The Pentagon Is Calling On 6 U.S. Airlines To Help With The Afghan Evacuation Effort

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American Airlines passenger jets prepare for departure at Boston Logan International Airport in July. American is one of six airlines the Pentagon is turning to for assistance with the Afghan evacuation effort.

Steven Senne/AP

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Steven Senne/AP

Politics
‘We Will Get You Home’, Biden Tells Americans In Kabul And Vows To Help Afghan Allies

Kirby said that activating the CRAF program will better allow «military aircraft to focus on operations in and out of Kabul.»

The Defense Department does not anticipate that the CRAF activation will cause major impact to the commercial airliners participating in the program, according to Kirby.

The Pentagon says this is the third time the CRAF program has been used. It was first activated from Aug. 1990 to May 1991 during Operation Desert Storm and then again from Feb. 2002 to June 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Asia
She Fled Saigon As A Child. Now She’s Seeing Parallels In Afghanistan

The situation in Kabul has remained chaotic since the Taliban took over Afghanistan’s capital city on Aug. 15. Panicked crowds continue to try to make their way to the airport, which has been guarded by insurgent fighters. The Associated Press reported Sunday that seven Afghan citizens had been killed at the airport.

Maj. General William «Hank» Taylor said Saturday that the U.S. has so far evacuated 17,000 people from Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the country.

In a Wednesday interview with ABC News, President Biden said there were between 10,000 and 15,000 Americans and between 50,000 and 65,000 Afghans waiting to leave the country.