States military in Kabul is to secure that airport, keep it secure; conduct, manage, and lead air operations so that we can continue to move people out. That's the focus of the military mission.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A week ago, there was a mission to support the -- and still to support the Afghan military with air strikes. So, I mean, that was supposed to continue until August 31st.
It stands to reason, I know the situation has changed a lot in the last week, but it stands to reason that the U.S. military would still have the authority, if not the -- to carry out strikes if requested by the Afghan military.
But I guess at this point, they have not been requested, is what we're told, right?
KIRBY: Well, the general said there has been no request. I just want to stress that the military mission that we are executing now is a non-combatant evacuation operation. That is what we're focused on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the last 24 hours, two Taliban leadership has named the Haqqani in charge of securing the streets of Kabul, and the city of Kabul. Has that been part of the changing situation on the ground and making it less safe for Americans to try and travel to the airport?
KIRBY: Again, I'm not going to detail the threat assessments and what the intelligence is saying. And it is very fluid and very dynamic. What I would tell you is that we continue to have regular communication with Taliban leaders there in Kabul, particularly those that are manning or in charge of the checkpoints around the airport. That communication and deconfliction occurs. That has not changed.
[11:04:56]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is there concern that while there's ongoing communication with Taliban near the airport, that there's a lot less visibility the farther you go out into the city and that's possibly where there might be threats of kidnapping or there might be -- is that what really we're trying to avoid here?
KIRBY: There's a lot. There's a whole panoply of security concerns that we have. And again, to my answer to Courtney, this is a non- combatant evacuation. That's what we're focused on.
And so the idea, as the general very clearly indicated in his opening statement, is to get as many people out as we can, as fast as we can. And so that's what the focus is.
And clearly, in being able -- or in trying to accomplish that mission, we're taking in a whole wealth of information about what the security environment looks like.
But our presence is there at the airport. The mission is there at the airport. And that's the key focus.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is there a sense, though, that the window of opportunity here is closing? And closing maybe possibly quickly as the security situation on the ground --
KIRBY: I think we've been very honest about the fact that we know that we're fighting against both time and space. That's really what we're -- that's what we're -- that's the race that we're in right now. And we're trying to do this as quickly and as safely as possible.
I'm not going to speculate about whether windows are closing or opening. We're focused on accomplishing this mission as fast as we can.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John, two days before Kabul fell, you said from that podium, quote, "the city is not right now in any imminent threat environment." How could you get that so wrong?
KIRBY: In the moment that I said it, Lucas, it was true. And I understand, I've seen the reactions out there on social media to what I said.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Surrounded by Taliban.
KIRBY: In the moment that I said it, based on what we knew at the time, it was a true statement. And yes, two days later, things dramatically changed. I readily admit that.
Things moved very, very quickly, Lucas. And as you heard the chairman up here just a few days ago say that you know, there was -- there wasn't any indication that, you know, that they had received that things could evolve as quickly as they did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No indications -- cities had been falling all week, every day.
(CROSSTALK)
KIRBY: Yes, I understand, Lucas. I understand. I understand. All I can tell you is in the moment that I made those remarks, they were accurate. I'm committed 100 percent to being as truthful and as honest up here and as transparent as I can be.
And I'm comfortable that while others may ridicule what I say and take issue with it, I'm comfortable that what I'm giving you is the best information I have the moment that I have it.
And I would hope and understand that people would see that events have continued -- did and have continued to evolve very, very quickly there.
To Courtney's excellent line of questioning -- the assessment, the threat is going to change and it could change literally by the hour. So we're trying to give you the best we can and lean as far forward as we can in the moment, but that moment is going to change.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not what you said --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- that it could be changing by the hour. You said there was no imminent threat of Kabul falling.
KIRBY: Again, I think I've answered the question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So ten years ago, then General Lloyd Austin as head of U.S. Forces in Iraq recommended to the president not to full troops out of Iraq. Months ago, now Defense Secretary Austin recommended the same thing in Afghanistan. Is he frustrated that presidents are ignoring him?
