Pentagon admits that Americans are 'stranded' in Afghanistan after U.S. withdrawal

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby admitted Tuesday that Americans still in Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal are "stranded," despite the White House previously saying that wasn't accurate.

"Right now I think the tools we have available to us and that we're going to use as a U.S. government is going to be more in the diplomatic, economic lanes, and we don't really see a military role right now," Kirby said Tuesday morning on MSNBC.

"It's not completely unlike the way we do it elsewhere around the world. We have Americans that get stranded in countries all the time and we do everything we can to try to facilitate safe passage," he also, contradicting earlier comments from White House press secretary Jen Psaki that Americans still in Afghanistan are not "stranded."

On Aug. 23, Psaki said in response to a reporter, "I think it's irresponsible to say Americans are stranded. They are not. We are committed to bringing Americans who want to come home, home."

Kirby also said that the U.S. will hold the Taliban to account with "leverage" and that "it's going to be a whole-of-government effort, but I don't see a military role at this time."

President Biden had previously said the U.S. would not withdraw until every American who wanted to be evacuated, was.