This is a topic we visited several days ago asking the same question. The answer seems to be fewer now, but it’s still a sizable number that the White House can’t seem to get a solid handle on.
The media is full of stories and accounts of U.S. citizens, green-card holders, and sometimes dual Afghan-U.S. citizens, who are still seeking a way out of the country. In some cases, they have contacted the State Department and never received any information about how or when they could be rescued. In other cases, they attempted to leave but were stopped by the Taliban or other threats of violence.
All-in-all, there are still at least 100 Americans still stranded in Afghanistan without any hope of a clear plan from the Biden administration as to how they may one day get back on U.S. soil.
Several accounts provide some detail as to just how bad the situation can be for anyone left in the country deemed a threat by the Taliban or ISIS-K. As this Washington Post story reveals, sometimes the choice was between risking almost certain death or injury versus staying and waiting it out:
Mike, a 29-year-old U.S. green-card holder who was an Afghan interpreter for the U.S. Army and later worked as an Uber driver in Washington, D.C., is now huddled in a hotel outside Kabul with his wife and three young children, his parents, two brothers and a sister, stranded in his own country, running out of money and hope.
The family, on the run from Taliban fighters Mike once helped the Americans battle, spent 36 hours at the Kabul airport earlier this week, desperately trying to get on a plane out of the country.
In some cases, evacuees were told to head to the airport, only to be stopped by crowds or violence. In other cases, no answer was received and no information was given other than to wait for instruction.
Anger is still growing at home among lawmakers continuing to field requests from constituents to help those stranded in Afghanistan according to Politico:
“Hundreds of Americans and thousands of our Afghan allies have been left behind enemy lines. This is not a mission accomplished, this is a complete disgrace,” Rep. MIKE GALLAGHER (R-Wis.), who authored a bill that would’ve compelled U.S. forces to stay in Afghanistan until every willing evacuee got out, said in a statement Monday evening.
“America’s last flight left Afghanistan, even though we still don’t know the total number of Americans trapped behind enemy lines — it’s unforgivable,” added Sen. STEVE DAINES (R-Mont.).
It’s not just Republicans: Many Democratic lawmakers privately expressed frustration to NatSec Daily that President JOE BIDEN and his team didn’t evacuate every U.S. citizen who wanted out before ending the military mission. But, despite many attempts by NatSec Daily to get them on the record, none wanted to be seen as bashing the president over a broken promise.
Rescuing Americans and green-card holders, along with friendly Afghans who helped the U.S. military effort in the past 20 years, is not a partisan issue. The problem stems from the complete collapse of the country within hours of the U.S. withdrawal as no formal planning took place to ensure there would be time and resources available to help those in danger flee the country.
Reports now indicate that there could be “thousands” of students still trapped following news that a group from California was rescued:
California officials who helped rescue El Cajon-area students stranded in Afghanistan after the U.S. military withdrew all troops Monday said there could “easily” be thousands more who were left behind.
Based on conversations that the Cajon Valley Union School District and Republican California Rep. Darrell Issa’s office has had with their contacts in Afghanistan, officials and families estimate that more than 1,000 U.S. students and children of Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders are still stuck in the country.
The Biden administration is maintaining a number of around 100 Americans left to rescue, though the actual count is highly disputed and doesn’t include others who qualify for refugee status or those who are simply being left out of the count to improve the appearance of the situation.
According to independent data, outside the U.S government, the count is likely still well into the thousands:
IT IS UNCLEAR how many U.S. citizens, green card holders, or partners of U.S. persons eligible for withdrawal are still stranded in Afghanistan. Some monitoring groups have put the total numbers into the thousands.
Those who remain continue to be in danger on a daily basis. If the situation turns dire, the Taliban or ISIS-K has, essentially, thousands of hostages who could potentially be used as bargaining chips for influence or cash.
It remains unknown exactly how the Biden administration will continue to pursue these stranded Americans, and others, and how thorough the continued evacuation will be in the coming weeks.