KIRBY: The secretary is 100 percent focused on the mission at hand right now, which is a non-combatant evacuation operation. And he is comfortable that throughout this deliberation, his voice was heard. That he had an opportunity to provide his best advice and counsel to the commander in chief and to the national security team, as did other leaders here at the Pentagon. It was a very inclusive, very deliberate process.
And the secretary believes that the president was given the benefit of a lot of different views, not just his but a lot of different views. And then the commander in chief made a decision. That's how it works. That's exactly how the process should work. A very calm and deliberate decision-making process. And once that decision is made, you execute. That's the way this building operates. You execute, and that's what we're doing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is the secretary frustrated that now not once but twice his advice has been ignored by the president?
KIRBY: The secretary is focused on the mission at hand and not revisiting past decision one way or another. You give your advice. And a decision is made, and you follow that decision. An order is given, you follow that order. And that's what we're doing.
[11:09:57]
KIRBY: And as you heard the secretary say just after the president announced his decision in mid-April, that he fully supports that decision. He's been very clear about that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Has the secretary thought about resigning?
KIRBY: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One factual question. How many of those 17,000 are American citizens? And have there been any further outside the wire operations by U.S. military?
KIRBY: I do not have a breakdown of how many of the 17,000 are Americans. To my knowledge, since you and I last talked yesterday, there have been no additional operations, as you put it, outside the wire, outside the security perimeter of the airport.
But look, without getting predictive here, we have troops in a very, as I said, dynamic environment, perilous mission, and they understand that. They also understand why they're there, which is to help people.
And I'm not going to rule out the possibility that if they see a moment, if they see an opportunity to do it, that they won't do it.
What is the sensitivity of going outside the perimeter? The Brits don't seem to have problem with acknowledging it. They seem to be doing it pretty openly. I saw a British soldier quoted as saying they were conducting joint patrols with the Taliban. Is there something restraining U.S. forces from going out and getting people?
KIRBY: You want to take it?
TAYLOR: Yes. Just going back to, I think, your first question, you talked -- just can you give me the question again that you asked?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many of the 17,000 --
TAYLOR: Ok.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- are American citizens.
TAYLOR: I think I can help with that, John, on the numbers of the American citizens -- is that what you were asking? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Total number of American citizens.
TAYLOR: Yes. It's possibly 2,500.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ok. 2,500.
TAYLOR: Yes. When you talk about the operations, I'm not familiar with, you know -- remember, as we look at the joint and coalition of what is operating on HKIA, those British forces at the gate are part of the entire HKIA or Kabul, you know, security zone.
So those patrols you're talking about, I don't have knowledge of people going outside the wire, as you speak, of patrols. What we do see, both the British marines that are on those gates are conducting what we call those local security operations, to continue, the best they can, to make sure they're safe, that all of those, you know, large crowds that are there, trying to continue to ensure there's, you know, control to allow the people that are allowed to and have the right documents to come into the gates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Local Security operations in or outside?
TAYLOR: No, I'm in at the gates, at the gates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And are British and other forces there under the operational command of the U.S. Commanders at the airfield?
TAYLOR: So those British forces that are there at the gates are part of the US4A4 operational control of the commander that has Kabul Airport.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: U.S. operational control of the British forces.
TAYLOR: Yes, he is the commander.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ok. All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: General Taylor. can you -- you talked about how the local commanders are now metering people coming into at these gates. Does that suggest that the flow is continuing into that --
TAYLOR: Absolutely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And thus if you are an American citizen in Kabul, or somewhere else in Afghanistan and can get to the airport, you should try and get to one of these entrances?
TAYLOR: What I would say is that as the American citizens come into the gates, we are continuing to process them and get them to safety. I mean, that's our mission.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. And have any of these gates been actually completely closed in the last 24 hours?
TAYLOR: Let's make sure -- you know, when you look at the gates and those, you know, we're ensuring the gates always have the ability to be open and process the right people that come to the gates.
So that's, I think, very important to understand. The gates are always manned by forces there that can process the right people that come to those gates all the time.
[11:14:55]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I'm still confused, sir. You've got a U.S. embassy that's sending out an alert, telling American citizens in Kabul, do not come to the gate if you want to get out of here because the security situation, as John has described, is too threatening. And yet, you're saying you should come to the gate.
