PARIS, Aug 27, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - Coordinated explosions on Thursday tore
through crowds of people at Kabul airport who were hoping to board flights to
safety, as countries raced to evacuate as many people as possible before an
August 31 deadline.
Here is a round-up of the reaction to the attack, which was claimed by the
Afghan branch of the Islamic State group.
- United States -
President Joe Biden vowed to hunt down those behind the suicide bombings
that killed 12 American troops in the worst single-day loss for the Pentagon
in Afghanistan since 2011.
"We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make
you pay," Biden said in an address from the White House during which he said
the evacuations would continue until August 31.
"We will not be deterred by terrorists. We will not let them stop our
mission. We will continue the evacuation" of vulnerable people, he said.
There remained an "opportunity for the next several days, between now and
the 31st, to be able to get them out", he said.
"Knowing the threat, knowing that we may very well have another attack, the
military has concluded that that's what we should do. I think they are
right."
- Britain -
Prime Minister Boris Johnson denounced the attack as "barbaric", paying
tribute to the "phenomenal effort" of those involved in the evacuation
operation.
He added that Britain would "keep going up until the last moment".
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab added that personnel continued to work even
"under fire".
"We will not let the cowardly acts of terrorists stop us." - France -
President Emmanuel Macron also pledged to see the evacuations "through to
the end".
He offered "his condolences to the families of the American and Afghan
victims" and saluted "the heroism of those who are on the ground to carry out
the evacuation operations". - Spain -
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said: "We are working to evacuate as many
people as possible.
"The international community stands with the Afghan people."
- European sorrow, outrage -
Condemning the "despicable terrorist attack", Czech Foreign Minister Jakub
Kulhanek said: "I mourn the death of Afghans and members of the US military."
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi condemned "this vile and horrible
attack against defenceless people seeking liberty".
Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide tweeted: "Innocent
civilians trying to leave the country have become victims of this terrible
act of cruelty."
Poland's President Andrzej Duda condemned the "act of cowardice".
"Poland stands with our US and Afghani friends," he said.
Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde paid tribute to the US
service members: "We are grateful for all your efforts in making this
historic evacuation operation possible." - Canada -
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to work with partners to resettle
refugees in his country.
"Our hearts break for the people of Afghanistan and the loved ones of the
victims, including the brave women and men of our allies," he said. - NATO -
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, "Our priority remains to
evacuate as many people to safety as quickly as possible." - Middle East
nations -
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry rejected the attacks as "incompatible with
all religious principles and moral and human values".
The ministry said it stood "with the Afghan people" and offered
"condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and the Afghan
people".
Turkey's Foreign Ministry deplored "this heinous attack in the strongest
terms, offer our condolences to the relatives of those who lost their lives
and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded."
Egypt's foreign ministry decried the "gruesome terrorism", while Bahrain's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned "a heinous terrorist act that
contradicts all moral and humanitarian values and principles". - WHO -
"Civilians must be protected. @WHO is on the ground in #Afghanistan and
ready to support health facilities to treat the wounded," said WHO chief
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
