Left Behind: Unraveling The Plight Of Americans Stranded In Afghanistan

The number of Americans stranded in Afghanistan has been a highly debated topic since the US military withdrawal in August 2021. The Biden administration initially estimated that there were 100-150 Americans left in the country, but a report by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee revealed that the number could be as high as 9,000. The White House later put the figure at 100 to 200, with one Republican lawmaker suggesting the number was much higher. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that several Americans were being detained by the Taliban and that the US government was working to secure their freedom. The exact number of Americans still in Afghanistan remains unknown, but it is estimated to be between 100 and 200.

Americans detained by the Taliban

The Taliban has been detaining Americans in Afghanistan, with several Americans believed to be held captive as of March 2023. While the exact number of detainees is unclear, Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that the Taliban is holding several Americans in the country.

One of the most well-known cases is that of Mark Frerichs, a 59-year-old civil engineer and Navy veteran who was abducted in Kabul in 2020. Frerichs is believed to be held by the Haqqani network, a faction of the Taliban, and his family has repeatedly appealed to both the Trump and Biden administrations for his release. In a video released in 2022, Frerichs pleaded for his freedom, stating that he had been "patiently waiting for [his] release." Despite ongoing negotiations and appeals, he remains in captivity as of 2024.

In another case, two brothers, Safi Rauf (a U.S. citizen and Navy reservist) and Anees Khalil (a U.S. green card holder), were detained by the Taliban in December 2021 while engaged in licensed humanitarian aid work. They were held for 105 days before being released and allowed to return to the United States via Qatar.

The detentions of Americans by the Taliban have inflamed tensions with the West and come at a delicate time in U.S.-Taliban relations. The U.S. government has urged the Taliban to release any Americans being held unjustly, with State Department spokesperson Ned Price stating, "Unjustly holding Americans captive is always unacceptable, and we will not stop until every American who is being unjustly held against their will is able to hug their families once again."

Americans who want to leave Afghanistan

The number of Americans wanting to leave Afghanistan has fluctuated since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. In the final hours before the Aug. 31 deadline for the U.S. military to withdraw from Afghanistan, the State Department stated that roughly 350 American citizens who wanted to leave remained in the country. However, it was noted that some of those individuals were likely already out of the country or in the process of leaving.

On August 25, 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that there could be as many as 1,500 Americans in Afghanistan still seeking to leave. This number was later revised, and on August 30, Blinken said that the U.S. was trying to determine the exact number, but it was likely under 200 and closer to 100.

In March 2023, Blinken confirmed that "several Americans" were being detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan and that the State Department was working to secure their freedom. At that time, there were approximately 175 Americans left in the country, with 44 of them ready to leave.

As of January 11, 2022, there were about 80 Americans in Afghanistan who wanted to leave, but evacuation flights had been grounded by the Taliban. The State Department remained committed to relocating Americans and those to whom the U.S. had a commitment, but it was unclear when the flights would resume.

The Biden administration has faced criticism for completing the military withdrawal from Afghanistan while American citizens still remained in the country. However, the administration has defended its decision, citing recommendations from military and diplomatic advisors and noting that 90% of Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan were able to do so.

Americans who don't want to leave Afghanistan

While the exact number of Americans who want to stay in Afghanistan is unknown, there are several reasons why some Americans might not want to leave the country.

Firstly, some Americans of Afghan descent may feel a sense of political alignment with the Taliban and do not perceive themselves to be at risk. Additionally, family ties and a sense of duty to Afghanistan can be strong factors in an individual's decision to remain in the country. For example, an acquaintance with legal U.S. status but not citizenship returned to Afghanistan just before the government's collapse to be with his family.

Secondly, some Americans may feel a sense of duty or commitment to Afghanistan and its people. For instance, Vicki Aken, an American who runs the International Rescue Committee's office in Kabul, chose to stay in Afghanistan to support the organization's staff, 99% of whom are Afghans. Aken stated that she wanted to remain in the country to demonstrate that the world has not abandoned Afghanistan and that people around the world still care.