TAYLOR: I did not say you should come. What I said was that our military forces at the gate have the ability to Continue to process those that come to the gate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many gates are there.
TAYLOR: There's multiple gates right now as we -- as we look, there's you know, three, four main gates that we're processing evacuees through.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was reported overnight that two were opened, is that correct? Two additional gates.
TAYLOR: Two additional gates? I don't have that report of two additional gates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ok.
KIRBY: Let me get to the phone a little bit more. Idris.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hy John, thanks. Just want to confirm, over the past 12, I guess 24 hours, how many gates have been closed? Have they been for long periods of time or short?
TAYLOR: Just to go back, those gates are open and closed as required. There's been short durations throughout the last 24 where gates have been closed to allow the proper people to come in and out of those gates.
KIRBY: Ok. Let's see. Kelly from NextStar (ph); Ok. Anymore in the room?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I go back to the 2,500 Americans estimate? That's a very small portion of the 15,000 that the president has said may be the top number of Americans inside.
Are you making efforts to try to bring more Americans in? I know you're cautioning them to be aware of the threat environment at the gates. At the same time, how do you get all those -- that many Americans into the airport if there really are that many Americans in country?
KIRBY: Well, I think you've heard us say before we don't have a perfect figure of how many are in Afghanistan, let alone Kabul. And as the general said, if you're an American and you're at a gate, you'll be let in that gate.
The State Department is doing the best job they can to advise Americans who still haven't made it to the airport, what the situation looks like around the airport. And that would be the prudent thing to do.
And as you also heard the president make clear yesterday, that we're going to continue to explore options to assist Americans as needed. We will do that. We will do that here at the Pentagon. If there's a need to do something different than what we are already doing to facilitate them getting into the airport, then we'll certainly consider those options.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there a separate advisory that goes out to Afghan nationals who have the visas in hand? I mean are they, too, being told, you know, the threat dynamic is dynamic. I mean, the threat situation is dynamic right now. Be aware?
KIRBY: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, are they getting similar messages?
KIRBY: I would have to refer you to the State Department. My understanding is that there is a -- that there's ways to communicate to that population, but how that's done, that's not a DOD equity. I wouldn't be able to speak to that with any great clarity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Since the mission with the three chinooks that rescued the 169 Americans, have there been any other airlift rescue operations? And Is that maybe a way that other Americans who are still stranded might be able to get to the airport?
KIRBY: No. I won't speculate about the potential future operations going forward.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: General Taylor, question for you. You talked about the throughput and increasing the throughput --
TAYLOR: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- of Afghans. Can you talk about the different bases that are opening up, and how is that sorting done? How did three aircraft go straight to Dulles and then go straight to bliss, and then some go to Germany? How are these decisions being made?
TAYLOR: So as flights are manifested, meaning the roster that's put together at HKIA of who is on those aircraft, then a decision is made of where that, you know, could go to.
[11:19:51]
TAYLOR: Let's say, you know, some flights were going into Qatar to take folks to there, so that Afghans could then be held there, you know, temporarily. And then waiting for other flights to go. So what we're trying to do is keep the airflow that is in the theater, right, from having to go far, that continue to drop people off, to allow other flights to take from Qatar forward to, for instance, into Dulles.
So, you know, it depends on how many folks we have. What is it -- a full flight of SIV? Is it other Afghans? Is it, you know, Americans? So that is just extremely dynamic. And you know, with TransCom and the commander says those manifests are done, they makes those decisions, you know, the spot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So the idea that only SIVs have been fully processed are going to be coming into the U.S. for now? Or will there be a situation where any of the Afghans that are evacuated will be brought onto bases and then work through the system once they're here?
TAYLOR: So it's very important that we will continue to do the full screening and vetting process that takes place from the beginning all the way to making a final decision of where somebody goes.
I know we will continue that. And then going back to right now, the guidance is and will continue, is to continue to increase our outflows to make that happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: General?
TAYLOR: Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is the American flag flying at the airport in Kabul right now?
TAYLOR: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was some talk from veterans, people who served in Afghanistan, that the U.S. embassy, which cost nearly $800 million to build, why was that closed and the flag taken to the airport? Shouldn't the flag come down last from an embassy when conducting an evacuation?
