‘We helped America, now they have to help us’: Afghan aides with papers tell CNN they need to be evacuated

CNN reporter says Taliban knows that ‘having thousands of people on the streets desperately trying to press into the airport because they’re so frightened’ looks bad

The difference between the rhetoric of government officials and the reality on the ground outside the Kabul airport became stark as CNN spoke to two Afghan men with US connections struggling to get past the Taliban to get out of the country despite assurances of safe passage.

CNN’s chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward spoke to two Afghan men less than 200 yards away from the Kabul airport on Wednesday. Both men urged the US to help them get out of the country.

Ms ward said that there was “bumper-to-bumper” traffic leading to the airport and that cars were “barely moving”.

“There are Taliban fighters all around,” she said.

“It’s definitely chaotic. It’s definitely dangerous,” she added.

“The Taliban appears to be trying to disperse the crowds,” outside the airport Ms Ward said, as gunfire could be heard in the background, explaining that young men had been running at the Taliban fighters and then quickly moving away “almost like it’s a game”. “They’re firing to disperse the crowds, they’re not targeting people. They’re not trying to kill people, but of course, the minute you’re firing willy-nilly when you have a bunch of civilians all over the road and civilian vehicles, people get hurt. That’s what happens.”

One of the men in the crowd surrounding the CNN crew told the broadcaster that “most of the people here” had worked with the Americans.

“We all have documents, the recommendations – everything,” he added. “Joe Biden, every day, they announce we take these guys that are working with the American[s] ... But they are liars.”

The man described the struggle to find the right documentation of their work with the US government and its contractors, being told they needed an HR letter from this year despite having worked for a company that shut down in 2014. He said many were in a similar situation.

“Our message to America, we help the American people so that’s their jobs to help now, right now here. This is a very bad situation – if the Taliban know that you worked with somebody, soldiers, they take you to ... jail,” he added.

Another man appeared to show an image of his US green card on his phone to the CNN crew.

“I have flights on August 20, this Friday,” he said, adding that he had already filled out an application at the US embassy, which was evacuated over the weekend. The man also appeared to show emails he had received from the US embassy.

Trying to get into the airport, he said the Taliban seemingly lied, telling him there weren’t any flights, despite his documentation.

“They don’t know anything,” the man told CNN.

“We helped America, now they have to help us,” one person said.

On Tuesday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said: “The Taliban have informed us that they are prepared to provide the safe passage of civilians to the airport, and we intend to hold them to that commitment.”

“We believe that this can go till the 31st. We are talking to them about what the exact timetable is for how this will all play out, and I don’t want to negotiate in public on working out the best modality to get the most people out in the most efficient way,” Mr Sullivan added.

But the State Department issued a safety alert on Wednesday, saying that the US government “cannot ensure safe passage to the Hamid Karzai International Airport”.

“Please be advised that a significant number of individuals have registered and space on these flights is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You may be required to wait at the airport for a significant amount of time until space is available,” the department added.

“The security situation in Kabul continues to change quickly, including at the airport,” the statement said. “Do not travel to the airport until you have been informed by email that departure options exist.”

The chairman of the joint chief of staffs General Mark Milley said during a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon that the security at the airfield was stable and that the Taliban was not currently interfering with US evacuation efforts. He added that 5,000 people have been evacuated in the last 24 hours and that the State Department was working on increasing the number of people available for evacuation. The US military is processing around 500 people an hour into the airport, the chairman added.

During the same press conference, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin was asked what the US military can do for Americans who can’t get to the airport. “We don’t have the capability to go out and collect up large numbers of people,” he said.

“I don’t have the capability to go out and extend operations currently into Kabul,” he added when he was pressed by reporters.