Anonymous U.S. Official: Taliban Offered to Let US Take Control of Kabul, Biden Admin Said No, Just Needed Airport

U.S. official that spoke to the Washington Post on the condition of anonymity describes a decision presented to the Biden administration during meetings with the Taliban. According to the official, the Taliban’s Abdul Ghani Baradar stated, “we have a problem.” Then continued, “we have two options to deal with it: You [the U.S. military] take responsibility for securing Kabul or you have to allow us to do it.”

Journalist Noah Rothman tweeted the Post’s article with the comment, “this report alleges that the head of the Taliban political wing offered to all but cede Kabul to the US and Biden declined.”

The meeting took place as Afghanistan President Ghani fled the country and U.S. military officials met with Taliban’s leaders in Doha, Qatar to discuss the fate of the country. General Kenneth McKenzie Jr, Commander of the U.S. Central Command (USCC) “reportedly communicated to Baradar that the U.S. military’s only objective was to evacuate American citizens and Afghan allies out of Kabul, for which the airport was needed” reports the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“At the meeting, the two parties reportedly reached an agreement; the U.S. would control the Kabul airport until the Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline, and the Taliban would advance into Kabul, despite an earlier deal with the U.S.-backed government of Afghanistan, according to WaPo,” writes DCNF.