- Jun 6, 2007
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It is commendable the Biden's Administration's new Afghanistan refugee initiative announced a few days ago which would offer refugee status to Afghanis that worked on or for U.S. funded projects in Afghanistan, U.S. based NGO's (non-government organizations) and U.S. based media outlets. This is so appropriate because the world is learning that in numerous areas of Afghanistan where the Taliban are taking control they are committing reprisal killings against Afghanis that helped the U.S. and Foreign effort in Afghanistan over the past twenty years. The stark reality for many of these Afghanis that worked with the foreigners to try to build a good non-Taliban controlled Afghanistan is that their lives are in danger especially as the Taliban sure-up control of the new areas they have conquered which will then result in them focusing on internal matters like dealing with those Afghanis they view as traitors which includes these Afghanis that assisted America's effort. The problem with this new refugee program which is called "Priority Two" is that these Afghanis seeking such refugee status have to get out of Afghanistan and find a third country, not the U.S., from which to apply to enter the program so these Afghanis need a third country to host them during the approval process and the money to provide for themselves as they wait for acceptance into the program by the U.S.! Practically this is an empty offer of hope for these endangered Afghanis it is like telling a family enduring an ever worsening flood that you going to rescue them and then delivering to them a disassembled boat, it is meaningless!
The American government, America's companies and the American people should do more to help these endangered Afghanis. America's leaving Afghanistan August 31st of this year so they need to set-up a remote system that these Afghanis and their allies can access and utilizes to get these Afghanis to safety out of Afghanistan. First they need set-up an information technology system where eligible Afghanis can apply through the use of a cell phone from Afghanistan it also could be accompanied by an internet application process which aid groups assisting them could fill out. The U.S. government needs to have a simple two step approval process where the first approval is their eligibility for the program, they worked for a U.S. NGO or a U.S. media outlet etc. and they are no cursory security danger, the second is that they are not a security danger from a thorough questioning and investigation. The first approval should be able to be done quickly, they have a referral they are eligible and there is no red flags on the security front. Once this approval is obtained then the issues arise of getting this Afghani out of Afghanistan and to a third country and provide for them until their second and complete refugee approval comes through.
The U.S. along with these refugee allies should garnish from some NATO countries not Turkey that poor country is doing enough with Syria and the other world-wide refugee matters, I am talking like the UK, France, northern EU countries, countries that sent troops to Afghanistan and benefited from these Afghanis cooperation with the American/NATO plan; this should not be a big deal for these refugees will only be in the host country for two to five years. Since America is funding and supplying the Afghanistan government big-time after August 31st, the American government should garnish from the Afghanistan government agreement that Afghanis that make it or are in Afghanistan controlled territory and receive the first-step approval to this refugee program have full legal permission to leave the country of Afghanistan. To those Afghanis that have first step approval they should just take commercial flights out of the government controlled territory to the host country. The real challenge is for Afghanis that reside in Taliban controlled territory or in Afghanistan controlled territory where there is no commercial airport; what needs to happen is that NATO countries consulates and embassies in these perilous areas need to act as helicopter ports for these fleeing refugees and NATO needs to set-up a helicopter taxi service to service these ports (just for two years that length is fair to our Afghani friends) NATO needs to tie up loose ends here they need to help these Afghanis whose lives are in peril because in part NATO and the U.S. largely lost the Afghanistan war against the Taliban and these Afghanis were our friends and allies and we shouldn't forget that. The U.S. needs to set-up an information technology system with all these NATO consulates and embassies where they can transfer to such foreign offices that there is Afghanis refugees coming to your doors seeking temporary sanctuary they have refugee status approval from America.
The U.S. needs to give grants to the aid groups helping these eligible Afghanis get out through this refugee program and also the groups helping these refugees survive in the host countries where they wait their approval for the second part of the program. Further the media, that being the cable and network channels, need to give free commercial time to these aid groups; really and truly what needs to happen is an underground railroad needs to be put in place in Taliban controlled areas of Afghanistan to help these Afghanis and their families escape the Taliban authorities and the death sentence that awaits them. To implement a rescue system with the plane and/or helicopter teams needed for its success will cost a really significant amount of money and so a robust fund raising effort is needed!
The American government, America's companies and the American people should do more to help these endangered Afghanis. America's leaving Afghanistan August 31st of this year so they need to set-up a remote system that these Afghanis and their allies can access and utilizes to get these Afghanis to safety out of Afghanistan. First they need set-up an information technology system where eligible Afghanis can apply through the use of a cell phone from Afghanistan it also could be accompanied by an internet application process which aid groups assisting them could fill out. The U.S. government needs to have a simple two step approval process where the first approval is their eligibility for the program, they worked for a U.S. NGO or a U.S. media outlet etc. and they are no cursory security danger, the second is that they are not a security danger from a thorough questioning and investigation. The first approval should be able to be done quickly, they have a referral they are eligible and there is no red flags on the security front. Once this approval is obtained then the issues arise of getting this Afghani out of Afghanistan and to a third country and provide for them until their second and complete refugee approval comes through.
The U.S. along with these refugee allies should garnish from some NATO countries not Turkey that poor country is doing enough with Syria and the other world-wide refugee matters, I am talking like the UK, France, northern EU countries, countries that sent troops to Afghanistan and benefited from these Afghanis cooperation with the American/NATO plan; this should not be a big deal for these refugees will only be in the host country for two to five years. Since America is funding and supplying the Afghanistan government big-time after August 31st, the American government should garnish from the Afghanistan government agreement that Afghanis that make it or are in Afghanistan controlled territory and receive the first-step approval to this refugee program have full legal permission to leave the country of Afghanistan. To those Afghanis that have first step approval they should just take commercial flights out of the government controlled territory to the host country. The real challenge is for Afghanis that reside in Taliban controlled territory or in Afghanistan controlled territory where there is no commercial airport; what needs to happen is that NATO countries consulates and embassies in these perilous areas need to act as helicopter ports for these fleeing refugees and NATO needs to set-up a helicopter taxi service to service these ports (just for two years that length is fair to our Afghani friends) NATO needs to tie up loose ends here they need to help these Afghanis whose lives are in peril because in part NATO and the U.S. largely lost the Afghanistan war against the Taliban and these Afghanis were our friends and allies and we shouldn't forget that. The U.S. needs to set-up an information technology system with all these NATO consulates and embassies where they can transfer to such foreign offices that there is Afghanis refugees coming to your doors seeking temporary sanctuary they have refugee status approval from America.
The U.S. needs to give grants to the aid groups helping these eligible Afghanis get out through this refugee program and also the groups helping these refugees survive in the host countries where they wait their approval for the second part of the program. Further the media, that being the cable and network channels, need to give free commercial time to these aid groups; really and truly what needs to happen is an underground railroad needs to be put in place in Taliban controlled areas of Afghanistan to help these Afghanis and their families escape the Taliban authorities and the death sentence that awaits them. To implement a rescue system with the plane and/or helicopter teams needed for its success will cost a really significant amount of money and so a robust fund raising effort is needed!
