One of the main Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, has claimed that American citizens are being held hostage by the Taliban. According to a few classified briefings that he has received, most of the Afghan allies as well as a few American citizens have been stuck at the Mazar-i-Sharif airport in Afghanistan.
In an interview with Fox News Sunday, McCaul has stated that the Taliban haven’t allowed the airplanes to depart yet- which has resulted in the citizens sitting at the airport for the last few days.
Michael McCaul Claims Taliban Wants US Recognition
Michael McCaul believes that the Taliban have decided to hold American citizens hostage because they want the government of the USA to acknowledge the Taliban government in Afghanistan- something the Biden Administration hasn’t deigned to do so yet. He mentioned that he had received some information in the classified space that there were close to hundreds of American citizens held hostage in Afghanistan.
The Republican from Texas has claimed that the country has around six different airplanes at Mazar Sharif airport, with the interpreters, but the Taliban has been holding them hostage until the USA decides to accede to their demands. Interestingly, CNN couldn’t confirm Michael McCaul’s claim that there was an aircraft with American citizens who were not allowed to leave the airport.
Yet, Leslie Shedd, the spokesperson for Michael McCaul has claimed that there are planes in the airport that are eagerly awaiting takeoff but are not allowed to do so due to the Taliban. Initially, there were a few issues that soon cleared up a few days ago, but it is only the Taliban that hasn’t allowed the airplanes to leave the country. While the US State Department mentioned that they didn’t have information about this specific scenario, they were certain the country did not have any resources left in Afghanistan.
