The head of the British Armed Forces said they’re collaborating with the Taliban so Kabul stays calm and people can go to the airport

• The UK armed forces are “collaborating” with the Taliban to prevent chaos, Gen. Sir Nick Carter said.
• He said the “Taliban are providing proper security around the airport” and keeping Kabul “calm.”
• He said he’s “pretty confident” the Taliban is giving the UK space to evacuate people.
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The head of the British Armed Forces said they are working with the Taliban to keep Kabul calm and allow people to reach the airport.

General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, told “BBC Breakfast” on Wednesday that the UK was “collaborating” with the Taliban to keep peace in Afghanistan’s capital city and allow people to reach the airport.

“It’s fine at the moment. There is always the challenge that you could get a isolated terrorist incident. I think the thing that we’re most worried about are the sort of disorder that might come through desperate Afghans trying to get to the airport,” he said.

“And those images that we saw over the weekend of course will be in people’s minds,” he added.

Videos from earlier this week showed people trying to force their way onto planes and clinging to the outside of moving military jets in desperation. Footage appeared to show people who were hanging onto the outside of aircraft falling from the sky.

Carter said: “But we’re collaborating with the Taliban. The Taliban are providing proper security around the airport. They’re keeping the streets of Kabul calm, and on that basis I think we’re pretty confident that we’re being given the space to do that we need to do.”

Countries have been trying to evacuate their citizens as well as Afghans who helped their militaries or who may be at particular risk from the Taliban, but have been hampered by chaos at the airport.

There have also been reports of Taliban fighters beating people who try to reach the airport.

Carter also told Sky News on Wednesday: “We are cooperating with the Taliban on the ground and that seems to be a very straightforward relationship.”

“They are keeping the streets of Kabul very safe and indeed very calm. They are helping us at the airport.”

He also said the militants “are avoiding public disorder.”

He added: “What we’re not getting are reports of them behaving in a medieval way like you might have seen in the past.”