Left Behind: The Plight Of American Soldiers Stranded In Afghanistan

Following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, there were still several dozen immediate family members of U.S. service members in the country, according to defence officials. This includes the children, siblings, and parents of U.S. troops, many of whom are former Afghan interpreters who immigrated to the U.S. and enlisted. The Pentagon has stepped up efforts to evacuate these family members, creating a database of those trapped in Afghanistan. However, as of November 2021, about 60 service members reported that they still had family members stranded in the country.

The Pentagon's efforts to evacuate the families of US troops

The Pentagon has been working to evacuate the families of US troops from Afghanistan. In November 2021, more than two months after the US military withdrawal, the Pentagon stepped up its efforts by creating a database of the dozens of family members of US service members trapped in the country. A memo issued by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl asked any US military personnel and Department of Defense (DoD) civilians with immediate family members who needed help leaving Afghanistan to email his office with relevant information. This included names, passport, contact, and other personal information about the family members so they could be added to the database.

The Pentagon's efforts came amid criticism from lawmakers and veterans groups that the Biden administration had not done enough to help US citizens and their families stranded in Afghanistan. In October 2021, veterans groups and Congress worked to help at least 48 service members in the Army and Marine Corps who had 509 relatives stuck in the country. Many of these service members were Afghan interpreters who had immigrated to the US and enlisted.

The Pentagon's memo was part of a deliberate effort by the DoD to keep track of how many people were impacted and to expand their reach to ensure that DoD personnel and their families received assistance. Defense officials stated that there were still several dozen immediate family members of US service members in Afghanistan, including children, siblings, and parents. There were also well over 100 extended family members, but it was unclear how many of them wanted to leave the country.

The Pentagon said it would work with the State Department to extract family members who wanted to leave, but the US military would not have a role in actually getting people out of the country. The Pentagon also stated that it would assist the State Department and the coordinator for Afghanistan relocation efforts in developing plans to facilitate safe departures for extended family members of US military personnel and civilian DoD employees in the future.

The State Department had been leading the evacuation effort since the US withdrawal from Kabul at the end of August 2021 and was working with US allies such as Qatar to continue the process. The State Department said it was in touch with remaining Americans in Afghanistan and was facilitating departures for US citizens, lawful permanent residents, and eligible Afghan partners.

The number of Americans left in Afghanistan

The number of Americans stranded in Afghanistan has been a point of contention between the Biden administration and Republican lawmakers. While the White House and the State Department have maintained that there are about 100 to 200 Americans stranded in Afghanistan, Republican lawmakers have criticized this number as being too low and "way off".

On August 31, 2021, President Joe Biden addressed the nation and defended the U.S. evacuation effort in Afghanistan. He stated that about 100 to 200 Americans remain in the country with the intention to leave. The White House later clarified that 98% of Americans wishing to leave had been evacuated. Biden stressed that there was no deadline for the remaining Americans, saying, "We remain committed to getting them out if they want to come out."

However, Republican lawmakers have argued that the number of stranded Americans is much higher. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy claimed that the preliminary government estimate was between 11,000 and 15,000 Americans, and he criticized the administration for only evacuating a fraction of that number. In response to this criticism, Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor, explained that it was difficult to determine an exact count as Americans were not required to register with the U.S. embassy when entering Afghanistan.

The State Department has faced scrutiny from Congress about the number of U.S. citizens, green card holders, and legal permanent residents (LPRs) who remain in Afghanistan. In November 2021, it was reported that the State Department believed there were as many as 14,000 LPRs still in the country. However, when questioned by lawmakers, Brian McKeon, the deputy secretary of state, insisted that the agency did not track LPRs.

In addition to U.S. citizens and residents, there are also thousands of Afghans with connections to the U.S. who are stranded in the country. This includes green card holders, visa holders, and applicants, as well as those who worked as interpreters or contractors for the U.S. military. The exact number of these individuals is unknown, but it is believed to be in the thousands.

The effort to evacuate Americans and their Afghan allies from Afghanistan has been challenging, and the Biden administration has faced bipartisan criticism for its handling of the withdrawal. Despite these challenges, the U.S. government, along with private groups, has helped evacuate hundreds of Americans and continues to work towards evacuating those who remain.

The Biden administration's handling of Afghanistan

While the Biden administration has defended its handling of the situation, arguing that 90% of Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan were evacuated, this has been contested by some who claim the number of Americans left behind is much higher. There has also been criticism of the administration's failure to anticipate the fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the subsequent evacuation, which resulted in chaotic scenes at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport.

