The U.S. government indirectly pays an airline controlled by the Taliban regime to ferry Afghan refugees out of Kabul, four people familiar with the matter say.
suspended chartered U.S. flights to Doha in January. At the time, U.S. officials said the suspension was due to a dispute between the Taliban and Qatar about who should be allowed on board. But three sources familiar with the matter told NBC News the main problem was that the Taliban did not want to see the flights portrayed in media coverage as “evacuations.” The flights resumed at the end of March.
“The United States remains committed to supporting American citizens, lawful permanent residents, and our Afghan allies and their families who are eligible to relocate to the United States,” a State Department spokesperson said. “This is an enduring effort and the State Department continues to support travel for these individuals out of Afghanistan at this time.”
At the current rate, it could take several years before those Afghans are able to relocate to the United States.Qatar is hosting the World Cup in November and December, and refugee organizations have harbored concerns that the government could possibly curtail the Afghan refugee program during the competition. But a U.S. official said the flights would continue through the World Cup.
The Biden administration came under criticism from lawmakers and refugee advocacy groups over its handling of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Critics accused the White House of failing to plan for the large-scale evacuation of Afghans who had worked for the U.S. military and faced grave threats from the Taliban.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Taliban under scrutiny as US kills al-Qaida leader in KabulISLAMABAD (AP) — The U.S. drone strike that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri on the balcony of a Kabul safe house intensified global scrutiny Tuesday of Afghanistan's Taliban rulers and further undermined their efforts to secure international recognition and desperately needed aid.
Read more »
EXCLUSIVE United Arab Emirates set to run Kabul airport in deal with Taliban, sources sayExclusive: The Taliban and the United Arab Emirates are poised to strike a deal for the Gulf nation to run Kabul airport and several others in Afghanistan that could be announced within weeks, according to sources familiar with the negotiations
Read more »
Taliban-controlled Afghanistan intends to seek seat on UN Human Rights Council: reportThe UN held an 'urgent debate' in July to discuss human rights concerns in Afghanistan, including the erosion of women's rights, since the Taliban took over last year.
Read more »
Anti-Taliban law could be tweaked to get more humanitarian aid to Afghans: ministerOTTAWA — A law outlawing any dealings with the Taliban, which charities complain is impeding their ability to help needy Afghans, could be adjusted by the…
Read more »