The American woman whom Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said was targeted by the Taliban after being left behind by Biden in Afghanistan is speaking out. Her chilling account of how hard she has tried to flee the terrorist-ridden country is in direct contrast to the White House’s claims that Americans still in Afghanistan want to be there.
On Tuesday, Issa relayed the heartbreaking story of a pregnant American woman who he called “Nasria.” He explained that Nasria made “multiple attempts” to enter the Kabul airport, but was unable to reach safety before U.S. forces departed Afghanistan.
During one of her trips to the airport, Issa explained that “she was kicked in the stomach” by the Taliban. Now, rescuers are trying to draw up rescue plans, Issa said.
“We’ve agreed that she’s going to stay sheltered in place, hiding her identity and hoping that her friends will continue to bring her food and keep her secret until frankly we can come up with something new,” the California Republican explained.
In an exclusive interview with Voice of America, Nasria recounted her harrowing experience desperately trying to enter the Kabul airport.
“It was so hard to just get on a flight. There was (sic) a couple days where we had to sleep on streets. People were literally stepping over people. That’s how bad it was,” Nasria explained.
“There’s been days, you know, where I think to myself, ‘Am I going to make it home? Am I going to end up living here? Am I going to end up dying here?” Nasria said.
VOA reported that Nasria traveled in June to Afghanistan to visit her family and marry her long-time boyfriend. The Taliban took over Kabul soon after Nasria’s arrival and her plane ride out of the terrorist-ridden country was reportedly canceled. She has fought to leave ever since.
Nasria said the State Department gave her directions about where to wait, promising that she would be permitted to enter the Kabul airport. But despite waiving her American passport at Taliban fighters — a signal the Biden administration promised would allow Americans to cross through Taliban checkpoints — the Taliban forcibly prevented Nasria from getting into the airport.
“Our troops were literally at the gate just waiting for us to continue walking and they had blocked us,” she said. “There was a time that like, I went past them and started walking as fast as I can, and they started shooting right by my leg and told me to come back.”
Nasria says the State Department promised, yet again, to rescue her but she has reason to doubt they will follow through with that promise. Her words sounded so hopeless.
“If I was only 15 steps away from the airport, and I was told people are going to come out of the airport to get me— so what hope am I supposed to have now?” Nasria said.
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Being an American puts a target on Nasria’s back and don’t think that her status as a pregnant woman will buy her any leniency. Taliban militants shot and killed a pregnant police officer in front of her children and husband, the BBC reports.
The woman, identified as Banu Negar by local media outlets, was killed in front of family members outside of her family home in the city of Firozkah.
The Taliban denied any involvement in Negar’s death and said they are investigating the incident, the BBC reported.