TAYLOR: I can't speak for the decisions the embassy makes and what they've done. I know that embassy operations our consul operations continue on Kabul Airport.
And as you know, at the military headquarters where U.S. personnel are continuing to execute the mission, the flag flies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But when evacuating a country, doesn't the American flag come down from the embassy last? That's what a lot of veterans are saying.
TAYLOR: All I was just going to say is the fact the flag continues to fly and the mission continues right now.
KIRBY: Ok. Just a couple more. Courtney?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One for each of you. John, Congressman McCarthy put out a statement last night saying that, within moments of President Biden saying that we've succeeded in Afghanistan, Secretary Austin and General Milley provided a bleak assessment of the situation on the ground. And that he is saying that Secretary Austin specifically acknowledged that Americans were being beaten on their way to the airport.
Can you give us any more detail about what -- who these Americans are that Secretary Austin was talking about?
KIRBY: Courtney, we've actually been talking about this for several days here, here at this particular podium. We know of cases, a small number that we know of. We don't have perfect visibility, but we know of a small number of cases where some Americans, and certainly as the secretary also said in that statement, Afghans.
Afghans that we want to evacuate. It wasn't just Americans that he talked about. Have been harassed and, in some cases, beaten. We don't believe it is a very large number. Matter of fact, the numbers would indicate, and I've said this before, that most -- by and large, most Americans who have their credentials with them are being allowed through the Taliban checkpoints and on to the gate and onto -- into the gate and onto the airfield.
So by and large, most Americans are having no problems that we're aware of. Now, I have to caveat it and I'll do it again and I've done it every day. We are aware of sporadic cases where they aren't being allowed, where there is some harassment going on and, yes, some physical violence has occurred.
And as the secretary has made clear and he made clear in the phone call, that's unacceptable. And Admiral (INAUDIBLE) has made that clear to the Taliban commanders that he is talking to, that it is unacceptable.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What I'm wondering is the cases that the secretary was talking to the members about were those occurring yesterday? I mean, are these recent, or are we talking about cases that were --
KIRBY: Over the course of the last week, we have become -- we have been made aware of this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: More cases since the U.S. started talking to the Taliban and telling them not to do this?
KIRBY: I don't have an exactly breakdown day by day, Courtney. I mean we've been in touch with the Taliban for quite some time. I think over the course of the last week, we've certainly made our concerns known.
[11:24:56]
KIRBY: And I think equally frustrating is the fact that not -- what appears to be happening is that not every Taliban fighter either got the word or decided to obey the word. And I can't speak to the Taliban command and control. But by and large, and for the most part, Americans with their credentials are being given the passage they need through the checkpoints and are getting onto the field. Again, security conditions permitting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And just one more for you, General Taylor. There were some reports overnight on social media, including some pictures showing empty C-17s flying out, some passengers saying that they were virtually empty when leaving.
Is that the case? Do we have any sense of -- are some aircraft leaving Kabul Airport relatively empty without evacuees? And if so, why?
TAYLOR: First, you know, that flight cycle continues. You know, and what the commanders on the ground know is to continue to evacuate and ensure everybody gets out as fast as possible.
What we don't know is maybe on that situation, which I'm not aware of that exact flight, might have had a different mission, to do something else. So I can't answer that.
But what I do know, as you've seen in our throughput, is that we are getting those that are ready to fly, that have been fully screened and ready to fly, on aircraft and moving to onward destinations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But the 3,800 that you mentioned in your opening statement, that is -- those are including the 32 charters that went out and other --
TAYLOR: That's correct.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do we know how many were on (INAUDIBLE) C-17s, do you know how many people are in those sites?
TAYLOR: Approximately 1,600.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
KIRBY: Ok. Last one. Eric.
(CROSSTALK).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: General -- 17,000 have been evacuated. Do you know roughly how many have gone to that initial wave stop whether it's Qatar or now as we learned yesterday, the UAE and Bahrain, also took some of those initial flights?
And is the Qatar facility essentially full at this point, you're going to have to permanently transition to some of these other intermediate way stations?
