Afghan staffers at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan are losing faith in their chances of getting evacuated from the country, according to a State Department diplomatic cable obtained by NBC News.
The cable, sent on Saturday, revealed that Afghan staff at the embassy were told to go to the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, where the U.S. military is leading the evacuations.
The staffers had been warned to expect difficult conditions, “however no one anticipated the brutal experience that occurred,” the cable said. Afghans said they had been hit, spat on, and cursed at by members of the Taliban near the airport.
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Some staffers said they had nearly been separated from loved ones, while others said they had collapsed in the rush of people.
“It would be better to die under the Taliban’s bullet” than face the crowds again, the cable said, quoting a staff member, while another said, “Happy to die here, but with dignity and pride.”
The Biden administration is working to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies who face danger after the Taliban quickly and easily rose to power in Afghanistan, the speed of which caught U.S. officials by surprise.
The Taliban were able to wrest control of the country from the Afghan military in less than two weeks, even though Afghan forces had more soldiers, better equipment, and several years’ worth of U.S. training.
A State Department spokesperson said the United States has a “special commitment” to Afghan Embassy staff who “have suffered hardship, pain and loss because of their dedication to working with us to build a better future for all Afghans.”
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There have been approximately 30,000 people evacuated from Afghanistan since the end of July, with about 25,100 since Aug. 14, a White House official said on Sunday.
The administration has faced criticism for failing to ascertain the timeline of a Taliban takeover correctly, unready to evacuate those who remained in Afghanistan.
