Kabul evacuations stall amid airport chaos, criticism of U.S. pullout

Taliban forces patrol a street in Herat, Afghanistan August 14, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

KABUL (Reuters) -Thousands of civilians desperate to flee Afghanistan thronged Kabul airport on Monday after the Taliban seized the capital, prompting the U.S. military to suspend evacuations as the United States came under mounting criticism at home over its pullout.

Crowds converged on the airport seeking to escape, including some clinging to a U.S. military transport plane as it taxied on the runway, according to footage posted by a media company.