The Biden administration has also been criticized for not doing enough to help service members with family still stuck in Afghanistan. However, the administration has argued that it remains committed to doing everything it can to get American citizens and allies out of the country. In the months following the withdrawal, the U.S. government has helped at least 234 Americans leave Afghanistan, and veterans and private groups have evacuated at least 32 more. The State Department is also in contact with Americans who remain in the country and want to leave.

The situation in Afghanistan continues to be challenging, with half of the population living in poverty and ethnic minorities and women and girls facing increasing marginalization. The Biden administration has provided approximately $2 billion in humanitarian assistance to support the Afghan people, and it continues to work with the international community to call on the Taliban to reverse their harmful policies.

The evacuation of US troops from Afghanistan

The Evacuation

The evacuation of US troops and citizens from Afghanistan was one of the largest airlifts in history. Between 14 and 25 August, the US evacuated about 82,300 people from Hamid Karzai International Airport, including US citizens, Special Immigrant Visa applicants, and other vulnerable Afghans. The evacuation was completed on 30 August, one day before the deadline agreed upon with the Taliban. Overall, the US and its allies airlifted more than 120,000 people to safety.

Challenges and Criticisms

The evacuation operation faced several challenges and has received criticism for leaving behind Americans and vulnerable Afghans. There were reports of chaotic scenes at the airport, with thousands of Afghans rushing to board flights out of the country. US troops were involved in crowd control and occasionally fired warning shots to disperse people attempting to forcefully board aircraft.

In addition, there were reports of the State Department and the White House resisting early evacuation efforts and failing to grasp the urgency of the situation. Military officials expressed frustration with the lack of preparation and coordination, which placed troops in greater danger.

Stranded Americans and Afghans

Despite the successful evacuation of tens of thousands of people, there were still Americans and Afghan allies stranded in Afghanistan. The exact number of Americans left behind is unknown, with estimates ranging from 100 to 200. Many of those who remained were dual citizens or long-time residents with family roots in Afghanistan.

In addition, there were thousands of vulnerable Afghans, including interpreters and assistants who had worked with US and NATO forces, who were unable to evacuate. The State Department pledged to continue facilitating evacuations on commercial and charter flights but faced criticism for providing few details on how it would help those left behind.

Post-Evacuation Efforts

Following the evacuation, the Pentagon stepped up efforts to evacuate the families of US service members left behind in Afghanistan. In November 2021, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl issued a memo asking military personnel and civilians with immediate family members in Afghanistan to provide information to facilitate their evacuation.

Congress also worked to help service members with stranded family members, and veteran groups assisted in evacuation efforts. However, it was reported that none of the family members qualified for assisted evacuation by the State Department, which caused dismay for those who felt the US owed them a debt of gratitude.

The State Department's efforts to get Americans out of Afghanistan

The State Department has been working to get Americans out of Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul suspended operations in Afghanistan on August 31, 2021, and the U.S. government is not able to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Afghanistan. The State Department has urged U.S. citizens to depart Afghanistan immediately via commercial means if possible.

The State Department has set up a task force with the sole goal of locating and offering guidance to U.S. citizens in Afghanistan who wish to depart. The task force has been engaging American citizens in Afghanistan since August 14, 2021, and has made more than 55,000 phone calls and sent more than 33,000 emails. The State Department is also in close coordination with allies and partners to scope their ongoing relationship with the Afghan people and the Taliban.

The State Department has also been working with the international community to assist the Afghan people during a period of humanitarian and economic catastrophe. The U.S. has changed the nature and scope of its activities in Afghanistan to focus on humanitarian aid and targeted assistance to help meet basic human needs and avoid a complete and imminent economic collapse. The U.S. has led the international response to deliver humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, working through UN agencies and NGOs, providing $775 million in such assistance as of July 2022.

The State Department has also been working to get lawful permanent residents (LPRs) out of Afghanistan. The State Department has been in touch with LPRs and has urged them to depart Afghanistan if possible. The State Department has also been working to get Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants out of Afghanistan. The State Department has been in contact with SIV applicants or SIV-eligible people and has been processing them for entry into the U.S.

The State Department has also been working to get other at-risk Afghans out of the country. The State Department has evacuated tens of thousands of at-risk Afghans, including those who qualify for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The State Department has also been working with allies and partners to hold the Taliban accountable to their commitments to uphold the rights of all Afghan citizens, including women, girls, and minorities.

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