Taliban asks women to come join their government

The Taliban have declared an “amnesty” over Afghanistan and called on women to join their government, trying to calm the nerves in a tense capital, which only the day before saw chaos at the airport as thousands of people rushed to international airport in a desperate attempt to escape.

Evacuation flights from Afghanistan have resumed as a Western security official told Reuters news agency on Tuesday that the asphalt and runways of Kabul airport – which US troops control – were now free of people.

Officials said military flights evacuating diplomats and civilians from Afghanistan had begun to take off.

At least seven people died in the chaos on Monday, including several people who crashed into the sides of a jet as it took off.

In Washington, DC, US President Joe Biden said he was “squarely behind” his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and to scare critics at the country’s former Western-backed leadership for not resisting the Taliban.

“I fully support my decision,” he said in a White House television address. “After 20 years, I learned the hard way that it was never a good time to withdraw US forces.”

The Taliban, meanwhile, have declared war on Afghanistan and a senior leader said the group would wait until foreign forces left before creating a new governance structure.

China said it was ready for “friendly relations” with the Taliban, while Russia and Iran also opened diplomatic missions.