CENTCOM Confirms: Americans Who Wanted To Be Evacuated Were Left Behind In Afghanistan, Taliban Now In Control

The last evacuation plane has left Afghanistan and a number of Americans who had requested — and were awaiting — evacuation were left behind, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the head of United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed at a press conference announcing the United States’ military official departure from Afghanistan.

“I’m here to announce the completion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan and the end of the military mission to evacuate American citizens, third-country nationals, and vulnerable Afghans,” McKenzie said.

“Every single U.S. servicemember is out of Afghanistan,” McKenzie announced, noting that it was August 31st in Kabul, where the final flights left from over the weekend and during the day on Monday. The final evacuation flight left Monday afternoon, Washington, D.C., time, at 3:29 ET.

The Pentagon also declared 3:29 ET on Monday the official moment the war in Afghanistan ended.

Over the weekend, the Biden administration admitted that “roughly” 300 Americans who wanted to leave were still in Afghanistan, though that number has come under some scrutiny from outside officials. Because the Biden administration was reticent to announce how many Americans were in Afghanistan when the Taliban took Kabul the weekend of August 14, it is not clear how many Americans remained.