Taliban told U.S. it will provide safe passage to airport -U.S. national security advisor

FILE PHOTO: National Security adviser Jake Sullivan accompanies U.S. President Joe Biden as he visits the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in nearby McLean, Virginia outside Washington, U.S., July 27, 2021. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday the Taliban has told the United States it will provide safe passage for civilians to reach the airport in Afghanistan.

Sullivan also told a White House news briefing the United States believes the Kabul evacuation can go until Aug. 31 and it is talking to the Taliban about the exact timeline and how it will play out.

(Reporting by Steve Holland, Lisa Lambert, Tim Ahmann and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Chris Reese)