Taliban Issues Fresh Threat to President Biden Amid Reports of ‘Gunfire’ Near Kabul Airport

The Taliban rulers of Afghanistan are making it clear to U.S. President Joe Biden that American citizens, and any effort to rescue them, after the August 31 will not be welcome

The Islamic extremist regime rejected Biden’s offer to extend the deadline and warned of “consequences” for attempting to evacuate U.S. citizens after that point in time.

“The Taliban will not agree to an extension of the August 31 deadline for the United States to withdraw troops and a delay will bring consequences,” a spokesman told Sky News.

“You can say it’s a red line,” spokesman Suhail Shaheen said in an interview. “If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations — the answer is no. Or there would be consequences.”

On early Monday, there were reports gunfire broke out near an entrance to the airport. The circumstances of the shooting, which happened around dawn, are unclear.

“Unknown attackers” killed a member of the Afghan military and wounded three others, according to a tweet by the German military. Six patients with bullet wounds were reportedly treated by an Italian medical aid group called Emergency.

The U.S. military and NATO did not immediately acknowledge the shooting, ABC reported. There was no comment from the Taliban.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has been forced to plead with the Taliban not to harm Americans after its abrupt pullout of U.S. military troops.

Blinken appeared on “Face the Nation” on Sunday with host Major Garrett to explain how such a calamity to U.S. foreign policy could have happened.

“The president said that we have an agreement with the Taliban,” Garrett began. “Mr. Secretary, that implies that we are negotiating with them. Does that not already confer upon them legitimacy?”

“No,” Blinken said. “No, we’ve had for a long time contact with the Taliban, both at a political level, in Doha, going back, going back some years, as well as now on the ground, in Kabul, a working relationship in order to de-conflict, in order to work through any problems with people getting to the airport.”

“That’s been very important to making sure that we can actually advance our own interests in getting people out safely, and as effectively as posssible,” Blinken added. “So, that’s the nature of the relationship.”

“Some in our audience might listen to you, Mr. Secretary, and say, ‘Oh, so we have to ask the Taliban’s permission for Americans to leave’.” Garrett said. “True or not true?”

“They, they are in control of Kabul,” Blinken said. “That is the reality. That’s the reality that we have to deal with.”

“How comfortable are you with that, Mr. Secretary?” Garrett asked.

“What I am focused on, what we’re all focused on, is getting people out,” Blinked responded. “And making sure that we are doing everything possible to do that. In this case, it is, I think, a requirement of the job to be in contact with the Taliban that controls Kabul.”

On Friday, Biden was peppered with questions on the Afghanistan withdrawal, including his flawed risk assessment that terrorists won’t return to Afghanistan, why the Biden administration doesn’t know how many Americans need to be evacuated, and how he can be sure that Americans who are trying desperately to make it to Kabul International Airport will be safe.

“Why do you continue to trust the Taliban, Mr. President?” a reporter shouted as Biden left the press conference. The question remained unanswered.

But on Sunday, Biden did finally answer that question.

“On the question of the Taliban, do you trust them now?” a reporter asked. “Now that you have to negotiate with them?”

“I don’t trust anybody including you,” Biden said. “I love you but there’s not a lot of people I trust.”

“Look, the Taliban has a, umm,” Biden said before he paused. “Taliban has to make a fundamental decision. Is then Taliban going to attempt to be able to unite and provide for the well-being of Afghanistan, which no one group has ever done?”

“Since the before… for hundreds of years,” he continued. “And if it does, he’s going to need everything from additional help in terms of economic assistance, trade, and a whole range of things.”

“The Taliban has said, we’ll see whether they need it or not,” he rambled on. “They’re seeking legitimacy. They’re seeking legitimacy to determine whether or not they will be recognized by other countries.”

“They have told other countries as well as us, they don’t want us to move our diplomatic presence,” Biden added.

“So, all this is talk now,” he said. “All just talk now.”

“And so, so far, the Taliban has not taking action against U.S. forces,” he said. “So far, they have by and large followed through on what they said in terms of allowing Americans to pass through and the like.”

That’s very reassuring, Mr. Biden. But it looks like the Taliban just put your administration on the clock.

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