They just put all the Afghans on a killing list. This was what one defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because it is sensitive. It's shocking, appalling, and makes you feel dirty.
A spokesperson from U.S. Central Command declined comment.
This issue was brought up at a classified briefing held on Capitol Hill this week. It became contentious after high-ranking Biden administration officials spoke out in defense of their close cooperation with the Taliban. Officials from Biden claimed that this was the best way for Americans and Afghans to be safe and prevent a shooting conflict between Taliban fighters, and the thousands of U.S troops stationed at the Airport.
In the early days of the evacuation, the U.S. military provided the Taliban with a list containing names of those it wanted to evacuate. These names included Afghans who fought alongside the U.S. in the 20-year-old war and sought special visas to America. These names included U.S. citizens, dual-nationals, and lawful permanent residents.
One official from the United States stated that they had to do this because of the security crisis created by the White House allowing the Taliban control over everything outside of the airport.
After thousands of visa applicants arrived at airport, exceeding the U.S.'s capacity to process them all, the State Department decided to change course and ask applicants to not come to the airport. Instead, they requested that they wait until they are cleared to enter. The Taliban were not allowed to include Afghan names on the list.
According to a defense official, only green card and passport holders from the United States were eligible for evacuation as of August 25th.
The fact that U.S. officials gave a list of Afghan allies to American citizens and residents, shows how far they have outsourced security at the airport's outer perimeter to Taliban. Taliban have been going door-to-door looking for Afghan interpreters and other people who assisted U.S. forces.
Two defense officials claim that Gen. Frank McKenzie (commander of U.S. Central Command) and Rear Adm. Peter Vasely (head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan), have both referred to the Taliban and referred to them as our Afghan partners in written and verbal communications.
Biden's administration has coordinated the evacuation effort and airport security efforts with the Taliban. The Taliban is responsible for the control of the checkpoints at the airport's outer perimeter. According to John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesperson, officials have been regularly in contact with Taliban commanders regarding who should be allowed in.
This news comes hours after two terrorist attacks by Islamic State struck the area near the airport. The attacks killed at least four U.S Marines and injured dozens more. The bombings also resulted in the deaths of several Afghans.
Senator Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez, D-N.J., appeared to criticize Biden's strategy of coordinating and with Taliban. He wrote in a statement that: While we wait for more details, one thing is certain: We don't trust the Taliban to be safe with Americans security.
