Biden to Give Update on Afghanistan, Hurricane Henri on Sunday Afternoon
Delaware, District of Columbia, International | August 22, 2021
President Joe Biden will address the nation at 4 p.m. EDT on Sunday with updates on the evacuation from Afghanistan and the impact of Hurricane Henri.
Biden received a briefing from his national security team on Saturday “to hear intelligence, security, and diplomatic updates on the evolving situation in Afghanistan,” the White House said in a guidance email sent to reporters.
On Saturday, the president spoke to the leaders of Abu Dhabi and Spain to thank them for assisting the evacuation efforts. Biden thanked Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain for temporarily housing Afghans bound for the United States at military bases in Rota and Morón.
So far, 13 countries have agreed to host at-risk Afghans at least temporarily, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Another 12 have agreed to serve as transit points for evacuees, including Americans and others.
The Pentagon said on Saturday that 17,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan over the course of one week. Just 2,500 of the total were Americans, according to Army Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor, Joint Chiefs of Staff deputy director for regional operations. Estimates for the number of Americans in Afghanistan range from 10,000 to 15,000…. (Excerpts from the Epoch Times)