TAYLOR: As you remember we talked about the number that continue to move, I just want to talk about Qatar, you know, specifically. There was time period yesterday where we delayed flights going in there to allow other flights to leave, to ensure that the current capacity of Qatar which was really well done there, to continue to build that capacity so fast.
To allow those flights to depart before we bring flights in. Now that we have Ramstein (ph) open also, like I mentioned earlier, that will allow us today, in the next 24, is the plan to assess to get back into numbers that we saw the day before and moving them out.
KIRBY: Ok. Thanks, everybody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quick one.
KIRBY: We have to get going.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Has the terrorist threat against the United States increased as the Taliban took over the country?
(END OF LIVE EVENT)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Right there, getting Pentagon briefing there. And what we're hearing is it is continuing to be a very fluid situation there in and around Afghanistan.
We heard from authorities there, saying the primary issue continues to be the primary mission. Continues to be a non-combatant evacuation.
And thus far, 17,000 have been evacuated and that includes 2,500 Americans. And just within the last couple of hours, three flights have landed at Washington Dulles Airport.
We've got team coverage on the latest developments. Let's go first live to CNN's Oren Liebermann at the Pentagon there. So, Oren, certainly, they were trying to give as much information as possible, but still a lot of questions remain.
Primarily, however, they made it very clear that there is access for Americans who want to leave out of that airport, even though the situation remains tenuous.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So at first, the biggest bottleneck was processing. They were trying to process all of these people, Americans and Afghans who are coming to the airport.
Now, the bottleneck, the stoppage, what's causing these delays and the lower numbers we're seeing of people moving out of Kabul International Airport has changed from the ability to process to simply where do you put these people?
And both John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary, as well as General Taylor, director of operations spoke to that. Qatar filled up and that was the first place to take Afghan evacuees. And they needed time to get people out of Qatar to Ramstein, the other places, to Dulles, so they could be moved to Fort Bliss in Texas, so they could fly both more people out of Afghanistan and more people into Qatar and out of the country. And we see that in the lower numbers. In a 24-hour span, there were six 17s with 1,600 people on board. In the 24 hours previous, the numbers were more than triple that. 15 or 16 c-17s with some 6,000 people. And that's a result of the bottleneck in processing.
He said it right at the end there, General Taylor. They're trying to get to the higher numbers, but it is a scramble now to find more places, not only to take these passengers, both Americans and others, but also to get those places ready so quickly.
[11:29:54]
LIEBERMANN: That's why we're seeing these delays. And that's why the general said they are -- the word he used was metering. There are closures of the gates at Kabul International Airport to limit the number of people that can get in. Because there's only so many people they can process and move there.
And that's part of the challenge here as they try to move this forward as quickly as possible.
General Taylor also said there is no change. And I'll look at his exact words here -- no reported change to the current enemy situation. That, of course, raises the question about the U.S. embassy notification to Americans to wait until instructed to go to Kabul International Airport.
We were looking and asking for more information about what prompted that, but there wasn't a clear answer to the question. They simply won't talk about the threat assessment and the threat environment. The only key there was General Taylor saying there's been no reported change to the current enemy situation.
So that's something we'll keep an eye on as they try to move people through this process. We do know there were other flights, as well -- 32 charter flights. And that doesn't include other flights from other militaries getting their own people out.
WHITFIELD: And then, Oren, part of the confusion, too, is General Taylor, while he said that U.S. forces have the ability to manage the gates at the airport, at the same time, there has been at least one notice sent out to Americans who are in Afghanistan to say it is dangerous at the airport, so stay where you are.
So does the Pentagon feel like or do we feel like there was an adequate response coming from the Pentagon on whether mixed messaging is also a sizable problem for Americans who are trying to get out?
LIEBERMANN: Well, mixed messaging has certainly been a matter of confusion. We've seen it here and we've asked about this. Our colleagues at State have asked about this, as well.
And I can only imagine what that does to Americans who are trying to get out of the country. And that's what we were seeking clarity on. Is there a new security threat in and around the airport from the Taliban, from al Qaeda, from ISISK, or is it simply telling Americans to hold on until they can clear these bottlenecks and get more people moving in and out of the airport?
That's a question we're looking for an answer to. We haven't gotten clarity on that situation just yet.
