Afleveringen
-
Welcome to Episode 83 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today’s guest is Mursal, a sixteen-year-old Afghan who helped to educate girls in her country after being forbidden from attending the 8th grade in 2021. With the help of some amazing Americans, Mursal was able to escape her country and is now in school in the U.S. She is the author behind Hope’s Corner, which is hosted on Kate Kovarovic’s Substack.
Mursal talks about her efforts to educate girls after the Taliban’s takeover, and the Taliban’s horrifying attempts to make her stop teaching.
We also talk about the practice of forced and child marriage still occurring inside Afghanistan and the great trauma it is causing.
Find Kate Kovarovic’s Substack here:
https://substack.com/@katekovarovic
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
-
Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover alltopics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today’s guest is Layma Murtaza, a board member from Aseel, which provides food and assistance to Afghans in need and also helps Afghan artisans bring their products to the world through the web. Layma has over 10 years of experience working in the international development and humanitarian space in Syria and Afghanistan, through NGOs like the International Rescue Committee, Danish Refugee Council, the Aga Khan Foundation, and the International Organization for Migration
Layma talks about Aseel’s innovative approach todecentralizing aid and the importance of continuing assistance to Afghanistan in the aftermath of executive orders that impact the country.
Find Aseel on the web: https://aseelapp.com/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
-
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover alltopics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today, I’m very honored to bring on Ambassador M. AshrafHaidari is the Founder & President of Displaced International (DI) and a former refugee who is now a U.S. citizen. Overcoming significant challenges, he has built a distinguished career as a humanitarian leader and diplomat, with more than 20 years of experience in national and international organizations across multiple continents. His work reflects the values of democracy, rights, liberty, and equality, contributing to both his birth country and the United States. Drawing on his own experiences as a former refugee, he relentlessly advocates for displaced populations worldwide, particularly Afghan P1 and P2 resettlement applicants affected by the USRAP freeze, urging the Trump Administration to grant them an exemption.
Ashraf discusses the origins of displacement and the methods that DI is using to assist refugees on the move around the world, particularly those who have been awaiting assistance in the USRAP program.
Ashraf also tells his own story of life as an internally-displaced person before becoming a refugee and now U.S. citizen.
Find Displaced International:
On Twitter: https://x.com/displacedint
On the web: https://displacedinternational.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com
-
Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Our guests today are Shawn VanDiver and Kate Kovarovic, giving their input on breaking information that the State Department has been asked to put together plans for shutting down Enduring Welcome.
We beg for advocacy, in an effort to stop any decisions that could impact 200,000 allies and the veterans and advocates who have fought for them for 3.5 long years.
Shawn VanDiver is founder and president of the AfghanEvac coalition, an umbrella of multiple volunteers and professionals across the government and private sector who aim to fulfill the promises the U.S. made to its Afghan allies.
Kate Kovarovic is the former Director of Resilience Programming for the #AfghanEvac coalition.
Follow Kate Kovarovic on Substack:https://substack.com/@katekovarovic
Follow Shawn VanDiver on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shawnjvandiver
Follow #AfghanEvac:
on Twitter: https://twitter.com/afghanevac
on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afghanevac/
on their website: https://afghanevac.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
-
Welcome to Episode 81 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
My guest today is Hamayun Khan, an author, independent researcher, financial professional, and education advocate. He is the founder of SolaTeach, an online initiative educating Afghan girls English and professional skills. His writing focuses on Afghanistan’s socio-economic and financial landscape, with work featured in The National Interest, The Diplomat, and The Migration Policy Institute. He has authored The Death Within, along with several book chapters, peer-reviewed papers, and op-eds, contributing to Afghanistan’s financial and economic development and policy.
In our episode, Hamayun talks about the economic impact the de facto government has had in Afghanistan, and about the message of The Death Within, which draws upon his own experience having had two students end their lives due to societal pressure while in college.
Find The Death Within on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Within-Hamayun-Khan/dp/1977248136/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
-
Welcome to The Afghanistan Project Podcast.
