Rep. Jody Hice’s (R-GA) staff spoke exclusively to Breitbart about seeking urgent assistance for Afghan allies who served in critical roles helping the US military during the Afghanistan War. The 25 allies, 7 of whom were SIVs, desperately tried to escape with their families including babies. They were in immediate danger of death.
The response from the Biden government was anemic. You can read the entire horrendous narrative at Breitbart but here we highlight the uncaring, irresponsible emails showing the depth of their indifference to the lives of people who helped the United States.
“All of the information we sent to State really just went into a black hole,” Reitz said of the countless calls and emails his office directed to the department.
The emails from the State Department reveal days-long lag times for substantive responses, and even then, the responses were not tailored to address the specific group of 25.
Six of the seven SIV applicants had worked as interpreters for U.S. forces. They were informally classified in emails at times as “high-value individuals” because they had aided U.S. military generals, served as translators for conversations of sensitive national security-related matters, or, in one instance, had been a lifesaving asset to a U.S. servicemember.
“If the Taliban had a list, they would be at the top of it,” Reitz said, explaining the SIV applicants feared for their safety because of their U.S. military associations.
As they desperately tried to get into the Kabul airport, inches from U.S. military personnel, they were refused entry despite pleadings from congressmen and others.
The State Department only responded to some of the desperate emails.
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Reitz said they looked for a way around the US government through Uzbekistan.
An initial brief response from the State Department came within minutes:
The follow-up response, which included an attached rejection letter to Hice stating the embassy “is unable to facilitate travel for Afghan SIV applicants” and that “Uzbekistan officially closed its land border with Afghanistan on August 30, 2021” was sent more than three days later:
Separately, the Hice team received multiple generic emails after flight possibilities had been eliminated.
One email stated the State Department took the inquiries “very seriously,” was processing them “as quickly” as it could, and was “working around the clock to assist as many people as possible in Afghanistan”:
Another email stated one of the multiple Afghanistan task forces that had been created was “working intensively” with other entities on behalf of at-risk Afghans. The task force suggested specific cases call the National Visa Center Monday through Friday:
Yet another email showed the State Department forwarded the Hice team’s request Saturday, August 28, midday to an email address designated for congressional responses, but the actual reply came more than five days later, in which the department informed Hice’s office, “We understand the seriousness of the situation and appreciate that you have highlighted these cases for us.” The department then went on to provide generic instructions for applying for an SIV or other designation:
“Ultimately, this group never made it onto HKIA [the Kabul airport]. They split into several smaller groups to make their way north to Uzbekistan or Tajikistan. That’s the last we’ve heard from them,” Reitz stated earlier this week.
THE GENTLER KINDER PROFESSIONAL BUSINESSLIKE TALIBAN OF JOE BIDEN
It’s business as usual from @JoeBiden’s Taliban “professionals” going house to house arresting and killing people in Panjshir,..the caliphate continues its reign of terror as more blood is spilled on the 20th anniversary of 9/11😔pic.twitter.com/4amNEFFnGD
— DrConservaMom🇺🇸🐸🌐 (@ConservaMomUSA) September 11, 2021
Taliban terrorists are killing people in Herat, #Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/0tyLmryZTt
— Utfryst (Afghan lives matter). (@Utfryst_) September 7, 2021
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