Biden's Promise Kept: Afghan Evacuees Find Refuge In Numbers

The Biden administration evacuated an estimated 123,000 civilians from Afghanistan, with U.S. military aircraft accounting for 79,000 of those evacuations. This includes the evacuation of 6,000 Americans and 73,500 third-country nationals and Afghan civilians. The Biden administration faced criticism for the chaotic nature of the evacuation and for failing to evacuate all Americans before the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Biden's promise to evacuate Americans

The Biden administration has been heavily criticised for its handling of the evacuation of Americans and allies from Afghanistan. In August 2021, President Joe Biden promised to evacuate all Americans from Afghanistan before the final withdrawal of US forces. However, it later emerged that the administration had no precise figure for how many Americans were still in the country and needed to be evacuated.

On 18 August 2021, Biden said:

> Now we believe that about 100 to 200 Americans remain in Afghanistan with some intention to leave. Most of those who remain are dual citizens, longtime residents who had earlier decided to stay because of their family roots in Afghanistan.

The White House transcript of Biden's remarks corrected the president, indicating that 98% of Americans who wanted to leave were evacuated from Afghanistan during Operation Allies Refuge. Biden had previously stated that troops would remain in Afghanistan beyond 31 August 2021 if necessary to evacuate all American citizens.

On 20 August 2021, Biden addressed the evacuation efforts in a speech from the White House, stating:

> Any American who wants to come home, we will get you home.

He added that the US was also committed to evacuating Afghans who had assisted the US:

> We're making the same commitment [to Afghans who had assisted the US] as to U.S. citizens...They were translators. They were part of the operation.

Biden acknowledged the difficulties Americans and Afghans were facing in trying to get to the airport and board evacuation flights. He said the US was in constant contact with the Taliban, and that, to the best of his knowledge, the Taliban were allowing people with American passports through checkpoints. Biden also said that the US would consider rescue operations for Americans and Afghan allies trapped behind Taliban checkpoints.

By 24 August 2021, Biden said that 4,000 Americans had been evacuated, not including their families, but that officials did not know how many Americans were still in the country. He confirmed that the Pentagon and State Department were drawing up contingency plans to stay beyond the 31 August deadline.

On 25 August 2021, the White House said that the US had the capacity to evacuate the approximately 300 US citizens remaining in Afghanistan who wanted to leave before Biden's deadline the following day. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said:

> We have the capacity to have 300 Americans...come to the airport and get on planes in the time that is remaining.

By 30 August 2021, Biden said that troops had facilitated the evacuation of about 5,500 Americans before the last American troops left.

In total, the US evacuated approximately 123,000 civilians, including 6,000 Americans and more than 73,500 third-country nationals and Afghan civilians.

The number of Americans left in Afghanistan

In the immediate aftermath of the withdrawal, the White House stated that between 100 and 200 Americans remained in Afghanistan and wanted to leave. This number was disputed by some Republican lawmakers, who suggested the figure was much higher.

The challenge in determining an exact number stems from the fact that Americans are not required to register with the local embassy or consulate when they arrive in a country, nor are they required to notify US missions when they leave. This makes it difficult to provide precise figures, as the situation is fluid and constantly changing.

In the months following the withdrawal, the US government, with the help of private groups, has evacuated several hundred Americans from Afghanistan. As of November 2021, the State Department believed that around 14,000 US legal permanent residents remained in the country. This number included those who wanted to leave and those who chose to stay.

The Biden administration has pledged to continue working to help Americans leave Afghanistan, and the State Department has been in contact with those who want to depart, providing them with instructions and specific plans for evacuation. The effort to get Americans, legal permanent residents, and eligible Afghans out of the country is now a diplomatic one, handled primarily by the State Department.

