US still mulling type of footprint needed to secure airport and embassy

Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said in a press conference on Tuesday that discussions are still being held on the type of U.S. footprint needed in Afghanistan in order to protect American diplomats in the country.

In answer to a question about security at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul in order to keep an embassy presence for not only the United States but also for other countries after withdrawal, Kirby said the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin “recognizes the key hub that is the airport there in Kabul and the impact that will have not just (on) the United States but other nations in terms of their decisions about their own diplomatic presence.”

“So it is certainly a factor that is being brought into discussions and deliberations inside our government about what kind of a footprint would be required to help protect the work of our diplomats.

“The president (Joe Biden) has been clear that we will maintain a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan going forward. And again, as I said, that means having that airport be accessible and open. And we’re just not there yet in terms of what that looks like going forward,” he said.

While no decision had yet been taken, he said “clearly a measure of security at the Kabul Airport will be an important factor as we, again, pursue this new bilateral relationship with Afghanistan.”

Meanwhile, reacting to Republican Mitch McConnell criticizing the withdrawal of troops decision, Kirby said Biden has been very clear that our troops accomplished the mission for which they were sent to Afghanistan.

“And that was to prevent that country from being used a safe haven for terrorist attacks on our homeland and there hasn’t been another attack on the homeland emanating from Afghanistan since 9/11.

“So, the president believes the mission has been completed and he’s given us a new one. And that is to conduct a safe and orderly deliberate withdrawal from Afghanistan and that’s what we’re focused on right now. And so, the enemy at play here are terrorist attacks and terrorist groups that would do us harm.

“And again, the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan has been diminished. Not extinguished by any means but diminished. And that is also why the president has directed us to make sure that we can put in place an over the horizon capability so that we can continue to protect Americans from terrorist attacks emanating from that country and we’re going to do that, we’re working hard on that.”

Asked again by the number of troops in Afghanistan, Kirby said the U.S. could not reveal that information for security reasons stating “we are no longer talking about specific numbers in Afghanistan for all the reasons that I’ve covered with you guys before and that’s to maintain a measure of operational security.

“And so, we have definitely curtailed the delivery of some data with respect to Afghanistan for those reasons.”

Meanwhile, asked to clarify the term over-the-horizon counterterrorism capability, Kirby said the U.S. was “still putting the pieces together of exactly what” this would mean.

“I will add that — and you heard the secretary say this in Brussels, we already do have some over-the-horizon counter terrorism capabilities just by dent of forces we already have in the region, and other long-range capabilities that we have outside the region.