United States evacuates first group of Afghan auxiliaries

Published on : 07/30/2021 – 14:11

A first group of Afghans who worked for the United States in Afghanistan arrived Friday, July 30 on American soil, announced President Joe Biden. Washington had announced in mid-July its desire to evacuate the Afghans who helped the American army as well as their families to protect them from possible retaliation from the Taliban after the completion of the withdrawal of international troops.

“Today is an important milestone: we continue to deliver on our promise to the thousands of Afghans who have served hand in hand with US soldiers and diplomats in Afghanistan for the past 20 years,” said Joe Biden in a statement.

This first flight carried around 200 people and landed on Thursday night in the United States, the American charge d’affaires in Afghanistan, Ross Wilson, told reporters in Kabul. “These arrivals are the first before many others, we are working quickly” to put these Afghan citizens out of danger, said the American president.

20,000 Afghans affected

These passengers were to be received at a military base to undergo medical examinations and complete administrative procedures before being installed in the country, said Russ Travers, an official of the National Security Council of the White House, on Thursday.

“They have all undergone rigorous security checks, conducted by the intelligence services, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security,” he told reporters.

A total of 2,500 Afghans who have worked for the United States – notably as interpreters for the United States military – have so far taken all the steps towards obtaining a special immigration visa (SIV).

According to some estimates, around 20,000 Afghans are likely to qualify for this visa, which could bring the number of Afghans to be evacuated from the country to 100,000, families included.

Begun in early May, the final withdrawal of some 10,000 NATO soldiers, including 2,500 Americans, is almost complete. It must be completed by Aug.31, according to Joe Biden. As a result of this withdrawal, the Taliban have launched an all-out offensive and over the past three months have taken over large rural areas of the country.

The Afghan forces have so far put up little resistance and essentially control only the provincial capitals and major axes, pointing to the specter of a Taliban military victory and their return to power.

The Taliban ruled Afghanistan between 1996 and the end of 2001, when an international coalition led by the United States ousted them from power after their refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

With AFP