Afghans marked a grim Independence Day on Thursday as crowds seeking spots on U.S. evacuation flights continued to gather around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul in the wake of the Taliban takeover of the country. American officials said evacuation efforts were accelerating but declined to say if those efforts would continue after the August 31 deadline for a U.S. withdrawal. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more. Producer: Katherine Gypson. Camera: Ayesha Tanzeem.
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