Pentagon to Resettle 22,000 Afghan Refugees

Pentagon officials announced plans to settle 22,000 refugees seeking asylum after fleeing Afghanistan once the Taliban took control over the weekend.

“As we prepare for even more arrivals, [U.S. Northern Command] and the U.S. Army are working to create additional capacity to support refugee relocation in the U.S., including temporary sites under assessment at Fort Bliss, Texas and Camp McCoy, Wisconsin,” said Department of Defense official Gary Reed, in charge of relocation for Afghan refugees.

Reed said other sites will be designated if needed. He added the U.S. is working on transporting American citizens and its allies out of the capital city of Kabul.

Reed acknowledged to reporters that many Afghans are at risk, especially those who fought against the Taliban but said getting Americans out of Afghanistan is an immediate priority.

The Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital Sunday after the government collapsed and the embattled president joined an exodus of his fellow citizens and foreigners, signaling the end of a costly two-decade U.S. campaign to remake the country. Heavily armed Taliban fighters fanned out across the capital, and several entered Kabul’s abandoned presidential palace.

Striking a defiant tone, President Joe Biden said Monday that he stands “squarely behind” his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan as he acknowledged the “gut-wrenching” images coming out of the country after the swift Taliban takeover of the government.

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