Thirdly, some Americans may have chosen to stay in Afghanistan due to a sense of safety and security. In particular, dual citizens who consider Afghanistan their home and have lived there for an extended period may feel that they can go undetected and safely remain in the country.

Finally, it is worth noting that the U.S. government has emphasized its commitment to ensuring the safe passage of any American citizens who wish to leave Afghanistan. The State Department has been working closely with partner nations such as Qatar and Turkey to enable daily charter flights from Kabul and facilitate land travel to neighboring countries.

The Biden administration's handling of the situation

In the final days of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan in August 2021, officials sought to evacuate as many Americans and Afghan allies from Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. This evacuation was chaotic and saw the deaths of 13 U.S. service members in a suicide bombing. The Biden administration has been accused of failing to evacuate all Americans and eligible Afghans before the withdrawal deadline, and of providing inaccurate estimates of the number of Americans remaining in the country.

In the aftermath of the withdrawal, the Biden administration expanded access to the U.S. refugee program for certain Afghans, including those who did not qualify for the SIV program. However, these refugees were responsible for getting themselves out of Afghanistan, and the State Department would not begin processing them until they were in another country. This processing can take over a year, and the Biden administration has been criticized for not providing evacuation flights for these refugees.

The Biden administration has also been working to streamline and improve the SIV program for Afghans who worked with the U.S. military and are seeking to relocate to the U.S. Changes to the program include reducing the number of forms that applicants need to submit and having a single agency, the State Department, handle the entire process. These changes are intended to reduce processing times and ease the administrative burden on applicants. The administration has also surged resources to the program and is working with other countries and non-governmental organizations to support the evacuation and resettlement of Afghans.

Despite these efforts, there are still Americans and eligible Afghans who remain in Afghanistan and want to leave. As of March 2023, the State Department estimated that there were approximately 175 Americans in Afghanistan, with several being detained by the Taliban. The State Department is working to secure their freedom and facilitate their departure. In addition, there are thousands of Afghan SIV applicants still awaiting support from the U.S. government, with estimates ranging from 74,000 to over 150,000. The slow processing of SIV applications has been criticized, and the Biden administration has been accused of not doing enough to assist Afghans who helped American troops and diplomats.

The number of Americans evacuated by the U.S

August 2021

In August 2021, the U.S. military and its coalition partners evacuated approximately 79,000 civilians from Afghanistan, including 6,000 Americans and 73,500 third-country nationals and Afghan civilians. This massive evacuation effort took place over an 18-day period and involved the use of U.S. military transport planes, particularly C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.

September 2021

By September 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reported that the U.S. had helped orchestrate the evacuation of about 975 American citizens since the initial withdrawal in August. This number likely includes those evacuated during the chaotic airlift from Kabul International Airport in August.

January 2022

In January 2022, it was reported that there were about 80 Americans in Afghanistan who wanted to leave the country, but evacuation flights had been grounded by the Taliban. At that time, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price stated that the U.S. had relocated more than 900 U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, in addition to Afghans who met the criteria for relocation.

March 2023

By March 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken testified before Congress that the U.S. had evacuated about 975 Americans since the U.S. withdrawal in August 2021. He also stated that there were approximately 175 Americans still in Afghanistan, some of whom were being held captive by the Taliban.

Overall

While the exact number of Americans evacuated by the U.S. from Afghanistan may be difficult to pinpoint due to the fluid nature of the situation, the figures reported by various sources indicate a significant evacuation effort. The U.S., along with coalition partners, evacuated tens of thousands of civilians, including Americans and vulnerable Afghans, in the initial weeks following the Taliban's takeover.

The efforts continued beyond the initial evacuation phase, as evidenced by the figures reported in subsequent months. However, the exact number of Americans still in Afghanistan and those who wish to leave remains a concern, with the U.S. government working to secure their freedom and departure.

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