WHITFIELD: All right. Oren at the Pentagon, thanks so much.
Let's go to the White House now where we find Jasmine Wright. Jasmine, what is the message coming out of the White House on this Saturday?
JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, officials just told reporters, Fred, that President Biden will not be making his scheduled trip to Wilmington. Instead, he will stay here at the White House.
He was expected to go after he received a 10:16 briefing by his national security team. And earlier today, we saw Secretary of Defense General Austin, we saw his joint chief of staff Chairman Milley come in and really to give that briefing.
But I think what you heard today from the Pentagon was an extension of what President Biden himself said yesterday at the White House.
The top line was that he said that he would -- any American who wants to come home, we will get you home. And he took a step further than before saying that any Afghan translators or folks who works with the U.S. over that 20-year war, if they wanted to come, he would get them out.
And so -- but one thing I think that we heard from John Kirby is something we've heard from officials -- that they don't know exactly how many Americans.
And when we heard that Americans are currently in Afghanistan, when we heard that overall update from Kirby just now, he says that he doesn't know how many Americans have been evacuated out of that 17,000 number.
Just clearly demonstrating how difficult and what a large mission it is to get these people out and get them out safely.
And one of the other things that I think we heard yesterday from President Biden was when he said that he had no indications of Americans not being able to get to the airport safely.
And as we heard from that Pentagon briefing, Fred, a lot of those questions were around the security of the airport, whether or not the security situation has changed.
So that is something, as Oren just said, we'll be looking to hear enough about. Because it's one thing to try to get folks out and try to get them processed, but it is another thing to make sure that Americans and those Afghans who have worked with the U.S. can actually get to the airport to get out safely, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Jasmine Wright at the White House, thanks so much.
CNN global affairs analyst Kim Dozier also with us here. And Kim, we heard John Kirby and the general talk about the continued volatility there in Afghanistan. And while the mission is this non-combatant airport operation, because of reports of harassment and possibly even beatings, including, you know, the Taliban against Americans, the window and the doors are open. Are they not, for any kind of potential U.S. military engagement.
The Pentagon not being specific about whether that would be ground or air, but it is there, isn't it?
KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, the potential for some sort of clash is there, absolutely, especially if troops stay beyond August 31st when the Taliban have indicated they will announce their official government and we'll get to see whether they include members of the past government.
[11:34:50]
DOZIER: The problem is, as Jasmine was saying, it's safe passage to the airport for Americans, Americans who are dual citizens, or all of those other people that President Biden has promised safe passage out.
People like Afghans who worked for U.S. media companies, non-profit types, women, lawyers and journalists, people who feel threatened. I'm hearing from a network of Americans and others who are trying to get these people out. They can't tell them to go to the airport because there's -- many of them have either been turned away, some beaten by the Taliban and missed their flights.
They don't have third countries willing to accept them. And the State Department hasn't yet given us an answer on these categories that you've now said the U.S. is going to take. Where are they allowed to go?
Just weeks ago, when they announced this new P-2 category for people who used to work for the U.S. media, they said, you can't even apply for it until you leave the country.
Well Now, they've said they'll take them, but where do they go? So I'm talking to people who are trying to organize charters.
The other thing is, they're only being given permission to land and take off in an hour. How do you get a plane filled and take off in that short amount of time when you've got such chaos at the airport? All of these questions remain unanswered.
WHITFIELD: Yes. And we've seen some of the pictures giving us a little taste of just how chaotic it looks and it is.
Thank you so much, Kim Dozier.
CNN's Atika Shubert is on the ground at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, one of the places now receiving Afghan evacuees.
What can you tell us about what's happening there?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. It is a huge logistical effort. What we're seeing at the moment is 15 flights have already landed here. They started arriving yesterday evening. They come very regularly, one after the other.
There are now already almost 2,000 evacuees that have been settled here. More are arriving. Now, the capacity here at the moment is 5,000. That could grow to 7,500. And clearly, there is the need for that.
But as was pointed out in that presser, it takes time to get all those facilities up and running. What we went into the base earlier today, we saw a flight arriving, and it really is -- it really is heartbreak to see a lot of these people.
