: Americans and Afghans Brace for the Siege of Kabul #WorldNEWS As Taliban militants wrest control of Afghanistan by seizing one major city after another, Afghan leaders are scrambling to develop a strategy

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Americans and Afghans Brace for the Siege of Kabul #WorldNEWS
As Taliban militants wrest control of Afghanistan by seizing one major city after another, Afghan leaders are scrambling to develop a strategy to defend the capital from the militants, while U. S. officials are taking steps to evacuate the sprawling U. S. Embassy in the center of the city, should Kabul fall.
Just as the U. S. deadline to withdraw from the country approaches on Aug. 31, Afghan forces have collapsed on nearly all fronts in the face of an eight-day blitz mounted by Taliban attacking cities in the north, east and south. The insurgents have captured more than a dozen provincial capitals, resulting in more than two-thirds of the country falling into their hands.
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In a rare call on Thursday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani sought guarantees from U. S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that American warplanes would provide air strikes against the insurgents to protect Kabul, current and former Afghan officials tell TIME. The same day, the Pentagon announced plans to send about 3,000 U. S. troops back into the city to help evacuate the American embassy and Afghan civilians who helped with the U. S. -led war effort.
The Biden Administration has thus far only committed to a limited air campaign supporting Afghan forces battling the insurgency. But U. S. officials say there will be U. S. air cover in support of the thousands of newly announced American troops heading to Kabul to complete U. S. military withdrawal.

Jim Huylebroek—The New York Times/ReuxA police outpost, that was destroyed by the Taliban, in Kandahar, Afghanistan on Aug. 4, 2021.
“If these forces are attacked, and threatened, we have the ability, the right of self defense, and we will respond in a forceful and appropriate way,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday. Administration officials refused to comment directly on Ghani’s request, nor would Ghani’s office respond to requests for comment.
The rapidly deteriorating security situation has led the U. S. government and many outside observers to wonder when—not if—the Taliban will topple Kabul. Over the past month, the group has methodically encircled the capital and cut off critical supply routes in and out of the city. U. S. intelligence assessments initially estimated that Afghan security forces could stave off Taliban offensives against major population centers, like Kabul, for a year or possibly more. The latest intelligence reports say the nation’s capital may be vulnerable within 30 days, or less, a current U. S. official says.
The de-facto U. S. air support over the capital will be ongoing at least until Aug.

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