Afghanistan – US considers ordering commercial airlines to help evacuate Afghan citizens

Madrid, 22 (Europa Press)

The US Defense Department has argued that the decision to activate the Civil Reserve Air Fleet is a “first” decision to order commercial airlines to assist with the evacuation process for Afghans.

US President Joe Biden’s administration plans to increase the presence of planes in Kabul, forcing commercial airlines to help evacuate thousands of people from Afghanistan, while expanding the number of bases. The US military that can keep citizens of the Asian country, as put forward by the newspaper ‘The Wall Street Journal’.

Thus, the White House is expected to activate the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, a mechanism created in 1952 to provide about twenty commercial aircraft of up to five companies to augment the Pentagon’s military efforts to evacuate Afghans. .

The participation of commercial aircraft will ease pressure on bases that are rapidly filling up with Afghan evacuees as the United States expands its efforts to remove them from Kabul airport as the Taliban tries to consolidate their rule.

For his part, the Pentagon’s press secretary, John Kirby, detailed to the media this Saturday that the United States plans to open up other areas of destination for aircraft, including Afghan evacuations, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Used to be.

After leaving Afghanistan, the evacuated will be transferred to the United States at the Fort Bliss base in Texas; Fort Lee in Virginia; Or for Fort McCoy, in the state of Wisconsin, Kirby has settled.