Politico: US gave Taliban names of Americans and Afghans in need of evacuation

Politico: US gave Taliban names of Americans and Afghans in need of evacuation

U.S. officials in Kabul have handed over to the Taliban a list of the names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies who need to be allowed into the militant-controlled outer perimeter of the city's airport, Politico reported. The move sparked immediate outrage from lawmakers and the military, who fear for the safety of the individuals on the list.

The list, announced by three U.S. and Congressional officials, was drawn up to expedite the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan, which had plunged into chaos after the Taliban took over the country.

After the fall of Kabul in mid-August, nearly 100,000 people were evacuated, most of whom had to pass through numerous Taliban checkpoints. However, the decision to give specific names to the Taliban, known for their habit of brutally killing Afghans who collaborated with the US and other coalition forces during the conflict, angered lawmakers and the military.

“Basically, they just brought all these Afghans to execution list,” said one Defense Department official who, like others, agreed to discuss the sensitive topic on condition of anonymity.

“It’s just awful, it’s shocking and makes you feel like you have blood on your hands.”

Responding to a question about the POLITICO report during a press conference on Thursday, President Joe Biden said he was not sure such lists exist, but he also did not deny that sometimes the US gives names to the Taliban.

“There were cases when our military contacted the military <…> from the Taliban and reported, for example, a bus with such and such a number of passengers, including such and such people who need to be let through. <…> he said, “So yes, there have been such cases.”

“I can’t say with certainty that there is actually a list of names,” he added.

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