US seeks third countries for 1,100 stranded Afghan allies in Qatar: report

More than 1,100 Afghans who say they worked with US forces remain stranded at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar after the Trump administration froze relocation programs, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper reported Tuesday that US officials said Washington is negotiating with at least three countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia to resettle the group after a March 31 deadline to close the former US base passed.

The facility costs more than $10 million per month, while Qatar has urged its closure. Morale has sharply declined among residents awaiting visa decisions.

“When the deadline passed without explanation or follow-through, that hope turned into something closer to despair,” said Shawn VanDiver of Afghan Evac, adding many are “effectively prisoners of bureaucratic incompetence.”

Lawmakers also called for action. “We cannot wash our hands of these individuals,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, warning they could face Taliban retaliation if returned.

The State Department blamed the Biden administration, with spokesperson Tommy Pigott citing the “Biden Administration’s chaotic and poorly executed withdrawal from Afghanistan.”