White House hails 'businesslike' and 'professional' Taliban for aid in flight out of Afghanistan

The White House released a statement Thursday praising the “businesslike” and “professional” Taliban for its cooperation with the departure of U.S. citizens and lawful residents via a charter flight.

President Joe Biden’s administration has repeatedly assured the public that evacuations from Afghanistan would continue after last month’s withdrawal and that the United States would have sufficient leverage to ensure Taliban cooperation even without officials there.

“The Taliban have been cooperative in facilitating the departure of American citizens and lawful permanent residents on charter flights from [Hamid Karzai International Airport],” National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said. “They have shown flexibility, and they have been businesslike and professional in our dealings with them in this effort. This is a positive first step.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the Taliban “are not permitting” charter flights out of a city in Afghanistan and acknowledged “complications” in getting Americans and allies out of the country.