My guest today is Elizabeth Lynn, the director of governmentoperations at Operation Recovery, where she directs the Afghanistan and Grow America Farm Corps initiatives. Elizabeth served in the U.S. Air Force and the Navy Reserves, and has received multiple commendations for her service. After holding a variety of positions with the U.S. Postal Service, USCIS, IRS and other U.S. government institutions, Elizabeth retired in 2020. She came out of retirement shortly thereafter to help Afghans left behind in their homeland.
Elizabeth talks about Afghans who are impacted by currentoperational orders, the impact on exhausted veterans, and an upcoming resilience event for veterans, hosted by Operation Recovery on March 17.
Find Operation Recovery here: https://operationrecovery.org/
Register to attend The Next Mission Summit: New Horizons in Veteran Wellbeing and Resiliency, hosted by Operation Recovery:
Virtually:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-next-mission-summit-new-horizons-in-veteran-wellbeing-resiliency-registration-1237953886399?aff=HWC
In-person: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-next-mission-summit-new-horizons-in-veteran-wellbeing-resiliency-registration-1205132386409?aff=HWC
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter:https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack:https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web:https://bethwbailey.com/
-
Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Our guests today are Shawn VanDiver and Kate Kovarovic, giving a needed update on the fallout from new executive orders that impact our Afghan allies as well as our already overstretched volunteers.Shawn VanDiver is founder and president of the #AfghanEvac coalition, an umbrella of multiple volunteers and professionals across the government and private sector who aim to fulfill the promises the U.S. made to its Afghan allies. Kate Kovarovic is the former Director of Resilience Programming for the #AfghanEvac coalition.
Follow Kate Kovarovic on Substack: https://substack.com/@katekovarovic
Follow Shawn VanDiver and #AfghanEvac:on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shawnjvandiveron Twitter: https://twitter.com/afghanevac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afghanevac/on their website: https://afghanevac.org/About the host:Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
-
Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
My guest today is Alison Tabor, a Supervising Attorney with Resettlement Action DC (REACT DC) and a Principal Attorney with AGT LAW PLLC.
Alison delivers excellent information about how various groups of Afghans in the U.S. are impacted by the latest executive orders that have stopped processing of the USRAP, halted foreign funds, and impacted refugee resettlement and immigration.
Alison advises all Afghans without asylum or a Green Card to find an attorney who can help them with their cases.
A list of resources can be found here:
Pro bono legal service providers who represent people in removal proceedings at immigration courts (EOIR):
https://www.justice.gov/eoir/list-pro-bono-legal-service-providers
Pro bono legal service providers who assist people in custody with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the border: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1582586/dl?inline=
Pro bono legal service providers for remote credible fear interview (CFI): https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1571576/dl?inline=
NAKASEC 24/7 HOTLINE: 1-844-500-3222 (No Dari/Pashto interpretation available)
National Immigration Legal Services Directory - Nonprofit Resource Center https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/nonprofit/legaldirectory/
About the host: Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
-
Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Our guest today is Omid Eztarabi, a Social Activist and Human Rights Defender who has been participating in humanitarian efforts to improve civil society and women’s rights in Afghanistan since 2018, working for organization like the International Civil Society Action Network, the Afghan Women Organization for Equality, and Youth Entrepreneurial Services.
Omid has been actively involved in program development and human rights initiatives in collaboration with various German organizations, including the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, The Berlin Senate, Das Afghanistan Komitee, The German Institute for Human Rights, Deutsche Gesellschaft, German Dream, Impact Civil Society Research and Development, and the German Institute for Foreign Relations.
Omid talks about his pleas to the U.S. people and leaders for exemptions to executive orders that impact Afghan applicants to the US Refugee Admissions Program and that have also impacted Special Immigrant Visa applicants.
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
Find her work at https://bethwbailey.com/
-
Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover alltopics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Our guests today are Sarah Cady, the CEO of ResettlementAction DC (REACT DC), Ellen Smith, the Executive Director of Keeping Our Promise, Inc. and John Moses, the co-founder of Massachusetts Afghan Alliance.
