US Congressional Staffers frantically working to help evacuate US citizens, legal permanent residents and family members from Afghanistan have received disturbing reports of the chaos which unfolded in the final days before and after the US military’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to the Washington Examiner.
From being on the phone with individuals dodging gunfire to messages describing Taliban beating U.S. citizens, lives are on the line as an ever-changing security landscape hamstrings staff members working long hours to assist those stranded.
One message screenshot shared with the Washington Examiner, which is not being directly quoted to protect the identities and safety of those still in Kabul, describes a group of U.S. citizens who arranged for transportation to the airport. The Taliban only let a few through, beating the rest and firing gunshots over their heads, sending them running.
ep. Mike Garcia’s (R-CA) office coordinated with an Afghan-American mother and her children – US citizens, to try and get them through another checkpoint. According to the Examiner, she provided a video of her sitting her car in the dark – holding up their four blue passports and asking what she can do.
“This is why you don’t rely on the Taliban to be the ones monitoring the checkpoints,” said Garcia, a former Navy pilot.
One Afghan-American citizen who worked with Bacon’s office said the Taliban “were creating as much problem as they could.” After the State Department told him to go to the Interior Ministry, he encountered a Taliban guard and explained he was told to go there.
“He told me, ‘Go and tell the State Department to f*** themselves.’”
He eventually got into the Kabul airport after taking a big risk outside the gate during a firefight, in which guards shot at peoples’ feet to disperse the crowd.
“Everybody run away,” he said. It was the day after the ISIS-K bombing at Abbey Gate. “I know it was stupid, but I took just my chance. I ran towards the soldiers. I had my passport in my hand — shouting that I’m an American citizen.” -Washington Examiner
