Biden administration moved slowly to help Afghan refugees as it prepared to exit
The Biden administration moved slowly for months to address the plight of vulnerable Afghans who had worked for the United States even as a deadline for U.S. military withdrawal loomed, refugee advocates said — a lull some blamed on White House concern that the influx would invite partisan political backlash amid a rush of migrants at the southern border.
Afghans who served as interpreters, fixers and other staff for the U.S. military and diplomats over the nearly 20-year U.S. military mission were among thousands evacuated in recent days, following the stunning collapse of the U.S.-backed government. Getting thousands more out of the country is a top priority now ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline to exit, the nation’s top military officials said Wednesday.
“We have a moral obligation to help those who helped us, and I feel the urgency deeply,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the Pentagon.
Asked Wednesday by ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos whether some troops might stay beyond the end of the month if necessary to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies, President Biden said: “It depends on where they are, and whether we can ramp these numbers up to five [thousand] to 7,000 a day coming out. If that’s the case, they’ll all be out.”
Biden also said, “If there are American citizens left, we’re going to stay until we get them all out.”
But the administration showed little public urgency to expedite visas for Afghans in the months before and immediately after Biden’s announcement in April that the United States would pull U.S. forces out. [Continue reading…]