US military faces nervy Kabul exit under Taliban's watch, with terror threat looming

Less than a week until the Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, U.S. forces face a situation in which they have to evacuate Americans and allies while getting themselves out as well.

"We will continue to evacuate needed populations all the way to the end if we have to, if we need to. If you're an evacuee that we can get out, we're going to continue to get you out right up until the end," Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said at a Wednesday press briefing. "But in those last couple of days we're going to try to preserve as much capability as we can at the airport, as you might imagine. So in those last couple of days, we will begin to prioritize military capabilities and military resources to move out." Kirby stated that this does not mean that during those final days evacuees will not receive help getting out, "but that will have to reserve some capacity in those last couple of days to prioritize the military footprint leaving."