Non-essential US embassy staff ordered out of Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): Non-essential staff members have been ordered to leave the US embassy in Kabul with immediate effect.

The State Department’s orders came on Wednesday amid increasing threats as the US military prepares to end its 20-year presence in Afghanistan.

In a travel advisory, the State Department “ordered the departure from the US embassy in Kabul of US government employees whose functions can be performed elsewhere.”

Meanwhile, the acting US ambassador confirmed in a tweet the State Department took the decision in light of increasing violence and threat reports in Kabul.

The order affected a relatively small number of employees, Ross Wilson said, adding the embassy would remain operational.

He wrote: “Personnel who are urgently needed to address issues related to the pullout of US forces and the vital work we are doing in support of the Afghan people will be able to remain in place.”

A day earlier, US Central Command chief Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, said in a statement the Biden administration remained committed to keeping a functioning embassy in Kabul.

He said “It is our intention to maintain an embassy in Afghanistan going forward. But we’ll have a very, very minimal military presence there – that which is strictly necessary to defend the embassy.”

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