At least one military official is outraged that U.S. officials provided the Taliban with a list of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies as part of ongoing evacuation efforts, Politico reported this week.
Earlier this month, the Taliban took back control of Afghanistan with little resistance from the U.S.-backed government after nearly two decades of occupation. The U.S. was already engaged in its plans to pull all troops out of the country near the end of the month when the Taliban takeover occurred and intend to complete the withdrawal by Aug. 31.
Nearly 100,000 people have been evacuated since the takeover, according to Politico, and most had to pass through the Taliban's many checkpoints at Kabul airport.
Early on in the evacuation process, a joint U.S. military and diplomatic coordination team at Kabul airport provided the Taliban with a list of people the U.S. aimed to evacuate, including Afghans who served alongside the U.S. and sought special immigrant visas to America as well as U.S. citizens, dual nationals and lawful permanent residents, said Politico.
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According to the outlet, the names were provided to the Taliban so individuals would be allowed to enter the militant-controlled area outer perimeter around the Kabul airport. Most Americans and their allies in Afghanistan have been evacuated from the county through the airfield.
Before the U.S. sent troops to Afghanistan in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Taliban – a fundamentalist Islamic group – controlled the country. The group has a history of “brutally murdering Afghans who collaborated with the U.S. and other coalition forces,” said Politico.
“Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list,” said one defense official who spoke to Politico. “It’s just appalling and shocking and makes you feel unclean.”
When asked about the list Thursday, President Joe Biden said he would not confirm or deny whether such lists exist. He did say tat the U.S.
has been providing some names to the Taliban in an effort to expedite evacuations.
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“There have been occasions when our military has contacted their military counterparts in the Taliban and said this, for example, this bus is coming through with X number of people on it, made up of the following group of people. We want you to let that bus or that group through,” he said. “So, yes there have been occasions like that. To the best of my knowledge, in those cases, the bulk of that has occurred and they have been let through.”
Thousands of visa applicants arrived at the airport after the Taliban took Kabul, overwhelming the capacity of the U.S. to process. As the U.S. handled the requests, Afghan names were eventually left off lists provided to the Taliban. By Tuesday, only U.S. passport and green card holders were being accepted as eligible for evacuation, a U.S. defense official said.
Since the group took control, the U.S. has been relying on the Taliban for security outside the Kabul airport, said Politico.
Defense officials said Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, and Rear Adm. Peter Vasely, head of U.S. forces on the ground in Afghanistan, have referred to the Taliban as “our Afghan partners.” Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters this week that officials are in daily communication with the Taliban.
Biden administration officials defended their coordination with the Taliban at a a classified Capitol Hill briefing, said Politico. They argued that it is the best way to keep Americans and Afghans safe and “prevent a shooting war between Taliban fighters and the thousands of U.S. troops stationed at the airport,” according to the outlet.
On Thursday, ISIS terrorists suicide-bombed the Kabul airport, killing 13 U.S. troops. After the attacks, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said the U.S. should not trust the Taliban with American’s security. A spokesperson from Central Command did not comment, said Politico.
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