First Afghans Land in US as Massive Evacuation Effort Continues

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Logo

Afghan evacuees landed in the United States for the first time since the Taliban took over their home country, U.S. officials said Saturday.

Three flights touched down at Dulles International Airport in Washington, Army Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor told reporters at the Pentagon.

โ€œThere are now Afghans, in just one week after beginning this operation, that have left Afghanistan and will be transitioned to Fort Bliss today,โ€ he said.

Many of the Afghans have been granted Special Immigrant Visas under section 602(b) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009, largely because of the assistance they or family members rendered to U.S. troops following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Some 34,500 such visas have been allocated since December 2014, and some interpreters who received them landed at Fort Lee in Virginia last month.

Other Afghan evacuees are getting P-2 visas.

The new groups of evacuees were slated to be taken to Fort Bliss in Texas. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved that fort and two others, Fort McCoy in Wisconsin and Fort Lee, to temporarily house the special visa applicants, their families, and other Afghans at risk.

The evacuees, who did not need to test negative for COVID-19, were vetted by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals, according to Taylor.

The government experts โ€œare surging resources to evaluate all of these evacuees to ensure protection of the homeland,โ€ he said.

Space for up to 22,000 evacuees was cleared, military officials have said. That number could ultimately end up higher. President Joe Biden this week said it could be as high as 65,000.

The United States is flying Afghans, Americans, and others from the Hamid Karzai International Airport to Germany and elsewhere before the flights continue on to America, following the recent Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

Some 22,000 have been evacuated since the end of July, including 17,000 since Aug. 14. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said he didnโ€™t know how many of those evacuated are Americans.

Despite expressing hope that the number of people flown per day could soon reach 9,000, the pace of evacuations has slowed as U.S. officials try to process the streams of people who want out and Americans trying to go home while keeping the airport secure.

Byย Zachary Stieber

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

The America Party Will Harm Democrats The Most

Elon Musk formed the America Party after an X poll asking his followers if they wanted โ€œindependence from the two-party system!

Democrats Exhibit the Dunning-Kruger Effect (DKE)

โ€œThe Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people with low ability at a task overestimate their competence, while those with high ability underestimate their competence.

250 Countdown

Those 56 intrepid men who signed put their very lives, honor and fortunes on the line. There was no auto-quill to accommodate their signatures.ย 

How the Senate Parliamentarian Changed the OBBB

An unelected bureaucrat does a important job in the U.S. Senate. Elizabeth MacDonough enforces senate rules on Trumpโ€™s โ€œOne Big Beautiful Billโ€.

Bioterror Roundup: CDC Director Nominee Is a Monster + New mRNA Pregnancy Studies

Bioterror Propaganda Roundup: The latest updates on the โ€œnew...

Trump to Meet With Netanyahu Following Iran Strikes Amid Cease-Fire Talks

President Donald Trump is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on the evening of July 7, 2025.

Death Toll From Texas Floods Rises to 82, Including 28 Children; Trump Plans Visit

Days after catastrophic flash floods in central Texas, rescuers are still searching for potential survivors, including 27 girls who went missing from camp.

Trump Signs Major Disaster Declaration Over Texas Flooding

President Trump signed major disaster declaration for Kerr County, TX, following floods leaving dozens dead and FEMA has been activated to respond.

Storm Chantal Makes Landfall in Carolinas, Weakens to Tropical Depression

Chantal weakened into a tropical depression, and tropical storm warnings previously issued for parts of North and South Carolina were discontinued.

White House Asks Americans to Pray After Deadly Texas Flooding

White Houseโ€™s Faith Office said in a statement that it is asking people โ€œto join us in prayer for the precious lives lost in the Texas floods,โ€

Trump Threatens BRICS-Aligned Nations With 10 Percent Tariff

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that an additional 10 percent tariff will be imposed on countries aligning with BRICS policies.

Trump Signs Tariff Letters to 12 Nations Ahead of Looming Deadline

President Trump has signed letters that will be sent to around a dozen nations ahead of next weekโ€™s deadline to reach a trade agreement..

Trump Says US Will Hold Talks With China on Possible TikTok Deal Next Week

President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that U.S. officials would begin talks with China about a potential TikTok deal next week.
spot_img

Related Articles