US officials gave list of Afghan names who aided Americans to Taliban: Report

In a surprising revelation, US officials in Afghanistan supplied a list comprising names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to the Taliban. According to a report by Politico, the list was handed over to the Talibani terrorists just after the extremist group took over the charge of the war-torn country.

The report claimed that the "name card" was submitted to the Talibani in order to safely enter the Taliban-controlled perimeter around the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. The disclosure came just days after it was reported that Taliban death squads have been going door-to-door to shoot down suspected Afghan collaborators. Meanwhile, the decision has been widely criticised as the Taliban has a reputation of brutally executing Afghans who helped the US military and other Western forces.

They just put all those Afghans on a kill list, says a defence official

It was reported that three US and congressional officials framed the sensitive document and later handing it over to the Taliban. Without naming the officials involved in the act, the report claimed that it was designed to expidite to tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan after the extremist group seized the national capital, Kabul on August 15.

It is worth noting that the American administration is currently relying on the extremist group for security outside the airport. It is considered that the Talibanis are cross-checking the names at the airport entrance gate. However, the media report, claiming to provide specific names to the Taliban has outraged legislators and army officials. They just put all those Afghans on a kill list, said a defence official, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. It's just appalling and shocking and makes you feel unclean, added the military official. 

Biden neither accepted nor denied the report

When US President Joe Biden was asked about such a sensitive report, Biden said he was not certain there were such files, but also didn't dismiss that sometimes the US hands over names to the Taliban. "There have been instants when our army has communicated their military counterparts in the Taliban and said this, for example, this bus is coming through with X number of people on it, made up of the following group of people. We want you to let that bus or that group through," he said.

"So, yes there have been incidents like that. To the best of my knowledge, in those cases, the bulk of that has occurred and they have been let through. "I can't tell you with any certitude that there's actually been a list of names," he added.

Biden pledged to take revenge on those behind the Kabul attack

Earlier on Thursday, US President Joe Biden promised to take revenge for the 13 US troops and service members killed in the suicide bomber attack. Biden declared the extremist group responsible for the Thursday attack. “We will hunt you down and make you pay," Biden stated in front of the reporters during a press conference in the East Room of the White House. The United States has reason to believe the leaders of the Islamic State-Khorasan terror group are behind the attacks at the Kabul airport," said US President during the presser. 

(With inputs from PTI)

(Image Credit: AP)