President Joe Biden on Wednesday said that U.S. troops can get as many women out of Afghanistan as they can, but warned that using military force to deal with women's rights worldwide is "not rational."
"The way to deal with that [women's rights] is putting economic, diplomatic, and international pressure on them [ruling leaders] to change their behavior," he said during an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos.
Biden said that women's rights are also violated in other parts of the world, including western China and Congo, and added that to "deal with that is not with a military invasion."
Afghan women have been trying to flee their country since the Taliban rapidlly took over the nation. A video, shared by Voice of America Persian TV host Masih Alinejad on Wednesday, showed a young Afghan woman pleading for help at a wired fence outside Kabul airport gate.
U.S. soldiers were seen on the video looking on as the woman pleaded for help, saying: "You're our family. Please help."
Biden also said during his ABC News interview: "As many as we can get out, we should. For example, I had a meeting today for a couple hours in the Situation Room. There are Afghan women outside the gate. I told them, 'Get them on the planes. Get them out. Get their families out if you can.'"
Several U.S. officials have expressed concerned about the rights and freedom of Afghan women and girls under the Taliban—including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who noted on Wednesday that it is important to monitor violations against women.
"Women and girls in Afghanistan have been a high priority for us," she said. "We have to make this the subject of the greatest transparency."
The Taliban has expressed their intention of being moderate in their treatment of women compared to their behavior under their rule between 1996 and 2001. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said during a broadcast that women will be allowed to work and attend school.
Still, women among many Afghans want to flee the country as the Taliban resumed ..power. A State Department spokesperson told Newsweek in an email that around 1,200 individuals have been processed on Wednesday as expedited refugees at Hong Kong International Airport.
"Operation Allies Refuge has brought more than 2,000 Afghans who are eligible for Special Immigration Visas and their families to the United States. In total, the United States has resettled more than 76,000 Afghan special immigrants since the start of the program," the spokesperson said.
"In addition to expediting the evacuation of U.S. citizens and their family members, we are also doing everything we can to accelerate our efforts to relocate Afghans at risk, including those Afghans who have worked with us or on our behalf over the years," they added.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Fatma Khaled is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. politics, world ... Read more
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