They're happy to be here, relieved. They have got smiles on their faces but also they've left family members behind.
Now, when they get off the plane here, these huge C-17 globe master planes, they can take in anywhere between 75 to 400 people at a time. Once they get off, they're met by an imam who welcomes them to the base. They get a medical check, ID check, and then they're settled at temporary quarters.
But they're only expected to be here for a few days. They can't stay for long.
WHITFIELD: All right. Atika Schubert in Germany. Kim Dozier, Jasmine Wright, Oren Liebermann -- thanks to all of you. Appreciate it.
All right. We're also following this breaking news. Henri has just strengthened to a category one hurricane. And more than 40 million people are in its path. We'll have the latest track when we come back.
[11:38:05]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Tropical Storm Henri is now a hurricane. It strengthened into a Category 1 storm just a short time ago. With me now meteorologist Allison Chinchar at the CNN Weather Center, Allison.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that's right, Fred. Now we wanted to mention, and very important factor, just because it is now a hurricane as opposed to a tropical storm, the impacts expected for the northeast have not changed. Sustained winds are up around 75 miles per hour, gusting to 90. Now, the forward movement also ticked up ever so slightly, now up to 14 miles per hour.
We've also seen an expansion of our tropical storm warnings. That's the blue color you see here. And the hurricane warnings, those are in red.
As of right now, we anticipate landfall will likely be over Long Island around lunchtime tomorrow. Fred, we'll give more information on the impacts coming up in a little bit.
WHITFIELD: All right. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much.
All right. Federal officials tell CNN that full FDA approval of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is imminent and could come as soon as Monday.
Joining me right now is dr. Megan Ranney, a professor emergency medicine and the associate dean of public health at Brown University. Dr. Ranney, so good to see you. So you've been calling for the FDA to issue full approval since June.
Immunocompromised people are getting already their third shot. I have three members of my family who already got their third shot, yay.
Ok. So how much of a difference will this make for the masses to receive it.
DR. MEGAN RANNEY, BROWN UNIVERSITY: This FDA approval cannot come a moment too soon, Fred. I can't overstate how important this is on multiple fronts.
The first thing is, there is a group of those folks who have not gotten the vaccine yet, who say that it is purely because the FDA still has the vaccine under emergency use authorization. So it'll clear the way for those folks to get the vaccine.
The second thing is, it is going to open up a path for a number of organizations across the United States to mandate the vaccine for those who work for them. Most importantly, the U.S. military. Right.
So that's going to have a huge impact on the vaccination rates of our country and on the safety of our troops and their families.
And then the third thing is that with this full approval in hand, we're going to have a chance to message again about the safety and effectiveness of this vaccine.
We can help to fill the airwaves and the newspapers and social media with messages about what a difference this vaccine makes in terms of preventing hospitalization and death, even in the face of the delta variant.
WHITFIELD: And then what is the timetable you see between full FDA approval of a third dose for everybody who would be eligible and it actually happening?
[11:44:49]
DR. RANNEY: So my understanding is that once they get full approval for the Pfizer vaccine, which is the one that we're looking at seeing approved tomorrow or the next day, then Pfizer is going to be submitting data for approval of that third dose for everyone.
Based on prior cycles during the pandemic, we're expecting that to take somewhere between two and four weeks. Obviously I, like most of us, have not seen that data yet, so I'm waiting to fully recommend the third dose for everyone until I have seen the data.
WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. Megan Ranney, thank you so much.
DR. RANNEY: Thank you. WHITFIELD: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:49:49]
WHITFIELD: All right. As we watch the scenes unfold in Afghanistan, the desperation to evacuate, I mean it is heart wrenching. I want to bring in now Dan Blakeley. He is the coauthor of a book called "The Twenty Year War" and that will be released on 9/11.
It's a photo journal dedicated to veterans of the global war on terrorism. He's the CEO of United Valor and he served in the 75th Ranger Regiment including tours in Afghanistan.
He was with us last weekend, if you recall, and he's back with us now with a look at all that we have witnessed this week.
Dan, what goes through your mind, you know, particularly when we saw the first images this week of the desperation, people running after the aircraft, the barbed wire here, the reports now of people being beaten and we've seen video of the scuffles. What's going through your mind?
