U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Taliban is barring flights from leaving Afghanistan because it claims that some of the passengers don't have the required documentation, the Associated Press reported.
"We've made clear to all parties, we've made clear to the Taliban, that these charters need to be able to depart," Blinken said.
The U.S. is continuing to press the Taliban to allow charter flights carrying would-be evacuees out of the city of Mazar-e-Sharif. Blinken said some groups that claim to have proper documentation and arrangements prepared "unfortunately don't—often for good reason, but this creates further complications."
He added that the U.S. is working with advocates and lawmakers to help coordinate landing rights and liaise with other countries in the region on flights over their territory, or overflights.
"While there are limits to what we can do without personnel on the ground, without an airport with normal security and procedures in place, we are working to do everything in our power to support those flights and to get them off the ground," Blinken said.
For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.
Legitimacy, support must be 'earned'
Blinken is telling the Taliban that "any legitimacy, any support will have to be earned" after the group named an interim government.
Blinken spoke after he and his German counterpart on Wednesday hosted a virtual meeting of ministers from 22 countries as well as NATO and the European Union.
Blinken reiterated the cautious initial U.S. response to the Taliban's naming Tuesday of an interim government lineup.
Blinken said that the government and the Taliban will be judged by their actions.
Germany: Support depends on Taliban
Germany's foreign minister has responded skeptically to the Taliban's announcement of an interim government lineup for Afghanistan.
Heiko Maas released a statement Wednesday, a day after the Taliban announced an all-male interim government. The Cabinet is stacked with veterans of their hard-line rule from the 1990s and the 20-year battle against the U.S.-led coalition. Germany was a major troop provider for that alliance.
Maas said his country is ready to provide humanitarian aid via the United Nations and will continue to speak to the Taliban to secure the departure from Afghanistan of former employees and others.
He added that any commitment beyond that will depend on the Taliban's behavior.
Maas said: "The announcement of an interim government without the participation of other groups and yesterday's violence against female demonstrators and journalists in Kabul are not signals that make us optimistic about that."
