Defense Department holding 20,000 evacuated Afghans in U.S., 43,000 more overseas
International | September 2, 2021
The U.S. is holding about 20,000 Afghan evacuees on American soil, the Pentagon said Wednesday, with tens of thousands more reportedly at overseas U.S. military bases hoping for eventual entry. Afghans in the U.S. are spread across eight military bases, Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Wednesday. Another 23,000 are being held at bases in four European countries, and 20,000 more are in other countries, generally in the Middle East. Many of those are likely headed for the U.S., too. The bases here have capacity to hold about 30,000 people, but the military has been told to expand that to 50,000, the White House said…. (Excerpts from Washington Times)