Biden to begin evacuation of Afghans who helped U.S. military during war
- The Biden administration will begin evacuating Afghan nationals and their families who assisted U.S. and NATO coalition forces during America's longest war and who may face retribution as the Taliban advances.
- Operation Allies Refuge follows concerns about whether the U.S. could work through a backlog of more than 10,000 special immigrant visas for eligible Afghans.
- In April, Biden ordered the full withdrawal of approximately 3,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, effectively ending America's longest war.
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will begin evacuation flights this month for Afghan nationals and their families who assisted U.S. and NATO coalition forces during America's longest war.
A senior White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to share details of the effort, said the departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security will oversee the task of safely relocating Afghan nationals.
"For operational security, we won't have additional details on when flights will depart, but we will meet the President's commitment to begin flights this month," the official said.
The interagency effort, dubbed Operation Allies Refuge, follows concerns raised on Capitol Hill and elsewhere about whether the State Department could work through a backlog of more than 10,000 special immigrant visas for eligible Afghans before the remaining U.S. troops withdraw from the country.
As the Taliban makes rapid advances on the battlefield, there are concerns that Afghans who helped U.S. and NATO forces will face retribution.
In April, Biden ordered the full withdrawal of approximately 3,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, effectively ending America's longest war. Last week, Biden gave an updated timeline and said that the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will end by Aug. 31.
"We did not go to Afghanistan to nation-build," Biden said Thursday in remarks at the White House. "It's up to the Afghans to make decisions about the future of their country."
In another symbolic end to America's longest military conflict, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley met Army Gen. Scott Miller, the former top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, on the tarmac Wednesday morning at Joint Base Andrews.
Miller, America's last four-star commander to serve on the ground in Afghanistan, stepped down from his role on Monday, nearly three years after he took over command of the war.
On Tuesday, the Pentagon said it has completed more than 95% of the entire withdrawal process.
The U.S. military has removed the equivalent of approximately 984 loads of material flown out of the country by large cargo aircraft, according to an update from U.S. Central Command.
Approximately 17,000 pieces of equipment that will not be left to the Afghan military have also been handed over to the Defense Logistics Agency for destruction. The U.S. has officially handed over seven facilities to the Afghan military, including Bagram Air Base.