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US to begin evacuating Afghans who aided American military

Evacuating Afghans
Posted at 4:02 PM, Jul 14, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-14 16:02:52-04

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is set to begin evacuations of Afghan interpreters and translators who aided the U.S. military effort in the nearly 20-year war.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki says the evacuations will occur during the last week of July.

But according to the Associated Press, Psaki did not say how many Afghans were expected to be evacuated or where they would be taken.

The Operation Allies Refuge flights out of Afghanistan will be available first for special immigrant visa applicants already in the process of applying for U.S. residency.

President Joe Biden has faced pressure from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to come up with a plan to help evacuate Afghan military helpers ahead of next month's U.S. military withdrawal.

Officials say those evacuated could be relocated to Central Asia, where they'd be protected from the Taliban for possible retaliation, the AP reported.