- Title: German Defence Minister says all German army and staff are now out of Kabul
- Date: 26th August 2021
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (AUGUST 26, 2021) (CORONA POOL) GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER ANNEGRET KRAMP-KARRENBAUER ARRIVING TO GIVE STATEMENT WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER, ANNEGRET KRAMP-KARRENBAUER, SAYING: "These were cowardly terrorist attacks that we all utterly condemn. Our thoughts and my thoughts are with the victims of these attacks, with those killed and wounded whether it is the civilians who were at the gate or the soldiers that were wounded during their service." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER, ANNEGRET KRAMP-KARRENBAUER, SAYING: "German soldiers were not hurt in these attacks, at this point there is no information as to the identity of the victims." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER, ANNEGRET KRAMP-KARRENBAUER, SAYING: "With these (the last German flights out) all German soldiers and members of the foreign ministry and the federal police who were running this mission for us on the ground have now been flown out of Kabul." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER, ANNEGRET KRAMP-KARRENBAUER, SAYING: "For the mission we flew in this afternoon, as was intended, an extra plane with medivac facilities which is there in the air, so that if the situation arises it can take on injured people and transport them to safety as part of the rescue chain." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER, ANNEGRET KRAMP-KARRENBAUER, SAYING: "My thoughts are now with those who are still in Kabul and Afghanistan after our last flight left Kabul. For these people the end of the air bridge is a moment of huge worry. And even after the end of the military evacuation mission we will stay responsible for them. The approvals to come stay in Germany that were given to them will remain valid to allow their entry into Germany." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER, ANNEGRET KRAMP-KARRENBAUER, SAYING: "The attacks that we saw today and that I have been warning about in the last days, including particularly this morning, made clear that an extension of the mission in Kabul was not possible. The security situation on the ground and the decision of the Taliban not to tolerate an extension beyond August 31 made this impossible." WHITE FLASH END OF STATEMENT
- Embargoed: 9th September 2021 18:37
- Keywords: Afghanistan Bundeswehr German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer Kabul airport Taliban evacuations explosion
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA001ERX47K7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: THIS EDIT CONTAINS WHITE FLASHES
A German hospital plane is on standby to fly to Kabul and help evacuate people that were injured in the attack at the airport, Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said on Thursday after Germany finished its airlift operations.
Two German soldiers who had not been able to make it to the evacuation point were flown to Tashkent using the medivac plane which will stay in Uzbekistan in case it is needed. Local media reported a German plane that had left had been diverted back to help.
"For the mission we flew in this afternoon, as was intended, an extra plane with medivac facilities which is there in the air so that if the situation arises it can take on injured people and transport them to safety as part of the rescue chain," Kramp-Karrenbauer said after condemning the attacks that killed and injured scores of people trying to flee the city.
"These were cowardly terrorist attacks that we all utterly condemn. Our thoughts and my thoughts are with the victims of these attacks, are with those killed and wounded whether it is the civilians who were at the gate or the soldiers that were wounded during their service," Kramp-Karrenbauer said.
"German soldiers were not hurt in these attacks, at this point there is no information as to the identity of the victims...all German soldiers and members of the foreign ministry and the federal police who were running this mission for us on the ground have now been flown out of Kabul," she added.
The German air bridge from Kabul ended on Thursday 5 days before the August 31 deadline following the attacks.
The Bundeswehr evacuated more than 5,300 people from 45 nations, including more than 500 Germans and more than 4,000 Afghans, the minister said.
"The attacks that we saw today and that I have been warning about in the last days, including particularly this morning, made clear that an extension of the mission in Kabul was not possible. The security situation on the ground and the decision fo the Taliban not to tolerate an extension beyond August 31. made this impossible," Kramp-Karrenbauer said, adding that the government would continue its efforts to get the remaining evacuees out another way.
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