Left Behind: The Americans Stranded In Afghanistan

The number of Americans stranded in Afghanistan has been a cause for concern since the U.S. military withdrawal in August 2021. While the Pentagon confirmed that nearly 450 American citizens were still in Afghanistan following the withdrawal, the Biden administration has struggled to provide a precise figure, with estimates ranging from 100 to 200. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that the U.S. is committed to evacuating any American citizens who wish to leave Afghanistan, and as of March 2023, approximately 175 Americans remained in the country, with 44 ready to depart.

The Pentagon confirms nearly 450 Americans are still in Afghanistan

On October 26, 2021, the Pentagon confirmed that nearly 450 Americans were still in Afghanistan following the U.S. military withdrawal in August. This number is higher than what the State Department had said the week before.

The latest tally was presented by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl, after Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., pointed out what he believed were contradictory or "confusing" numbers that the administration has presented since the August 31 withdrawal.

Inhofe noted that the Biden administration had previously stated that there were only 100 to 200 U.S. citizens left in Afghanistan, but now says it has already withdrawn 234 and is in contact with 363 others, 176 of whom want to leave.

Kahl gave a detailed response, explaining that the Department of State is in contact with 196 American citizens who are ready to depart and arrangements are being made for them to do so either by air or over ground. Additionally, another 243 American citizens have been contacted and are not ready to depart, either because they want to stay in Afghanistan or are not yet ready to leave.

This total of 439 American citizens still in Afghanistan is an increase from the previous estimate of 363 provided by the State Department to congressional staff the week before. This, in turn, was higher than the initial estimate of roughly 100 provided by the administration in September.

The fluid situation on the ground has led to fluctuations in the number of Americans who wish to leave Afghanistan. At one point, the number was below 100, but it has since increased to between 100 and 200 as more Americans have decided to depart following the successful facilitation of dozens of departures in recent weeks.

The State Department has facilitated the departure of 234 citizens and 144 lawful permanent residents. These numbers climb to 314 and 266, respectively, when taking into account those who left via alternative means such as private charters and not through the U.S. government.

While the Pentagon has provided this updated tally, it is important to note that determining the exact number of Americans in Afghanistan has been challenging. This is partly due to Americans not registering or deregistering properly at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

Biden administration officials say they don't know the exact number

Biden administration officials have admitted that they do not know the exact number of Americans still in Afghanistan. The Biden administration has faced mounting criticism over its failure to provide a precise figure.

On August 22, 2021, President Biden's National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, admitted that the administration did not know how many Americans were in Afghanistan. He blamed Americans not registering or deregistering properly at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul for the lack of clarity. He stated that it was an American's right to remain in Afghanistan as long as they wanted and that the administration was responsible for getting them out.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have also said they did not know the number of Americans still in Afghanistan. Blinken said that the government was going through manifests and doing outreach to determine who needed help getting out of the country.

On August 31, 2021, Biden said that about 100 to 200 Americans remained in Afghanistan with the intention to leave. He added that 90% of Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan had been able to, and that there was no deadline for the remaining Americans, as the administration remained committed to getting them out.

A report released by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in February 2022 revealed that as many as 9,000 Americans were left in Afghanistan during the Biden administration's withdrawal. This contradicted the administration's claim that the number was closer to 100-150.

The White House has faced criticism for keeping the details vague, with some arguing that they have a "political incentive" to do so. However, the administration has defended its efforts, stating that the U.S. government does not track its citizens when they travel around the world and that it relies on self-reporting.

The White House puts the figure at 100-200

The Biden administration has faced criticism for its failure to evacuate all Americans from Afghanistan before withdrawing US troops from the country. In an August 2021 speech, President Biden said that between 100 and 200 Americans who intended to leave remained in Afghanistan. This was later corrected to 98% of Americans who wanted to leave, with the White House confirming that the US government remained committed to evacuating any remaining citizens.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken supported Biden's statement, saying that there were fewer than 200 Americans that the US needed to get out of the country. Blinken also said that it was difficult to provide a specific figure because the government was going through manifests and conducting outreach to determine who needed help evacuating. He added that the number did not include US legal permanent residents or green card holders.

The Biden administration's handling of the evacuation has been scrutinized, with some suggesting that the number of Americans left behind could be in the thousands. However, the White House has maintained that it will continue diplomatic efforts to ensure the safe passage of any remaining Americans, as well as Afghan partners and foreign nationals who wish to leave Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says several Americans are detained by the Taliban

The Biden administration has been under pressure to reveal the number of Americans still stranded in Afghanistan. In August 2021, the White House put the figure at 100 to 200, while a Republican lawmaker suggested the number was much higher. The Biden administration has been heavily criticized for its handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which has resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and left thousands of U.S. citizens and allies behind in a country overrun by the Taliban.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that "several Americans" remain detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan following the Biden administration's withdrawal from the country in the summer of 2021. Blinken's comments came during an exchange with Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing. When asked how many Americans remain in the war-torn country, Blinken responded that "several Americans" are being detained by the Taliban and that the State Department is working to secure their freedom. Blinken also stated that the families of the detained Americans have asked for their identities to be protected and for their cases not to be discussed publicly.

Blinken further mentioned that there are about 175 American citizens in Afghanistan that the State Department is in contact with, 44 of whom are ready to leave. He assured that they are working to effectuate their departure. The Taliban's detention of Westerners, including Americans, has inflamed tensions with the West and damaged relations, especially at a time when Afghanistan desperately needs international aid.

The Taliban has been demanding the release of Afghan drug kingpin Hajji Bashir Noorzai, who is serving a life sentence in an American prison, in exchange for the freedom of American hostages. Despite negotiations and efforts by the Biden administration, the future of Americans detained in Afghanistan remains uncertain.

The Biden administration is under pressure to reveal the number of Americans stranded

The Biden administration is facing mounting bipartisan pressure to disclose the number of Americans still stranded in Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover. While the Pentagon has stated that approximately 4,000 American passport holders and their families have been evacuated during rescue operations, the White House has not revealed the exact number of Americans who remain in the country.

The administration's inability to provide a precise figure has drawn criticism, with several top officials, including Pentagon spokesman John Kirby and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, admitting that they do not know the exact number. Sullivan attributed the uncertainty to Americans not properly registering or deregistering at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

The White House has a "political incentive" to keep the details vague, according to Nathan Sales, a former ambassador-at-large. Sales argued that the smaller the number of stranded Americans, the less criticism the administration would face for failing to evacuate vulnerable citizens effectively.

The State Department pledged to provide an "exact number" of stranded Americans, but verifying the figure proved challenging due to the fragile conditions in Kabul and limited U.S. capabilities on the ground.

The Biden administration initially estimated that there were 100 to 200 Americans in Afghanistan who intended to leave. However, the Pentagon later confirmed that the number was higher, with nearly 450 American citizens still in the country following the U.S. military withdrawal.

The administration's efforts to evacuate Americans from Afghanistan have been ongoing, with President Biden stating that 90% of Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan had been able to do so. He assured that there was no deadline for those who remained, and the U.S. remained committed to getting them out if they wanted to depart.

The number of Americans detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan has also been a concern, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirming that "several Americans" were being held by the group. Republicans have pushed for accountability from the Biden administration over its handling of the withdrawal, which resulted in the deaths of U.S. service members and left thousands of citizens and allies behind.

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