Biden’s Pentagon: Likely ‘Dozens’ Of U.S. Troop’s Family Members Still Trapped In Afghanistan
The U.S. Department of Defense said on Wednesday that there are likely “dozens” of family members of U.S. troops still trapped in Afghanistan following President Joe Biden’s chaotic pullout from the country back in August.
“The Defense Department is trying to compile a master list of relatives of U.S. troops who may still be in Afghanistan and wanting to leave, per a Nov. 4 memo from the Pentagon’s policy chief,” The Army Times reported. “The memo encourages military or civilian personnel to send a note to a DoD email address created specifically for referrals of Afghan nationals.”
At a press conference on Wednesday, a reporter asked Pentagon spokesman John Kirby to provide updates on the “number of immediate family members of U.S. service members in Afghanistan.”
“We believe it’s certainly most likely in the dozens, but one of the reasons we put the memo out last week was to encourage service members to come forward,” Kirby said, later adding, “We’re working this as hard as we can. We take the obligation seriously to our people and to their families.”
REPORTER: John? Afghanistan?
JOHN KIRBY, DOD SPOKESMAN: Can I get to somebody else just in case, since I already — nobody? All right, go ahead.
REPORTER: You can go.
(LAUGHTER)
KIRBY: Lucas, you’ve had, like, seven. Go ahead.
REPORTER: John, can you please update us on — on the number of immediate family members of U.S. service members in Afghanistan?
KIRBY: Update you on the number?
REPORTER: Yes.
KIRBY: I don’t have a whole number on that, no.
REPORTER: OK. So, I mean, the withdrawal ended on August 30th, and it’s — today is November 10th. I mean, how is it possible that — that the department doesn’t know how many immediate family members are still left…
KIRBY: I didn’t say…
REPORTER: … especially in Afghanistan?
KIRBY: I — I didn’t say we didn’t know; I said I don’t have a number for you. We believe it’s certainly most likely in the dozens, but one of the reasons we put the memo out last week was to encourage service members to come forward.
It’s a dynamic thing, Fadi. I mean, you make it sound like a snap on a chalk line, and boom! You’ve got to know all the — you’ve got to know every number. That’s not even true for American citizens, as other — as American citizens in Afghanistan continue to come forward, because maybe they’ve changed their mind. Maybe they didn’t want out by August
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