US Working To Get Dozens Of Americans From Afghanistan

As he refused to recognize the Taliban rulers, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated Thursday that the United States was working to release several Americans currently held in Afghanistan.

Blinken spoke before Congress, where members of the opposing Republican Party took aim at Congress over the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

In response to a question Blinken stated that Taliban authorities were holding “several Americans” in detention.

“We are working to secure the freedom of their families. “Our families have requested that we protect their identities, and not speak publicly about their cases,” Blinken stated.

Despite having poor relations with Taliban rulers the United States has quietly helped US citizens who want to leave.

Blinken stated that approximately 975 US citizens have been assisted in their departure and that around 175 Americans who claim to be US citizens remain in the country. This includes some who arrived after the Taliban took over.

Blinken stated that forty-four of them were ready to leave, and that they are currently working to make their departure.

Later, a spokesperson for the State Department stated that 975 of the 975 were Americans who had traveled through Washington after the 2021 withdrawal and that all other permanent residents and citizens have left the country independently.

As the United States retreated, Taliban leaders were able to regain power. Although they initially promised a softening of the strict Islamic rule in place from 1996-2001, they have slowly reintroduced restrictions, particularly for women.

Global outrage and protests erupted in some Afghan cities after teenage girls were banned from secondary schools and women from university.

The Taliban government has not been recognized by any country, even Pakistan, its historic ally.

Blinken stated that edicts against women are “fundamentally against Afghan people’s interests, and also wrong.”

“We’ve been very clear that the Taliban does not seek any normal relationship with any other country in the world to the extent they want to,” Blinken stated.

The new Republican Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Mike McCaul raised the August 26, 2021 attack on Kabul’s Airport, where US-led forces were trying to evacuate Afghan citizens.

The Islamic State-Khorasan group claimed responsibility for the attack that resulted in the deaths of 13 US troops as well as some 170 civilians in Afghanistan.

McCaul gave Blinken Monday deadline to submit a dissenting cable. This was widely reported by media outlets. It was also reported that US diplomats had predicted that the Afghan government would collapse with withdrawal.

McCaul addressed the mother of the Marine who was killed in the attack and promised to do his best until people are held responsible.

McCaul stated, “I won’t rest until we get answers,” even though we may have to go all up the chain to do so.

Blinken said he would cooperate to provide information, but that the dissent cables can only be shared with high-ranking State Department officials.

“This tradition of having an independent channel for dissent is something that has been cherished by the department for decades. It is a unique way that anyone can speak truth to power, according to Blinken.

Blinken stated that he wanted “to protect the integrity of our process to ensure we don’t have any chilling effect upon those who might wish to come forward.”

The Taliban leaders and former president Donald Trump reached an agreement with Trump’s administration. It included the withdrawal of all US troops as well as ending America’s longest-running war, which began after September 11, 2001.

Although President Joe Biden delayed implementation for several months, he decided to go ahead with it. He stated that the United States did not have a vital interest in keeping troops in Afghanistan.