We discuss the impact new executive orders and stop workorders have had for each organization and the Afghans they support. We also work to dispel pervasive myths about the Afghan refugee population, and talk about what organizations need to get through the 90-day pause in processing.
An update - Beth referenced in the episode that 5 Afghan intel professionals had been found murdered, presumably by the Taliban, recently. In fact, 5 Afghans were arrested by Taliban intelligence but only 3 Afghans were found murdered, all of whom worked for the former ministry of the interior. Find the story here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFSBrcIx1Xq/
About the guests:
Keeping Our Promise:
https://www.keepingourpromise.org/
https://www.keepingourpromise.org/donate.html
Massachusetts Afghan Alliance:
https://massafghanalliance.org/
https://massafghanalliance.org/donate
REACT DC:
https://www.reactdc.org/
https://donorbox.org/general-support-contribution?designation=General%20Support%20Contribution&default_interval=o
About the Akrami family:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2976254/after-siv-rejection-family-reunites-and-discovers-state-department-failure/
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/2980726/state-department-must-reopen-siv-case-repair-separation/
About the Ahmadi family, whose family members werewrongfully killed by a U.S. Reaper strike:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2837363/us-no-answer-relocation-compensation-afghanistan-drone-strike-victim-family/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operationsas a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
-
Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover alltopics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Our guests today are Shawn VanDiver and Kate Kovarovic,giving their input on new executive orders that impact our Afghan allies as well as our already overstretched volunteers.
Shawn VanDiver is founder and president of the #AfghanEvac coalition, an umbrella of multiple volunteers and professionals across the government and private sector who aim to fulfill the promises the U.S. made to its Afghan allies. Kate Kovarovic is the former Director of Resilience Programming for the #AfghanEvac coalition.
Referenced in the episode:
Family Reunification Episode with Terry Symula, John Moses, and Elizabeth Lynn:
https://youtu.be/SIL9O2lWpnc?si=SCyFbqs07ZAjAD1X
Family Reunification cases involving Zero Units with Geeta Bakshi:
https://youtu.be/onETEgyIfRk?si=jAgO5Ah1PgaVmEr6
About Shawn VanDiver and #AfghanEvac:
Follow Shawn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shawnjvandiver
Follow #AfghanEvac on Twitter https://twitter.com/afghanevac
Or on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/afghanevac/
Or on their website: https://afghanevac.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operationsas a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
-
Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Our guest today is Andy Sullivan, the Chief Advocacy Officer for No One Left Behind, a nonprofit organization that supports the wartime allies whom we promised assistance through the special immigrant visa program.
Andy takes listeners through two new Trump administration executive orders that are impacting or may impact our Afghan allies, explaining who is impacted by the orders (US Refugee Admissions Program applicants), and who as yet is exempted from the pause (SIV applicants).
We discuss efforts to continue supporting our allies, the incredible service our Afghan supporters have provided to us and continue to provide after arriving on U.S. soil.
Find No One Left Behind via:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/n1leftbehind
Website: http://nooneleft.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/no-one-left-behind/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nooneleftbehindus/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
-
Welcome to Episode 80 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today’s guests are two members of the Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization (AJSO), a nonprofit organization based in Germany.
Freshta Hemmati is an Afghan journalist and women's rightsactivist. She holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism and a master's in International Relations, specializing in diplomacy. Over her eight-year career in journalism in Afghanistan, she has significantly contributed as an investigative journalist, a political programs radio host, and a skilled communications expert in various Afghan media outlets and international initiatives. Following her relocation to Canada due to the Taliban's takeover, she has collaborated with the Canadian provincial government, and currently, she serves as the CEO of the Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization (AJSO) and leads the advocacy committee for female journalists within AJSO.
Masud is an Afghan journalist who remains in his homelandand is joining us today on condition that we do not show his face or identify him.
