Antony Blinken - keeps saying he is doing his best.
Rohullah is a father - who has a wife and children - and went to Afghanistan last August 2020 to visit his mother and family - more his mother who needed medical attention.
Rohullah is a Green Card holder and has a good job - he and his family live in Northern California. His wife and children have been waiting for their dotting father - since August 2020.
Rohullah took time to fill out the needed application for a visa - to bring his mother and sister - and submitted them to the American Embassy in Kabul and never heard from them again.
Rohullah applied three times - and has yet to hear from the United States - Department of State.
The U.S. Department of State - which has a backlog - and lacks employees to fulfill the responsibilities.
You - apply for a passport and have to wait for months.
The visa applications have been lost in many cases - you are asked to apply again and again - a P1 visa, a P2 Visa - other categories - you wait, and wait, and wait - Waiting For Godot!
A couple of months passed, and just like that, the Taliban had taken over the American Embassy, the Kabul government - and President Ashraf Ghani fled Kabul and left his country in complete disarray.
The American Embassy in Kabul was invaded by the Taliban - our American Intelligence was stunned, and so was the world.
The devious Taliban - the same thugs we signed an agreement February 2020 - at Doha, Qatar - has betrayed the United States - and taught us a Superpower a lesson.
The Chinese, the Russians, NATO nations cannot fathom the makings of our United States government - lack of sound leadership, divisiveness, the United States has become the laughing stock of all countries.
Here is the agreement - the more I read it - the more I am furious with Donald Trump - an egoistical maniac - and those that aided and abetted this sordid agreement:
https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Agreement-For-Bringing-Peace-to-Afghanistan-02.29.20.pdf
I spent over three weeks working with some stellar and astute individuals - a Marine General - volunteers from a host of Non-Governmental Agencies, the U.S. State Department, contacting the Noncombatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) communication center - learning about the latest updates, the many Congresspersons, and Senators - with little or no success.
Desperate Afghans waited day after day - days on end.
The Afghans hoping to evacuate Kabul - came early in the morning and left late at night.
The Afghans wanting to evacuate, their documents in hand - repeat this ritual - for weeks - waiting to enter the Kabul airport and leave Afghanistan.
Is this what President Joe Biden envisioned - with his order to evacuate Afghanistan by August 31, 2021.
The sordid agreement that I have posted above - a disgraceful deal created by Donald Trump - a traitor and a despicable maniac.
We managed to get Rohullah out of Kabul, Afghanistan.
Before that, Rohullah had to wait for two days for a flight - at the Kabul airport - the flight was canceled on the first day.
Then it was canceled on the second day - twice our hopes were raised and dashed. I had to uplift Rohullah - his main concern was the Taliban would use his documents to adversely impact him - this did not happen. It was just his deep concern.
I am in San Francisco - we have a 12 hours time difference.
Here - I am uplifting Rohullah - even as Rohullah wants to give up - no, I say - " God is good - you will leave Kabul today."
I remember well saying this the first day - and nothing happened.
Rohullah and other families and children - at the Kabul airport - no water, less food, and the sanitary situation, the toxic stress - the stench - indescribable.
The next day I texted Rohullah - my gut feeling says today Rohullah - " today is the day " - after a few hours - Rohullahd texts me - " the flight has been canceled. "
No, I say this cannot be true. There must be something happening today - then a couple of hours later - Rohullah texts me - I see a plane - the NGO " No One Left Behind " - has arranged a plane - paid for by donors.
This flight will leave Kabul - destined for Dubai - and it does.
I wait and hours later get a text from Dubai - Rohullah has landed safely in Dubai - thank God he left Kabul - and with it - all the trials and tribulations - behind.
President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris - have both failed us on the Afghan evacuation - a fiasco that will go down in history as a mess - and someone has blood on their hands - the loss of life the 11 marine, the U.S. Army soldier, the U.S. Navy soldier - the 180 decent Afghans who lost their lives outside the Abbey Gate - our Kabul airport.
Rohullah has left Dubai - he took off once - and the plane returned - apparently, the manifest had one passenger who was not vetted.
The pilot had to dump fuel to return to the Dubai airport - and take off after two days.
Rohullah took off today, September 30, 2021 - to Chicago, a 15 hours flight.
Hopefully, Rohullah will get to rest a little - after land in Chicago - the windy city.
Hopefully, Rohullah will - get a ticket to San Francisco - and be welcomed by those who have watched this drama.
This is just one case - thousands more suffer - some die, and no one will record these incidents.
No one is recording the doings of those politicians and heads of departments - who encourage our military to go to war - cause confusion - and when someone needs help - look the other way.
We call them government officials, sordid politicians - they make agreements, issue orders - and treat human beings like chattel.
Something drastic has to be done to streamline the United States Department of State.
Something drastic has to be done to streamline the Department of Homeland Security.
The Afghans who land here in the land of the Free must be given a chance to become citizens and issued Green Cards.
We must do all in our power - to encourage Afghan women to carry on their education and lead Afghanistan - away from home for now.
Soon, a day will come to return home - and embrace Afghanistan.
I was fortunate to visit Afghanistan as a young man - Herat, Kandahar, Mazar-i-sharif, Kabul - the Blue Mosque - and more ...
We are talking about warrior women and men - they kept their word - we did not.
History will record the 20 years we spent in Afghanistan without a viable and sustainable plan.
History will record about the Poppy Plant and the many ploys, machinations, and shenanigans - we know who lined their pocket and would do what - time will tell.
Warrior Afghan women protests - at great peril to their lives - some get beat up - some die - will their lives be recorded - these are crimes against humanity - who will act - who is stand up - and speak Truth to Power?
I now know decent Americans, decent Veterans, those who believe in empathy - are doing what they do best - we stand shoulder to shoulder and do the right thing. Daily they do the logistics, cajole, plan, and bring about success - one evacuation at a time.
We cannot not and must not let down the decent people of Afghanistan.
More - the infants, the children, the youth, the young adults, our beloved Elders, those with compromised health - more, our mentally and physically challenged.
Those of us who have served all over the world - know about service but more about humanity.
I thank God I know many important, decent, hard-working people - women and men in the right places.
I never expected to be involved with Afghanistan after 46 years - this was a journey - that I will not forget - and today - another journey begins .......
You will hear more about Rohullah - he will be reunited with this family.
God is good - that is what I repeat to Rohullah - many times.
Thank you, my friends, who were involved in this extraordinary evacuation effort - other ongoing efforts - you are all doing - God's work.
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