Afghanistian War; Talibans Declares Amnesty.

The Taliban has declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan and asked women to join its administration, attempting to ease anxieties in a tense capital city where hundreds had flocked to the city’s international airport in a desperate attempt to flee the day before.

Evacuation flights from Afghanistan started on Tuesday after a Western security official told Reuters that the Kabul airport’s tarmac and runway — which US soldiers control – were now clear of people.

See also Afghanistian War; President Flees as Taliban Enters Presidential Palace

According to the official, military flights transporting diplomats and civilians from Afghanistan have begun to take off.

At least seven individuals were killed in the turmoil on Monday, including several civilians who clung to the sides of a plane as it took off.

In Washington, DC, US President Joe Biden said he supported his decision to remove troops from Afghanistan and slammed the country’s former Western-backed leadership for failing to confront the Taliban.

“I stand squarely behind my decision,” he said in a televised address from the White House. “After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw US forces.”

The Taliban have meanwhile declared the war in Afghanistan over and a senior leader said the group would wait until foreign forces had left before creating a new governance structure.

China said it was ready for “friendly relations” with the Taliban, while Russia and Iran also made diplomatic overtures.