Blinken Visits Afghan Refugees at US Base in Qatar

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Afghan refugees at the United States Army base in As Sayliyah, near Doha, Qatar.  Since US and foreign troops left Afghanistan in August 2021 about 23,000 Afghans have gone through the base, where they have been screened medically, vetted for security purposes and processed in order to receive visas. Blinken told reporters at the base that 21,000 Afghans are already in the United States, “and we’re working to continue to bring Afghans out and through here.  We’re grateful to our colleagues in Qatar for supporting this operation and for helping so many Afghans find new lives in the United States.” The plane carrying the last US troops took off from Kabul airport at one minute before midnight on August 31, 2021, ending a two-decade long conflict which began in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US. Soon after, the Taliban took over and formed a theocratic government.  Among the Afghans who rushed to leave the country are those who worked for the US and other foreign militaries and diplomatic missions, who feared for their own lives and those of their families under Taliban rule.