In Kabul, there is a fearful wait for the United States to follow through on its promise to evacuate the city.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of Afghans waited with bated breath to see if the US will follow through on President Joe Biden's new vow to evacuate all Americans and Afghans who assisted in the war effort. In the meantime, the Taliban's leader has arrived in Kabul for talks with the group's leadership about building a new government.

Time is running out before Biden's deadline of Aug. 31 to evacuate most remaining US troops, and the president did not commit to extending it on Friday night. As recordings show chaos and occasional violence outside the airport, and as vulnerable Afghans fearing Taliban vengeance submit desperate pleas not to be left behind, he is facing mounting criticism.

The Gulf nation of Bahrain stated on Saturday that flights will be able to utilize its transit facilities for the evacuation, a move that might relieve strain after the United States' facilities at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar quickly filled up on Friday. Flights from Kabul's international airport were forced to halt for several hours due to the backlog.

Meanwhile, the UAE announced on Saturday that it will house up to 5,000 Afghans "before to their evacuation to other countries."

After the Taliban's startlingly quick takeover of Afghanistan in little over a week, tens of thousands of Afghan translators and others, as well as their close family members, are seeking departure. The fall of Kabul marked the end of America's longest war, which began following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban leader who negotiated the group's 2020 peace plan with the United States, is in Kabul for meetings with the group's leadership, according to a Taliban official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. Baradar's attendance is crucial because he has met with former Afghan officials such as ex-President Hamid Karzai on numerous occasions.

According to Afghan authorities familiar with the several meetings held in the city, the Taliban have stated that they will not make any pronouncements about their government until the troop withdrawal deadline of August 31 has passed.

A senior official in the deposed government, Abdullah Abdullah, tweeted that he and Karzai met with the Taliban's acting governor for Kabul on Saturday, who "assured us that he will do all necessary for the protection of the people" of the city.

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