Letter to Joe Biden, President of the United States - Sen. Marshall Calls for Immediate Evacuation of American Citizens, Afghan SIV Applicants from Afghanistan

Letter

Dear Mr. President:

We write concerning the recent attacks at Hamid Kabul International Airport (HKIA) and the safe evacuation of American citizens, Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants, and other at-risk populations -- including women and children -- from Afghanistan.

The swift capture of Kabul and collapse of the Afghan government has given the world a violent reminder of life under Taliban rule. Already there are reports of the Taliban conducting beatings, murdering protestors, and creating kill lists of those who worked with the U.S. military. Taliban forces have also maintained a perimeter and checkpoints around Hamid Karzai International Airport to prevent Americans, Afghans, and allied and partner nations from safely evacuating. Just this morning, attacks were carried out by suspected ISIS-K terrorists against US forces and Afghans attempting to evacuate, killing eleven U.S. service members and wounding numerous others. The U.S. must respond decisively to these murderous attacks to protect U.S. forces and our allies.

We urge you to provide transparency regarding how the Administration will safeguard the approximately 1,500 American citizens still remaining in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, SIV applicants, and other at-risk populations.

First, the U.S. military should commit to responding with overwhelming force to continued attacks on or around Hamid Karzai International Airport, any attack on American citizens attempting to evacuate, or any attempt to hold American citizens hostage. Second, the Administration must keep its commitment to our Afghan allies who risked their lives supporting the U.S. or NATO campaigns by evacuating remaining SIV applicants. Lastly, we must ensure the U.S. military is prepared and committed to holding Hamid Karzai International Airport until the mission is complete.

We urge your response to the following questions:

1. What is your plan to respond to the ISIS-K terrorist attacks that killed at least four U.S. Marines?

2. Does the U.S. military have authorization to respond with an overwhelming counterattack should the Taliban or ISIS-K mount an offensive against the U.S. evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport

3. Will Afghan SIV applicants continue to be evacuated from Hamid Karzai International Airport when the evacuation of American citizens is complete?

4. Will Afghan SIV applicants, whose SIV application have been pending for months or years, be relocated to a U.S. state or territory, or a third a country, for processing or will they be left in Afghanistan?

5. Is the U.S. military prepared to stay and hold Hamid Karzai International Airport until the mission of evacuating Americans, SIV applicants, and other at risk populations is complete, even if they must extend past the August 31, 2021 deadline?

6. If the Taliban continues to obstruct the ability of American citizens or Afghan allies from reaching Hamid Karzai International Airport, what force levels and capabilities would be required to move U.S. forces beyond the airport perimeter to secure a corridor into the airport?

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter.

Sincerely,

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