The Americans Left Behind in Afghanistan

The chaotic nature of the U.S. exit from Afghanistan has shocked American allies and Americans too—including numerous U.S. citizens who are now trapped inside the Taliban-controlled territory. Some American journalists, contractors and aid workers in the country may have made the mistake of believing President Joe Biden’s July assurances and are now desperately seeking a way out.

Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin writes:

As the situation on the ground in Afghanistan’s capital continues to deteriorate, thousands of U.S. citizens are trapped in and around Kabul with no ability to get to the airport, which is their only way out of the country. As Taliban soldiers go door to door, searching for Westerners, these U.S. citizens are now reaching out to anyone and everyone back in Washington for help. The Biden administration must get moving on a plan to rescue them before it’s too late.

There will be plenty of time later to look back on how and why the 20-year American intervention in Afghanistan failed so miserably, why the U.S. withdrawal was so badly mismanaged and how the U.S. government failed to predict that the Taliban would take over the country with almost no resistance. But right now, the No. 1 job of the U.S. government and the roughly 7,000 U.S. troops in or on their way to Kabul must be to rescue American citizens first and then all the Afghans who risked their lives based on America’s promise of safety… President Biden didn’t address the issue of how the U.S. government will assist Americans who aren’t already at the airport during his remarks to the nation Monday afternoon.

Laura Kelly and Brett Samuels report in The Hill:

American citizens stuck in Afghanistan who have reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and the State Department have been sent an automatic email directing them to fill out a repatriation form and await further instructions…

An American citizen stranded under Taliban control in Afghanistan and sheltering in place described the situation as of Monday evening as calm but tense.

The citizen expressed hope in public statements from Taliban officials that they will not carry out campaigns of violence despite reports from across the country of Taliban fighters occupying people’s homes and forcibly marrying off women and girls.

“The people who are very scared are small kids, girls and women. These are the people who are very scared, very frightened so far,” the citizen said, requesting that any and all identifying information not be published for fear of the person’s safety.

Because the Taliban takeover happened so quickly, the citizen’s scheduled commercial flight was canceled, and the person is avoiding the airport amid chaotic scenes of stampeding crowds and reports of people shot dead.

Leo Shane III reports for Army Times:

Congressional offices and outside advocacy groups are fielding a flood of frantic calls from American citizens and foreign allies desperate to escape from Afghanistan amid unfolding chaos there.

On Sunday, staffers from Sen. Tom Cotton’s office set up a hotline for Americans stranded in Afghanistan who have not yet been able to receive any clear communication from State Department officials or other government resources… Staffers said they do not have any special inside information on evacuations or State Department planning, but have been able to consolidate contact information and streamline communications with appropriate officials on the ground.

Mr. Shane adds that for many of the stranded Americans, this is an improvement over existing government services: