The US is focused on evacuating Americans, Afghan allies

SINGAPORE – The main focus of the United States in Afghanistan right now is to evacuate U.S. citizens, Afghan allies and vulnerable groups after the Taliban returned to power, Vice President Kamala Harris said on Monday.

Harris spoke to reporters during a joint press conference with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong after a previous meeting where the two leaders discussed a wide range of topics, from supply chain issues to to climate change and the fight against the global health crisis caused by the pandemic.

“Right now we are focusing on the evacuation of U.S. citizens, Afghans who worked with us, and vulnerable Afghans, including women and children,” Harris said in response to a reporter’s question about U.S. efforts to Afghanistan.

“We have a responsibility and we feel a deep commitment to making sure the people who have helped us are safe,” added Harris, who said there should be a “solid analysis of what happened” later.

The Biden administration is facing growing criticism for its treatment of U.S. withdrawal efforts, which have plunged Afghanistan into chaos as civilian government collapsed and the Taliban took power. Thousands of people have flooded Kabul airport in hopes of escaping the country.

On Sunday, President Joe Biden said the United States has “a long way to go and many could go wrong” in the Kabul evacuation.

“The evacuation of thousands of people from Kabul will be hard and painful, regardless of when it started, when we started,” the president said during a press conference at the White House. He also said that “we hope we don’t have to extend” the August 31 deadline to leave Afghanistan.

Events in Afghanistan have led some to question Washington’s commitment to its allies.

James Crabtree, executive director of the Asia program at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told CNBC that Harris’ trip is an attempt to reassure allies and partners in Southeast Asia that the Biden administration he has not forgotten them.

“While I don’t think he has a lot of difficult questions about it, it will stay in the back of everyone’s minds,” Crabtree said Monday on CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” ahead of the press conference.

“What does this mean about American reliability in this region, given that so many people ask questions about the reliability of the United States in Central Asia?” He said.

The vice president arrived in Singapore on Sunday for her first official visit to Southeast Asia. The region is home to about 660 million people and several fast-growing economies, including Vietnam, which is scheduled to visit on Tuesday before leaving the region on Thursday. His visit comes as tensions between the US and China continue to rise.

Southeast Asia is a strategic region for U.S. interests because of the South China Sea, a crucial trade route through which billions of dollars of world trade pass each year. In recent years, China has intensified its economic and political influence in the region.

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee told reporters that the Biden administration inherited an “extremely difficult” situation and that the city-state understands the reasons for the withdrawal of troops.

“U.S. intervention has prevented terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a safe base for 20 years,” Lee said. “That’s why Singapore is grateful.”

“We hope that Afghanistan will not become an epicenter of terrorism,” he added.

The prime minister explained that what matters in the long run is how the United States reposition itself in Asia-Pacific and engages with countries in the region, including on issues such as the fight against terrorism. He said it will determine how countries perceive U.S. global priorities and strategic intentions.

“The United States is a world leader. We take this role seriously, understanding that we have many interests and priorities around the world,” said Harris, who stressed that he was in Singapore to reaffirm Washington’s enduring relations.

“I am here in Singapore as a reaffirmation of our commitment to our membership in the Indo-Pacific region, our long-standing partnerships with Southeast Asia and our long-standing relationship with Singapore in relation to our problems and our “issues of security and economic strength. and development and now growing global health,” he said.

The United States and Singapore also announced several partnerships in work aimed at strengthening bilateral and regional collaboration in trade and investment, climate, environmental governance, sustainable development and cybersecurity.