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Roland99

(53,342 posts)
Thu Aug 26, 2021, 03:54 PM Aug 2021

Serious question. So, over 100k have been evac'd from Afghanistan. How many Americans were there?!?!

I mean...I'm sure many of these are Afghani nationals or were Afghani citizens perhaps with visas for the US but how many US citizens were there and how many left?

In light of the news of the State Dept official saying very dire warnings were issued nearly 6 months ago, WTMF were these people waiting for?!?

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chowder66

(9,010 posts)
3. They estimate about 6000. 4500 were already evacuated.
Thu Aug 26, 2021, 04:03 PM
Aug 2021

They were in contact with 500 more and it sounded like the general said they got them out. So they believe there are around 1000 left.
He stated that some of these people do not want to leave or in the process of making the decision to leave.
Some may not even be in the country anymore but on that I'm unclear.



 

Hugh_Lebowski

(33,643 posts)
8. My guess is that if there's 1000 US Citizens considering staying it's because they're 'from there'
Thu Aug 26, 2021, 04:23 PM
Aug 2021

Probably ethnic Pashtun or Tajik, have extended family there, jobs there, etc.

chowder66

(9,010 posts)
12. Yes. Some have dual citizenship but I have no idea how many.
Thu Aug 26, 2021, 05:20 PM
Aug 2021

They haven't broken down the stats on the 1000+ remaining.

I did hear at one of the pressers that they were fervently trying phone numbers, emails, texts for the remaining 1000.
They then also mentioned that some people may have already left the country but I couldn't figure out if some of those were in the 1000 group or not or if that was why they reduced the number of Americans there from a high number down to 6000 the other day.

USAFRetired_Liberal

(4,167 posts)
5. A lot of them where US contractors
Thu Aug 26, 2021, 04:06 PM
Aug 2021

Making big money and leeching off the government for years…ironically a lot of them are MAGA types that hate the government and consider themselves ‘independent’……I know because I was surrounding by them and had to interact with them when I was deployed there

Demsrule86

(68,347 posts)
6. the other question is ...since they knew we were supposed to leave in what May...why didn't they
Thu Aug 26, 2021, 04:12 PM
Aug 2021

leave before?

DET

(1,266 posts)
7. I Don't Get It
Thu Aug 26, 2021, 04:16 PM
Aug 2021

It appears that about 100k people have been evacuated, of whom about 4,500 are Americans. There was great emphasis on evacuation of Afghan interpreters and their families. Of course, allies were evacuated as well. I would imagine that is still less than 50k people. Who are the rest?

chowder66

(9,010 posts)
14. 6000 americans. 5000 evacuated. 1000 left.
Thu Aug 26, 2021, 05:28 PM
Aug 2021

They are either still deciding, staying and some may have actually left already. Some hold dual citizenship and consider Afghanistan home and will remain.

pwb

(11,204 posts)
9. Military Contractors will stay until the last minute they make hundreds of dollars an hour.
Thu Aug 26, 2021, 04:36 PM
Aug 2021

Paid by you and me weather they work or not. Hazardous duty bonus pay goes away when they leave. They will let everybody go before them but not for the right reason. $

haele

(12,581 posts)
13. Not just Americans, but Coalition partners and support staff.
Thu Aug 26, 2021, 05:26 PM
Aug 2021

There were probably closer to 20K Americans that were in Afghanistan for various reasons, and some of them -some of the NGO workers, or perhaps some Americans who actually support the Taliban - don't want to leave.

US transport planes are not just taking American citizens and the Afghanistan support personnel along with their families, they're apparently also taking regular locals who are somewhat cleared to go -or maybe aren't - just because they may be in danger under the new regime.

Haele

fescuerescue

(4,448 posts)
15. There will always be a last group to leave
Thu Aug 26, 2021, 05:28 PM
Aug 2021

It's like trying to eliminate the last day of school because nothing happens that day.

If they had left 6 months ago, they would have been the last to leave 6 months ago.

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