Another provincial capital fell to the Taliban overnight, Pul-e-Alam in Logar province, only 70 km from Kabul, just as the first U.S. troops arrived for the evacuation. The gain of the city, a key staging post for a potential assault on Kabul, comes a day after the insurgents took the country’s second- and third-biggest cities, reports Reuters. Despite the rapid advances made by the Taliban over the past week or so, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby insisted yesterday that Kabul is not in imminent danger. “Kabul is not right now in an imminent threat environment, but clearly ... if you just look at what the Taliban has been doing, you can see that they are trying to isolate Kabul,” he said.
The State Department apparently disagrees with the Pentagon assessment, however, as CNN reports that the Embassy in Kabul has instructed its staff to destroy sensitive documents and materials as well as items “which could be misused in propaganda efforts.” The management notice “underscores the dire situation on the ground in Afghanistan as cities continue to fall to the Taliban,” says CNN. On Friday, Aug. 13, the embassy notice said facilities would provide “destruction support” daily and called on personnel to “please take advantage and reduce the amount of sensitive material on the property,” including papers and electronics. “Please also include items with embassy or agency logos, American flags, or items which could be misused in propaganda efforts,” it said.
“Drawdowns at our diplomatic posts around the world follow a standard operating procedure designed to minimize our footprint across various categories, including staffing, equipment, and supplies. Embassy Kabul is conducting their drawdown in accordance with this standard operating procedure,” a State Department official told CNN. CNN also reported that officials are considering relocating the U.S. Embassy from downtown Kabul to the airport.
In Herat, the insurgents added insult to injury by circulating imagery of warlord Ismail Khan in their custody, reported The Associated Press. Khan was one of those who was supposed to help the Afghan army by contributing to the popular uprising forces but once he got to Herat, he apparently surrendered without putting up much of a fight. The Taliban also reportedly captured two Blackhawk helicopters along with other equipment that the U.S. had supplied to the Afghan army.
