A leaked email revealed that the Biden administration declined to give approval for private evacuation efforts from Afghanistan to land in third-world countries. This happened despite the fact the State Department acknowledged that formal authorization would be needed in order for the private aircraft to land in those nations.
The State Department particularly noted that charter flights, even those that hold Americans, will not be permitted to land at Defense Department airbases.
Biden admin blocking private charters from getting out of Afghanistan
Yup
Shame on the administration
Fox News: State Dept blocking private rescue flights from leaving Afghanistan, organizers say: 'Blood is on their hands'.https://t.co/OfyUtshF5i
— ıllıllı🅰🅽🆃ıllıllı (@Jedi_ant) September 6, 2021
Delay by Biden officials caused frustrations for private rescue organizers
The reason cited by U.S officials for their decision is the lack of resources on the ground that could assist in thoroughly verifying flight manifests. The delay the Biden administration caused to private flights has been a cause of widespread frustration.
This likewise infuriated rescue organizers and even a notable Democrat senator who is likewise making an effort to assist in the evacuation missions. Eric Montalvo, a private citizen and military law attorney, organized a series of private planes to help evacuate people stranded in the war-torn country.
He later revealed in an email that the evacuation efforts he made were repeatedly stopped by the federal bureaucracy.
"The leaked emails show State officials refusing to allow Montalvo's privately paid for flights to use US property either inside the country or at one of its many overseas bases"#CharlotteMaxwellJones #GoDark #OperationHercules @KSAnimalRescue https://t.co/i5pLl46Zt5
— 🕊️Sweet Bird Of Truth (@LittleBirdy22) September 8, 2021
An email from a State Department official to Montalvo, dated September 1, emphasizes the degree to which private evacuation attempts are being held back by bureaucratic roadblocks.
Email by State Department official to Montalvo: NO private flights allowed to land at the Defense Department airbase or in the United States
The State Department official wrote in the email that there will be no independent charter flights allowed to land the Al Udeid Air Base, the military airbase mentioned by Montalvo in his communication with Samantha Power.
In fact, no private flights will be allowed to land at a Defense Department airbase and most countries in the region of the Middle East; this comes with the possible exception of Saudi Arabia, which allows charter flights to land.
The U.S. State Department official continued, explaining that Montalvo has to find another country to land in and it cannot be the United States.
To add more to this, the official also noted that although some third-world countries could accept charter flights, these countries might require official approval from the U.S. State Department; this approval would be needed before they could start accepting private flights.
However, the Department will NOT provide this approval. The official noted that once Montalvo had a discussion with his host destination (and they already reached an agreement to accept chartered flights), the country might ask for some indication that they approved the flight.
Still, the official again emphasized that the State Department would not give this approval. However, they will give no objection to the country of destination via the U.S. Embassy.
