German minister hopes for air lift from Kabul
German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer speaks during the last session of the lower house of parliament Bundestag before federal elections, in Berlin, Germany, June 23, 2021. REUTERS
A German military plane is waiting for the United States to grant it permission to fly to Afghanistan to help with the evacuation of foreign nationals and local Afghan staff, the defence minister said on Tuesday.
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told Germany's ARD television that she hoped that an air bridge could be organised, but added that the situation at Kabul airport was currently very confusing.
The German military uses Tashkent as a hub for its air bridge to Kabul. On Monday, a German military aircraft had to divert to Tashkent because desperate people trying to flee Afghanistan were blocking the runway in Kabul.
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Military flights evacuating diplomats and civilians from Afghanistan resumed early on Tuesday after the runway at Kabul airport was cleared of thousands of people desperate to flee after the Taliban seized the capital.
Germany said on Monday it would airlift thousands of German-Afghan dual nationals as well as human rights activists, lawyers and other people who worked with NATO forces in the country.