The number of Afghans at risk evacuated

The evacuation of Afghans at risk is part of a broader effort to airlift American citizens and personnel, third-country civilians, and Afghan allies from Afghanistan. The Biden administration has been criticized for not sharing precise numbers regarding the evacuation efforts. However, here is an overview of the available information:

Numbers Evacuated

As of August 24, 2021, President Joe Biden stated that since July, the U.S. had evacuated approximately 75,900 people, with 70,700 of them in the last 10 days. This included American citizens, permanent residents, and their families, as well as Afghans at risk.

According to Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., commander of U.S. Central Command, as of August 30, U.S. military aircraft had evacuated over 79,000 civilians from Hamid Karzai International Airport since August 14. This included 6,000 Americans and over 73,500 third-country nationals and Afghan civilians, such as those with special immigrant visas, consular staff, and at-risk Afghans and their families.

In total, U.S. and coalition aircraft evacuated over 123,000 civilians. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that from August 17 to August 31, at least 23,876 Afghans at risk were transported to the U.S.

Afghans at Risk Left Behind

The evacuation efforts have been criticized for leaving behind vulnerable Afghans who face potential retribution from the Taliban. The Association of Wartime Allies, a refugee resettlement group, estimates that 250,000 Afghans at risk, including interpreters, drivers, and other workers who assisted the U.S., need to be evacuated. However, only 62,000 have left since July.

The Biden administration has emphasized its commitment to helping at-risk Afghans even after the troop withdrawal. The State Department has stated that they will hold the Taliban accountable and work with the international community to ensure safe passage for those seeking to leave Afghanistan.

The number of US troops in Afghanistan

In March 2002, there were 7,200 US troops in Afghanistan, and this number continued to increase over the next few years, with 20,300 troops in April 2004, and 25,000 in December 2007. The number of US troops surpassed 50,000 in May 2009 and reached 100,000 in August 2010.

In May 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed in a raid in Pakistan, and President Obama announced a withdrawal of more than 30,000 troops by the summer of 2012. In September 2012, troop levels had decreased to 77,000, and by December 2013, there were 46,000 troops remaining in Afghanistan.

In May 2014, President Obama announced a plan for the withdrawal of most US forces by the end of his second term in 2016. However, in June 2017, President Trump authorized the deployment of additional troops, with about 5,000 more troops sent to Afghanistan by the end of the year.

In February 2020, the US committed to a full military withdrawal from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. This deadline was later extended to September 11, 2021, and then again to August 31, 2021.

In July 2021, it was reported that the US had roughly 600 troops in Afghanistan, most of whom were providing security at the US Embassy in Kabul. By August 2021, the US had pulled out the last of its troops, ending its 20-year war in Afghanistan.

The deadline for evacuations

The evacuation of Afghanistan was a massive operation, with the US and its allies evacuating over 70,000 people since mid-August, including American citizens, NATO personnel, and Afghans at risk. The evacuation was not without its challenges, with reports of violence and human rights abuses by the Taliban, as well as logistical issues and vetting procedures.

The Biden administration initially set a deadline of August 31 for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, but there were calls from various quarters to extend the deadline to ensure the safe evacuation of all American citizens and vulnerable Afghans. Biden himself acknowledged the possibility of extending the deadline, stating that it depended on "the Taliban continuing to cooperate and allow access to the airport for those who we're transporting out, and no disruptions to our operations."

The Taliban, however, had warned against any extension, stating that there would be \"consequences\" if foreign forces remained beyond the deadline. They urged skilled Afghans, such as engineers and doctors, not to leave the country and blocked Afghans' access to Kabul's airport.

Despite the challenges and calls for an extension, the Biden administration stuck to the August 31 deadline. In the days leading up to the deadline, the pace of evacuations increased, with the US evacuating approximately 300 citizens per day. The administration stated that it had the capacity to evacuate all remaining Americans who wanted to leave before the deadline.

The final US military flight left Kabul on August 30, signifying the completion of the 20-year war in Afghanistan. However, the evacuation efforts left behind some Americans and many vulnerable Afghans, sparking criticism of the Biden administration's handling of the situation.

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