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Evacuees from Afghanistan disembark a Spanish military plane as part of their evacuation at Al Maktoum Internationa Dubai, United Arab Emirates, August 20, 2021. Ministry of Defense of Spain/Handout via REUTERS - 

World powers struggled on Friday (Aug 20) to hasten evacuations from Afghanistan after reports of Taliban reprisals, as US President Joe Biden insisted that the chaos following the American troop withdrawal had not diminished Washington's international credibility.

Facing a torrent of criticism at home and abroad for his handling of the withdrawal and the subsequent Taliban conquest of Afghanistan, Biden pledged that every American who wanted to would be evacuated, with about 13,000 flown out so far.

"I have seen no question of our credibility around the world from our allies," Biden said in a speech from the White House.

"We are united with our closest partners to execute the mission at hand," he said.

He said he could not promise what the final outcome would be in Afghanistan, where the United States has waged a 20-year war. But he promised to work with other countries to set "harsh conditions" for any cooperation or recognition of the Taliban, based on their human rights record.

"They're looking to gain some legitimacy, they're going to have to figure out how they're going to retain that country," he said. "And there's going to be some harsh conditions, strong conditions we're going to apply that will depend on ... how well they treat women and girls, how they treat their citizens."

Thousands of desperate Afghans clutching papers, children and some belongings thronged Kabul airport where gun-toting Taliban members urged those without travel documents to go home. In and around the airport, 12 people have been killed since Sunday, NATO and Taliban officials said.

Former government officials told harrowing tales of hiding from the group, as armed gunmen went from door to door. One family of 16 described running to the bathroom, lights off and children's mouths covered, in fear for their lives with the militants at their door.

"Those who may be in danger have no clear way out," UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said, urging neighbouring countries to keep borders open.

The speed with which the Islamist group conquered Afghanistan, as foreign troops were withdrawing, surprised even their own leaders and left power vacuums.

Biden reiterated his contention that the US-funded and -armed Afghan military had been expected to put up more of a fight.

"The overwhelming consensus was that they (the Afghan government forces) were not going to collapse ... they were not going to put down their arms and take off," Biden said.

The Taliban called for unity, asking imams at Friday prayers to persuade people not to leave. Residents in Kabul and four other cities said attendance was low, though prayers passed off without incident.

Washington has about 5,800 soldiers controlling the airport but acknowledged it does not have a grip on how many US citizens were in Afghanistan//CNA