The Forgotten Ones: Afghanistan's Left Behind

The Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan has been described as chaotic and hasty, with the US failing to evacuate many of its citizens and allies. The White House puts the number of Americans left behind at 100 to 200, while a Republican lawmaker suggested the figure was much higher. A report by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee found that as many as 9,000 Americans were left in Afghanistan during the withdrawal. The Biden administration has been criticised for its handling of the evacuation, with a House Foreign Affairs Committee investigation finding that the true number of American citizens evacuated may be closer to 1,000. In addition, the US has been accused of leaving behind 78,000 Afghan allies, endangering Afghans with ties to the US who remain in the country.

Biden's promise to Americans

The Biden Administration has been criticized for its handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, with many Americans left behind in the country following the Taliban takeover. The exact number of Americans left behind is unknown, with estimates ranging from 100 to 200, while some Republican lawmakers suggested the figure was much higher, at 9,000.

President Biden promised Americans that he would get all U.S. citizens out of Afghanistan, stating: "We will stay to get them all out." However, this promise was broken as U.S. troops withdrew from the country before all Americans who wanted to leave could be evacuated. Biden has defended his decision, arguing that American troops should not be put in harm's way indefinitely and that the war in Afghanistan was no longer in the national interest of the United States.

The Biden Administration has continued its efforts to evacuate Americans and others from Afghanistan, with over 800 American citizens evacuated since the Taliban takeover. The State Department has been working to facilitate evacuations through air and land routes, in collaboration with other countries in the region.

In addition to evacuating Americans, the Biden Administration has also been criticized for failing to evacuate more Afghans who worked with U.S. forces and are now at risk from the Taliban. The Administration has been accused of not doing enough to eliminate bureaucratic red tape and expedite visas for these individuals.

President Biden has also made promises to uphold human rights in Afghanistan, particularly for women and girls. However, the Taliban has imposed restrictions on women, including prohibiting them from working and requiring them to cover themselves with burqas. The Biden Administration has been criticized for not doing enough to hold the Taliban accountable and protect the rights of Afghan women and girls.

In conclusion, while the Biden Administration has successfully evacuated thousands of Americans and Afghans from the country, it has also faced criticism for leaving Americans behind and not doing enough to protect vulnerable Afghans and uphold human rights in Afghanistan. The Administration continues to work towards evacuating those still in the country and addressing the ongoing challenges in Afghanistan.

The number of Afghan allies left behind

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan has left thousands of Afghan allies stranded in the country. The exact number of Afghans left behind is unknown, but estimates range from 78,000 to 265,000. These individuals and their families are now at risk of persecution and economic deprivation under the Taliban's rule.

The Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program was established to help resettle Afghans at risk due to their work for the US military. However, the program has been criticized for its slow processing times and bureaucratic red tape. As a result, many Afghans who qualified for the SIV program were left behind during the evacuation.

The Biden administration has faced criticism for its handling of the evacuation and its failure to evacuate most of America's Afghan allies. The White House has acknowledged that it failed to evacuate the majority of Afghans who had been promised rescue.

The situation for Afghans left behind is increasingly dangerous and desperate. They face persecution, economic hardship, and food shortages. The Taliban is targeting individuals who worked with the US, and there have been reports of executions and kidnappings.

Efforts are ongoing to evacuate those who were left behind, but the process is challenging without a diplomatic presence in the country. The US government is working with countries bordering Afghanistan to provide refuge and safe passage for Afghans. However, there is no systematic process for seeking asylum in neighboring countries, and most Afghan refugees are turned away.

The US government must act to expedite the evacuation and resettlement of Afghan allies left behind. The safety and well-being of these individuals and their families are at stake.

The number of US troops remaining

The US military withdrawal from Afghanistan was completed on 30 August 2021, marking the end of the 20-year war.

In the final days of the US presence in Afghanistan, there were about 650 US troops remaining in the country. These troops were tasked with protecting Hamid Karzai International Airport and the US Embassy in Kabul.

On 14 August, as the Taliban rapidly advanced through the provinces, the US increased its troop commitment to 5,000. On 15 August, with the fall of Kabul, another 1,000 troops were deployed, and on 16 August, a further 1,000 troops were deployed, bringing the total number of troops to 7,000.

The last US military planes left Kabul airport at 11:59 p.m. on 30 August 2021. Lieutenant General Christopher T. Donahue was the final American soldier to leave Afghanistan.

The evacuation of American citizens

The Initial Phase

During the initial phase of the evacuation, the U.S. airlifted approximately 124,000 people out of Kabul over a period of about six weeks. This included around 6,000 American citizens, as well as U.S. permanent residents, special visa holders, and their families. The evacuation was characterized by chaos as the collapse of the Afghan government and military happened more quickly than anticipated. Despite the challenges, the U.S. was able to facilitate the departure of American citizens, thanks to the efforts of the military and coordination with other governments.

The Subsequent Phase

Even after the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan, the State Department and private groups continued their efforts to evacuate American citizens and permanent residents. As of February 2022, the U.S. had evacuated 479 Americans from Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, according to a Senate Foreign Relations Committee report. Additionally, the State Department has chartered flights and evacuated 435 American citizens and 325 people with permanent resident status since August 30, 2021.

The exact number of Americans left behind in Afghanistan is difficult to pinpoint. While the Biden administration initially claimed the number was around 100 to 200, a report by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee suggested that as many as 9,000 Americans were left behind during the withdrawal. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that the State Department is in contact with American citizens who want to leave and is working to facilitate their evacuation.

The US equipment left behind

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan left the Taliban with billions of dollars' worth of military equipment. The US gave the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) $18.6 billion of equipment between 2005 and 2021, and $7.12 billion of this was left behind in the country.

The equipment included aircraft, munitions, military vehicles, weapons, and communications equipment. Specifically, the US left behind 78 aircraft, 9,524 air-to-ground munitions, 40,000 military vehicles (including 12,000 Humvees), 300,000 weapons, and nearly all of the night vision, surveillance, biometric and positioning equipment, and explosive ordinance disposal and demining equipment.

Some of the equipment was "demilitarized" or destroyed by US troops before their withdrawal. General Kenneth McKenzie, head of US Central Command, said that US troops had demilitarized up to 70 MRAPs, 23 Humvees, and 73 aircraft. He confirmed that the aircraft would never fly again, and that the demilitarized equipment would be of no use in combat. However, Loren Thompson, a defense industry consultant, said that the equipment would have symbolic value for the Taliban.

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