Today’s episode focuses on the dangers for journalistscovering the Taliban’s iron-fisted rule in Afghanistan, and the creation of the AJSO as a means for Afghan journalists to work with Western journalists to report the ground truth in their homeland.
We discuss women’s issues as well as Freshta’s story ofescaping the country just prior to the Taliban’s ban on travel for unaccompanied women.
Find the AJSO via:
Website: www.ajso.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AfghanistanJSO
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AfghanistanJSO
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afghanistanjso2022
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operationsas a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
-
Welcome to Episode 79 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today’s guests are members of Team Alpha, the CIA’s original eight-man team of analysts, linguists, warriors, and tribal experts who went into Afghanistan to defeat al Qaeda in the days immediately following Sept. 11, 2001.
David Tyson retired from the CIA Directorate of Operations in 2020 after a 25-year career at the Agency that involved numerous overseas deployments and two rotations as the Chief of Station. David received the CIA’s Distinguished Intelligence Cross, the Agency’s highest award for valor, and the Agency’s Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal. He also served in the US Army, both as an enlisted servicemember and an officer.
Justin Sapp is a contingency strategist for Constellis, and recently retired as a US Army Green Beret Colonel following 30 years of exceptionally distinguished service. He received numerous military decorations during his service, including the Defense Superior Service Award and the Bronze Star with “V” device.
In this episode, David and Justin talk about their deployment to Afghanistan post-9/11 and the Afghan teammates who enabled their progress in fighting back against al Qaeda.
The majority of our episode focuses on Badger Six, the nonprofit that Team Alpha and supporters have created in order to assist the families of the 30-35 Afghans who were indispensable to Team Alpha, and who are currently in the pipeline for access to U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. We discuss the impediments facing team members, and their success when they reach the U.S.
Finally, Justin and David weigh in on their feelings about the resurgence of al Qaeda, the emergence of ISIS-K, and the return of pre-9/11 conditions for women inside Afghanistan.
Find Badger Six at their website: https://badgersix.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
-
Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where wecover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today, we're talking about recent developments in Afghanistan involving decrees targeting Afghan women and border skirmishes between the Taliban and Pakistan.
Beth also discusses the incredible guests who came on during the last 12 months and some of the incredible stories and updates they shared.
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operationsas a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
-
Welcome to Episode 78 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today’s guest is Art Conaghan, a public affairs specialistin the UK who was a Parliamentary Chief of Staff for an MP in Northampton, outside of London, at the time of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. This is probably one of several episodes that Art could fill with stories about the groups he helped as he effectively became a human smuggler in the midst of the withdrawal.
In this episode, Art talks about how he was drawn intohelping Afghans as the country fell under Taliban control over the summer of 2021. We discuss many of the groups he attempted to – or successfully – aided as well as the means that he used to secure assistance for various groups of Afghans.
Art also discusses the impact that the evacuation effort hashad on his life.
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operationsas a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
-
Welcome to Episode 77 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
My guest today is an esteemed representative of theGovernment of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, His Excellency Mohammed Ashraf Haidari.
Ashraf served as the Ambassador of Afghanistan to Sri Lankaand Deputy Ambassador to the United States and India. He held numerous roles in the former Afghan Government’s Foreign Ministry and National Security Council from 2004 until the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021. Between 2020 and 2021, Ashraf also worked as the Director-General of the South Asia Cooperative Environment Program.
Ashraf is a TV and radio commentator, and has held a numberof senior research and visiting fellowship positions in esteemed think tanks like the World in 2050 associated with the Diplomatic Courier, the New America, the Observer Research Foundation, the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies, and the Delhi Policy Group. He frequently writes in major US and international publications, analyzing the nexus between human security and protective security with a focus on conflict, climate change, poverty and displacement. He holds his Masters in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from Wabash College.
Ashraf discusses the factors that led to the dissolution ofthe former Afghan government and the changes witnessed within Afghanistan after the Taliban took power in the country. Ashraf also discusses what will be required to return the country to a successful path.
