US may close Kabul embassy after troop pullout

KABUL (Pajhwok): American diplomats may not stay in Afghanistan after the departure of US military personnel on Tuesday (tomorrow).

With the troop pullout, a two-decade mission of one of the largest American embassies in the world would close, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday.

The New York Times, citing unnamed officials, reported the US could open a diplomatic mission in a country elsewhere in the region.

This will help continue helping an expected new wave of refugees obtain necessary departure documents, according to the newspaper.

The mission is expected to be based in Pakistan or the United Arab Emirates, where many Afghans were living, one official told the daily.

“In terms of having an on-the-ground diplomatic presence (in Kabul) on Sept. 1, that’s not likely to happen,” Blinken told NBC News on Sunday.

However, he explained the US remained committed to helping people leave the country before or after the American pullout.

PAN Monitor/mud

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