FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2019
PRESS CONTACT
Henrike Dessaules, hdessaules@refugeerights.org, 516.838.1269
WITHDRAWAL OF TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN WOULD LEAVE AFGHAN ALLIES IN PERIL
(New York, NY) – In today’s opinion editorial in The Washington Post, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker responded to the news that the U.S. was negotiating a peace agreement with the Taliban and considering the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, by highlighting the potential impact on local allies who worked with the U.S. The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is equally concerned about the many U.S.-affiliated Afghans left behind and has issued the following statement:
“Thousands of trusted Afghan allies, who worked with the U.S. government on the ground in support of our mission, remain in dangerous conditions in Afghanistan, while their applications to be resettled to safety in the U.S. are stuck in processing. As our lawsuit challenging the delays in the Special Immigrant Visa process has revealed, many of these brave men and women have already waited years for their visas, all the while living in hiding and fearing for their lives. Any withdrawal of troops from the area has to be accompanied by a concrete and binding solution to bring these people to safety in an expedient manner. U.S. national security and support for any current or future U.S. missions abroad rely on keeping this promise to local interpreters and others who risked their own lives to keep those of U.S. troops safe.”
To view the press release, click here.
International Refugee Assistance Project
www.facebook.com/RefugeeAssist/
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