US Secretary of State Antony Blinken still trying to recover dozens of American citizens from Afghanistan

Dozens of American citizens still remain in Afghanistan revealed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

While addressing Congress this Thursday, March 23, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, was asked about the situation of American citizens who are still stuck in Afghanistan. They are part of a group of people that were detained by the Taliban authorities.

The question was posed during the HFAC hearing by members of the rival Republican Party who wanted more information, voicing their anger at the embarrassing withdrawal of US forces from the Asian country in 2021.

Blinken informed them: “We are working to secure their freedom. Their families have asked that we protect their identities and don’t speak publicly about their cases. Forty-four of them are ready to leave and we are working to effectuate their departure”, he detailed.

Despite poor relations with the ruling Taliban government in Kabul, Blinken pointed to the work that had been done by the State Department since pulling out of Afghanistan.

He added that an estimated 975 US citizens had been brought out of the country since the Taliban took over. Around 175 175 self-described Americans – including some who arrived there after the withdrawal – still remained in the country he added, as reported by insiderpaper.com.

In addition to the 975, other US citizens and residents had also escaped from Afghanistan, but had done so independently, pointed out a spokesperson for State Department.

Sec. Blinken says the State Department is in contact with about 175 Americans still in Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/QBTrjVfucG

— Logan Ratick (@Logan_Ratick) March 23, 2023

The August 26, 2021 attack that occurred outside Kabul airport was raised by the new Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mike McCaul. Responsibility for the death that day of 13 US military personnel along with 170 Afghan civilians was claimed by the Islamic State-Khorasan group.

A dissent cable that allegedly warned about the impending collapse of the Afghan government as US forces withdrew has been widely reported in news outlets. McCaul offered Blinken a deadline of next Monday 27 by which to hand over a copy of this cable.

McCaul vowed to act: “until people are held accountable. I will not rest until we get answers, and we will, even if we have to go all the way up the chain of command to do it”. In response, Blinken pointed out that any such cables are only ever shared among senior State Department officials, but offered to cooperate.

Blinken explained: “This tradition of having a dissent channel is one that is cherished in the department and goes back decades. It’s a unique way for anyone in the department to speak truth to power as they see it”.

His job was to “protect the integrity of the process to make sure we don’t have a chilling effect on those who might want to come forward, knowing that they will have their identities protected and that they can do so again without fear or favour”, said Blinken.

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