Kabul:
With the Taliban in possession of Kabul’s airport immediately after the United States completed its withdrawal on Tuesday, the focus will now shift from the mammoth Western evacuation operation seen in the previous two weeks to the group’s plans for the transport hub.
The symbolism of the airport was underlined Tuesday when the Taliban’s major spokesman stood on its runway and declared victory more than the United States. But what takes place next remains unclear. Here is a look at the future of Hamid Karzai International Airport:
Who is going to run safety?
Attacks in the previous week have shown the airport is a target for terrorists, so safety is the key concern.
A suicide bombing — claimed by the Islamic State’s Afghanistan-Pakistan chapter — struck one of the primary gates, killing more than one hundred men and women which includes 13 US troops.
On Monday, rockets had been fired towards the airport, which the Taliban mentioned had been intercepted by the airport’s missile defence systems.
After the Taliban seized energy, the United States took manage of the airport to handle the evacuation of tens of thousands of men and women, with the assist of military contingents from other nations.
Turkey had provided to run safety following the withdrawal of foreign troops, but the Taliban repeatedly mentioned it would not accept any foreign military presence in Afghanistan immediately after August 31.
“Our fighters and special forces are capable of controlling the airport and we do not need anyone’s help for the security and administrative control of the Kabul airport,” Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi told AFP on Monday.
However, Michael Kugelman, a South Asia specialist at the Wilson Center believe tank in Washington, mentioned the installation of a foreign safety presence would be required if airlines had been to return, and that a deal could but be struck.
“You’re looking at a very volatile environment security-wise,” he told AFP.
“There are all kinds of alarm bells that should be sounding for commercial airlines that I imagine would not be comfortable getting into the airport.”
Who will operate the airport’s logistics?
As far as the US is concerned, State Department spokesman Ned Price mentioned on Friday that it was “essentially giving the airport back to the Afghan people.”
In current weeks NATO has played a crucial part, with civilian personnel taking care of air targeted traffic manage, fuel supplies and communications.
Like with safety, there had been discussions with Turkey more than operating logistics.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned his nation was nevertheless assessing the Islamist group’s give, but with the Taliban insisting on controlling safety, Erdogan appeared to drop the notion.
“Let’s say you took over the security but how would we explain to the world if another bloodbath takes place there?” he mentioned.
Running and keeping an airport is complicated and needs knowledge.
With thousands of skilled workers believed to have fled the nation — in spite of Taliban pleas for them to keep — concerns stay more than no matter if there will be adequate educated workers left in the Afghan capital.
What state is the airport in?
US officials have mentioned the airport is in a negative situation, with substantially of the simple infrastructure of the airport degraded or destroyed.
A pilot told AFP the airport terminal constructing was trashed by passengers through the chaos of the early days of the Taliban takeover.
As effectively as the passenger halls, essential infrastructure has been destroyed, which includes air targeted traffic manage terminals, which will will need to be replaced for industrial flights to run once more.
On the plus side, the two-week mass evacuation campaign has shown that the airport’s runways are at least operational, if in poor situation.
Will industrial flights restart?
The Taliban have insisted they want to retain the civilian airport open, but without having guarantees more than safety, industrial airlines just will not operate out of Kabul.
“You’re looking at a perfect storm of risks for airlines,” Kugelman mentioned.
A crucial incentive to operate a functional airport would be the enhance it would give to the Taliban’s international image.
“If the Taliban’s looking to get recognition and legitimacy from governments around the world, then it has to have a working, safe, trusted airport in place,” Kugelman added.
But it is probably to take time.
Will men and women even be permitted to leave the nation?
The Taliban have insisted Afghans will be capable to come and go.
The group’s deputy chief negotiator, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, mentioned these with passports and visas can go abroad “in a dignified manner and with peace of mind” immediately after industrial flights open.
However, a lot of are sceptical about the Taliban’s claims that they will not seek revenge against these who worked for the collapsed government or foreign forces.
And Kugelman mentioned he believed the Afghans who did not handle to be evacuated just before August 31 might now be also afraid to travel to the airport.
“I think that for many of them who already have reason to fear the Taliban, the prospect of trying to escape the country by going to an airport controlled by the Taliban will be a very unpalatable thought.”
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