WASHINGTON — Just weeks before the U.S. military is scheduled to complete its withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Pentagon is rushing 3,000 fresh troops to the Kabul airport to help with a partial evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
The move highlights the stunning speed of a Taliban takeover of much of the country, including their capture of Kandahar, the second-largest city and the birthplace of the Taliban movement.
The State Department says the embassy will continue functioning.
"Our embassy remains open and our diplomatic mission will endure," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Thursday, according to NPR.
Thursday’s dramatic decision to bring in thousands of additional U.S. troops is a sign of waning confidence in the Afghan government’s ability to hold off the Taliban surge.
The U.S. plans to completely withdraw from the country by Aug. 31.