Lawmaker to vets: ‘You’re justified in your rage’ about Afghans’ plight
By Hope Hodge Seck
Feb 5, 01:05 PM
As thousands of former U.S. interpreters and allies in Afghanistan await adjudication on a visa process now taking nearly two years on average to complete, nearly 250 have been reported killed by the Taliban in retribution for their service.
That’s according to new data presented to the House Foreign Affairs Committee by the veteran-led nonprofit organization No One Left Behind, which called on Congress Wednesday to break the backlog by creating new pathways to safety, push for more visa slots, and better partner with the array of all-volunteer veteran groups and coalitions created to advocate for allies in danger.
Representatives from eight such organizations testified before Foreign Affairs’ Oversight and Accountability subcommittee, painting horrifying pictures of torture and brutalism in Taliban reprisals following U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
Subcommittee chairman Brian Mast, a Florida Republican and former Army Ranger who lost both legs to an improvised explosive device while fighting in Afghanistan, had a message to the veteran witnesses and any other veterans who might have been watching: “You’re justified in your rage” about the Afghans left behind.
https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2024/02/05/lawmaker-to-vets-youre-justified-in-your-rage-about-afghans-plight/
