US Embassy in Afghanistan tells staff to destroy sensitive materials
Shafaq News/ The US Embassy in Kabul is instructing personnel to destroy sensitive materials as well as items "which could be misused in propaganda efforts," according to a management notice sent Friday to embassy staff, seen by CNN and described by another source familiar.
The notice about "Emergency Destruction Services" underscores the dire situation on the ground in Afghanistan as cities continue to fall to the Taliban. The militant group controlled half of the country's provincial capitals, including the second-largest city of Kandahar, as of Friday. A diplomatic source told CNN that one intelligence assessment indicated that Kabul could be isolated by the Taliban within the week, possibly within the next 72 hours, but stressed that does not mean the militant group would enter the capital.
On Thursday, the Biden administration announced it would withdraw American personnel from Embassy Kabul, leaving only "a core diplomatic presence." Thousands of US troops are being deployed to Kabul and the region to assist with the effort, which comes weeks before the American military was set to fully withdraw from Afghanistan.
President Joe Biden spoke with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Friday "about the ongoing efforts to safely drawdown the civilian footprint in Afghanistan," according to a White House tweet.
In preparation of that effort, Friday's embassy notice said facilities would provide "destruction support" daily and called on personnel to "please take advantage and reduce the amount of sensitive material on the property," including papers and electronics.
"Please also include items with embassy or agency logos, American flags, or items which could be misused in propaganda efforts," it said.
The notice said there would be a variety of means to destroy these materials, including burn bins, a disintegrator, an incinerator and a compacter and heavy-duty equipment.
The State Department said that this was part of the standard procedure applied when minimizing the US footprint.
"Drawdowns at our diplomatic posts around the world follow a standard operating procedure designed to minimize our footprint across various categories, including staffing, equipment, and supplies. Embassy Kabul is conducting their drawdown in accordance with this standard operating procedure," a State Department spokesperson said.
According to CNN, administration is also considering relocating the US Embassy from its current location in the capital to the Kabul airport.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday that at this point, the Defense Department does not believe that Kabul is "in an imminent threat environment," but he acknowledged that the Taliban appears to be trying to isolate Kabul.
In the past 72 hours, the Afghan Ministry of Defense claims on Twitter it killed approximately 1,000 Taliban militants in districts throughout the country, including the south.
