Afghanistan updates: US airport operations continue, Taliban negotiate in Kabul

The Taliban said they do not intend to take Afghanistan's capital by force and reported that its leaders were at the presidential palace to negotiate a transfer of power.

The Taliban, issuing statements that said they do not intend to take Afghanistan's capital by force, reported that its leaders were at the presidential palace to negotiate a transfer of power. U.S. officials said Sunday that U.S. airport operations in Kabul will continue. A U.S. official added that American forces at the airport are properly secured and that despite the latest developments, there is no expected direct impact on U.S. operations there. The State Department announced Thursday it was reducing its staff levels at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and the Pentagon began sending in troops to help facilitate those departures. The president on Saturday authorized an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan, raising the number of troops to 5,000 to assist with "orderly and safe drawdown." "We're obviously watching this just like you're watching this and seeing it happen in real-time, and it's deeply concerning," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Friday. "In fact, the deteriorating conditions are a factor -- a big factor -- in why the president has approved this mission to help support our -- the reduction of personnel there in Kabul."