Biden admin relies on Taliban-controlled airline to help Afghans flee Afghanistan
The administration has no viable alternative to the arrangement as it tries to help Afghans who are seeking to resettle in the U.S.
June 8, 2022, 12:00 PM EDT
By Dan De Luce and Courtney Kube
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 told NBC News.
Without U.S. troops or diplomats on the ground, the Biden administration has no viable alternative to the arrangement as it tries to help Afghans seeking to resettle in the U.S.
Working through the government of Qatar, which handles U.S. interests in Afghanistan, the Biden administration indirectly purchases plane tickets in bulk from Ariana Afghan Airlines, the country’s state-owned airline, said the sources, two of whom are members of refugee advocacy organizations.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/us-indirectly-pays-airline-controlled-taliban-regime-fly-afghans-kabul-rcna32431
