These are terrible scenes. There needs to be order restored to the airport so that there can be safe passage of planes in and out and so that we have the ability to move people whether they’re Australian citizens or American citizens, Canadians, New Zealanders, in and out of that airport.
So, it’s in a state of flux at the moment. We’d need to see order restored. Hopefully, that takes place sooner than later …
We’ll work through the planning we have in place. Last week I authorised the Australian defence force to make those plans and to pre-deploy equipment, as well as troops and some of that, is in place and some of that is en route.
But we won’t be landing into Kabul in these circumstances.
Obviously, we have a base close by, which is safe and secure in the UAE. That’s where we’ll stage from, but we’ll work with the Americans and others, including the Turks, etcetera, to make a very difficult, a tragic situation, as best as it can be.