About the guests:
Follow M. Ashraf Haidari on X: https://x.com/MAshrafHaidari
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operationsas a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
-
Welcome to Episode 76 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today’s guest is Geeta Bakshi, a former CIA counterterrorism officer and founder of Famil, a national nonprofit organization which provides support to Afghan allies, particularly members of the Zero Units, elite Afghan forces who were supported and trained by the CIA. Geeta is a 14-year veteran of the CIA, and spent several years of her career in Afghanistan.Geeta discusses her career in Afghanistan and the deep trust it instilled for Afghan partners, including the Zero Units. She tells the story of her involvement post-withdrawal, and how she began creating Famil, which was quickly “adopted by” the Zero Units.Geeta talks about the difficulties the Zero Units have faced, including large numbers of members separated from their families for more than three years following the withdrawal due to bureaucratic holdups that cause endless harm to Afghans and American volunteers. She discusses the mental health battles the Zero Units face as they assimilate into a new culture while watching their homeland fall to terrorism and about the hurdles faced by Zero Unit members who are amputees and require financing for prosthetics, medical equipment, and therapy. Geeta also notes that the members of the Zero Units are already giving back to the communities across America that they have become part of.Find Famil :Website: https://www.familusa.org/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/familusa/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/famil.usa/About the host:Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
-
Welcome to Episode 75 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today’s guest is Shawn VanDiver, a 12-year veteran of theU.S. Navy, and the founder and president of the #AfghanEvac coalition, an umbrella of multiple volunteers and professionals across the government and private sector who aim to fulfill the promises the U.S. made to its Afghan allies.
Shawn discusses the frustrations he felt with President JoeBiden’s failure to address shortcomings in our Afghanistan withdrawal and policy, and his hopes for change under the incoming Trump administration.
Shawn also provides updates on and concerns regarding thePriority-1 and -2 programs within the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, and the likely closure of humanitarian parole as a path for safety for Afghans. He notes the concerns that the larger volunteer community has about the second- and third-order impacts that could be felt by Afghans if certain refugee programming is cut.
About Shawn VanDiver and #AfghanEvac:
Follow Shawn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shawnjvandiver
Follow #AfghanEvac on Twitter https://twitter.com/afghanevac
Or on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/afghanevac/
Or on their website: https://afghanevac.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operationsas a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
-
Welcome to Episode 74 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Our guests today are John Moses, Elizabeth Lynn, and Terry Symula, all of whom are intimately involved in cases where Afghan families separated as a result of the noncombatant evacuation operations are struggling to achieve reunification.
We discuss several reunification cases, the incredible burden that separated families face, and the need to increase support and information to these families under the incoming Trump administration.
About the guests:
John Moses, co-founder of the Massachusetts Afghan Alliance, an organization that is supporting Afghanallies who have located around Massachusetts. John is also a 23-year veteran of the US Army, a veteran fellow at The Hoover Institution, and the Director of Operations at Wizardline Technologies, Inc.
Find Massachusetts Afghan Alliance here: https://massafghanalliance.org/
Elizabeth Lynn is director of government operations at Operation Recovery, where she directs the Afghanistan and Grow America Farm Corps initiatives. Elizabeth served in the U.S. Air Force and the Navy Reserves, and has received multiple commendations for her service. After holding a variety of positions with the U.S. Postal Service, USCIS, IRS and other U.S. government institutions, Elizabeth retired in 2020. She came out of retirement shortly thereafter to help Afghans left behind in their homeland.
Find Operation Recovery here: https://operationrecovery.org/
Terry Symula is a volunteer at Ascentria Care Alliance, where she leads a Neighborhood Support Team that welcomes Afghan families to the area. In Terry’s small town of Harvard, she was at one point supporting 36 Afghans. Terry’s background is in computer technology sales and marketing management, but she began volunteering in the field of resettlement 8 years ago to support a Rwandan family who arrived in Worcester, Massachusetts in the middle of the winter with numerous medical needs.
Find Ascentria Care Alliance here: https://www.ascentria.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
- Laat meer zien
