Topline
According to the House Foreign Affairs Committee's top Republican, the Taliban blocked a dozen flights with American citizens and permanent residents from leaving Afghanistan. He also accused the militant group of holding hostage the planes.
WASHINGTON DC - March 10: U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken, ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, testifies before Congress. Antony Blinken is a U.S. secretary of state. He was speaking as a ranking member in Washington, DC. Blinken will be answering questions regarding the priorities of the Biden administration in U.S. foreign policies. (Photo by TingShen-Pool/Getty Images). Getty Images
The Key Facts
Rep. Michael McCaul (R.Texas), claimed in a Fox News Sunday interview six planes had been sitting at Mazar-i Sharif international airport for the past few days. This information appears to have come from a State Department email sent to members of Congress. McCaul claimed that the planes are being held hostage by the U.S. until it recognizes the Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate governing authority. The Taliban controls the majority of Afghanistan, however, U.S. officials have so far refused to do so. According to CBS News, the State Department informed lawmakers that the flights can depart Doha, Qatar, where special immigrant visas have been processed by the U.S. for Afghans. Ascend's executive director Marina LeGree told Forbes that she knew of 600 to 1200 people, including 19 U.S. citizens, 2 green card holders, and two journalists. She also said that the U.S. has been processing Afghans applying for special immigrant visas in Doha, Qatar. Forbes reached out to McCauls office, CBS News, and the State Department for comments.
Important Quote
There are more and more people coming to Canada, some of them not on the manifest, but they are still paying a bribe for the gatekeepers. Forbes reported that conditions are getting worse.
Big Number
0. McCaul stated in an interview that this is how many Americans and Afghan allies had left Afghanistan since U.S troops completed their withdrawal last Monday.
Important Background
Some lawmakers have taken a lot of heat from Biden for not completing the troop withdrawal on time, even though some Americans were still trying evacuation. In a CNN interview, Ron Klain, White House Chief of Staff, stated that around 100 Americans are still in the country. However he expressed optimism that commercial flights will resume in coming days.
