Rep. Adam Schiff says it’s unlikely to get all Americans and allies out of Afghanistan by the end of the month, as the Taliban rejects efforts to extend deadline

• Democratic lawmakers say it’s unlikely all Americans and allies could get of Afghanistan by end of the month.
• More than 37,000 have been evacuated by the US and its allies so far.
• However, the Taliban warned of consequences if the US tried to extend the deadline past August 31.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff said it was unlikely all Americans and allies will be able to get out of Afghanistan by the August 31 deadline.

“I think it’s possible, but I think it’s very unlikely given the number of Americans who still need to be evacuated, the number of SIV’s, the number of others who are members of the Afghan press, civil society leaders, women leaders,” Schiff told reporters on Monday. “It’s hard for me to imagine all of that can be accomplished between now and the end of the month.”

On Sunday, President Joe Biden suggested extending the deadline to withdraw from the country in order to evacuate more Americans and allies who worked with the US and are at risk of being killed by the Taliban.

The Taliban, however, rejected the suggestions and warned of “consequences” if US troops remained in the country after the deadline.

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Thousands of Afghans rushed to leave the country after the Taliban took over on August 15. Chaos at Kabul’s international airport has left multiple people dead as they tried to escape.

On Sunday, Seven people were killed in a stampede at the airport and last week several others died after desperately clinging onto a departing plane.

More than 37,000 people have been evacuated by the US and allies so far, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday.

Other lawmakers, like Rep. Jason Crow, an Afghanistan war veteran, also said he doesn’t think it’s possible to get everyone out by the deadline.

“This deadline has got to extend,” Crow said in an interview with MSNBC. “There’s just no way that we get the people out that we need to get out between now and the end of the month. It’s just not gonna happen.”