Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), a top-ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that Americans held hostage in six airplanes along with Afghans sitting at an Afghanistan airport called Mazar-i-Sharif airport.
Rep. Michael McCaul mentioned the airplanes cannot depart because the Taliban is “holding them hostage for demands.”
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said that six airplanes carrying Americans and Afghans are sitting at the Mazar-i-Sharif airport in Afghanistan but cannot depart because the Taliban is “holding them hostage for demands.” He noted that the State department has absolutely cleared the flights to take off and depart but the Taliban will not let them.
Rep. McCaul told Fox News Sunday, “In fact we have six airplanes at Mazar-i-Sharif airport, six airplanes, with American citizens on them, as I speak, also with these interpreters, and the Taliban is holding them hostage for demands right now.”
Here’s the clip.
It’s still not known how many Americans are in Afghanistan. The latest number given to the public is “around 100” as noted by White House chief of staff Ron Klain, if that can be believed.
“We believe it’s around 100. We’re in touch with all of them who we have identified on a regular basis,” Ron Klain said on Sunday during CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“Obviously, we’re hopeful that, in the coming days, the Qataris will be able to resume air service out of Kabul. And, if they do, we’re obviously going to look to see if Americans can be part of those flights. We are going to find ways to get them. The ones that want to leave, to get them out of Afghanistan,” he said.
We will update this story as more comes to fruition. In the mean time, let us know your thoughts on the Afghanistan situation as a whole in the comments below.