DAN BLAKELEY, CEO, UNITED VALOR: Again, my heart breaks for the Afghan people, you know, and the American people that are left in Afghanistan. Not only our partners and our allies, but everybody who has a connection to the United States.
And it's something that's going to be images that will be ingrained in many people's minds for months and months and years to come.
You know, I've heard multiple people say this, especially when you saw the people falling from the plane that this last week has really been Afghanistan's 9/11 and it's really frustrating to see this come full circle with a country that we've committed so much time the last 20 years.
WHITFIELD: And Dan, perhaps you saw the Pentagon briefing just at the top of this hour. And it has been made clear from the Pentagon that this is a noncombatant evacuation. This is the primary mission.
Thus far 17,000 people have been evacuated, including 2,500 Americans. We know there are yet thousands more who are desperate to get out. Do you believe the U.S. will be able meet the goal of getting everyone out who wants to come out?
BLAKELEY: I really hope so. You know, the press secretary said it over and over again, it's fluid and dynamic and I can't agree more. It absolutely is.
My hope as somebody who's been on the ground before that, you know, the escalation path is going to be clear enough to where people can make a call on the ground that really can make an adjustment for the safety and security for people to get through the checkpoints and for them to get to the airport. But unfortunately I think there's going to be people that are going to be stranded out in the outer provinces that can't get to the airport, that can't get through the checkpoints, that are going to unfortunately be sheltered in place.
You know, I know of a pair of twins, that are 15-year-olds girls who were separated from their parents who are right now sheltered in place in Kabul that cannot make it to the airport. And I don't -- we're trying to figure out how to get them out. And it's frustrating to see situations like this unfold throughout the country.
WHITFIELD: And I should say documented Americans who want to come out and those with special immigrant visas who want to get out whether they will all be able to get out.
So I wonder, Dan, real quickly. What happens -- what do you think is going through any of these military members' minds when they are being handed a baby, a small child, the family so desperate that they'll let their kids go if only they can get on the flight? What do you think those military members were feel and thinking?
BLAKELEY: You know, in the military you try and find calm in chaos. You try and find, you know, that little piece of thread that you can cling to that's going to keep you in the fight, keep you connected to it.
And to see situations like that unfold over and over again is, again, just heartbreaking. But I know our U.S. military and I know how strong they are and how capable they are.
And just to make sure that they have the ability to make decisions like that on the fly and really make sure that they are there for the Afghan people. And I think, you know, we're showing that over and over again, I've been inspired this entire week by how many veterans have gotten together to really work with NGOs and private companies to raise funds and get, you know, private planes into Kabul to make sure that not only the military side is working but also the civilian side so that we can get as many people out as possible.
WHITFIELD: You are absolutely right. It's both inspiring and crushing because I mean, I just couldn't help -- I can't even imagine what it is to have had to make that decision to hand your kid off and hope against hope that all will be much better for them on the other end.
Dan Blakeley, thank you so much, appreciate it. Thank you for your service.
BLAKELEY: Thank you, Fred. Thank you.
WHITFIELD: We're back in a moment.
[11:54:25]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. We're just a few hours away from "WE LOVE NEW YORK CITY: THE HOMECOMING CONCERT".
CNN's Shimon Prokupecz is near New York's Central Park where the concert will take place. Shimon -- so nice to see you smiling. What can we expect?
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It feels good to smile. I tell you, it's going to be really, really exciting here. So in just about a couple of hours, people will start streaming in here. It'll be about 60,000 people inside this park enjoying the amazing, amazing concert.
It's really a star studded event. When you think of the people, the performers that are going to gathered here -- Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, LL Cool J -- just some of the names that are going to be here. Going to be performing.
The city is definitely excited about this. One of the things, of course, you have to be vaccinated to attend this but they're also trying to use this as a way to try and encourage people all across the country to get vaccinated. To say, you know what if you want to come to concerts, if you want to do events, if you want to go to shows, you should get vaccinated.
[11:59:59]
PROKUPECZ: So that is one of the big themes here, but of course, everyone here very excited, hoping things get under way here. And it's going to be an exciting day. It's going to be an exciting, exciting night.
