Afghan Allies Face Mental Health Crises Due to Immigration Delays

Key Quotes

"They survived some of the Afghanistan War's most grueling and treacherous missions. They regularly battled the Taliban in nighttime raids and urban gun battles but once they evacuated to the U.S., many Afghan fighters who served in Zero Units found themselves spiraling because for them, they saw bureaucratic neglect and abandonment by the U.S. government, the very people they'd been helping."

This quote highlights the profound disillusionment experienced by Afghan fighters from the CIA-led Zero Units after their evacuation to the U.S. NPR's Brian Mann reports that these soldiers, who undertook dangerous missions for the U.S., felt abandoned and neglected by the government they served, leading to significant mental health struggles.

"people think we were a death squad we were execution squad no we we were out there going out there because we needed to bring these folks alive if you bring a target alive you get more information from him"

This statement, attributed to a former Afghan soldier named Daoud, directly addresses the perception of Zero Unit soldiers as brutal executioners. Daoud clarifies that their missions were intelligence-gathering operations, emphasizing that capturing targets alive was crucial for obtaining more valuable information, thereby refuting the "death squad" label.

"these guys were the tip of the spear they were out on the front so that american personnel didn't have to be they were the ones that were facing the maximum danger on the battlefield and taking the maximum risk due to their affiliation with us intelligence"

Gita Bakshi, a former CIA agent, uses the metaphor "tip of the spear" to describe the critical role of Zero Unit fighters. Bakshi argues that these Afghan soldiers bore the brunt of combat and faced the highest risks, enabling American personnel to avoid direct exposure to danger and underscoring their essential contribution to U.S. intelligence operations.

"we asked the agency could you please share our information so that when we submit our forms for our green cards they know who we are we are vetted we have worked with you guys they said oh no we can't share this it's classified and i was like then how would they know like who we are"

Daoud recounts the frustration of Zero Unit soldiers attempting to navigate the U.S. immigration system. He explains that the CIA refused to share their vetting information, deeming it classified, which created a paradox where the agency that vouched for them could not provide the necessary documentation for their asylum claims.

"Individuals from the Zero Units unfortunately suffered death by self harm we raised this issue to the Biden administration and it was one that we were very concerned about again we saw a direct connection to prolonged immigration delays"

Gita Bakshi expresses deep concern over the suicides among former Zero Unit fighters. Bakshi states that her organization, Famal USA, alerted the Biden administration to this crisis, directly linking the self-harm deaths to the extended delays in processing immigration applications for these soldiers.

"I was very shocked with the head of the CIA's comment I felt so betrayed Daoud says despite years of frustration he and many of his fellow Afghan fighters now view the U.S. as their home and their only safe refuge"

Daoud conveys his profound sense of betrayal following comments from the CIA director that suggested Afghan allies might be unwelcome in the U.S. Despite past frustrations with the immigration process, Daoud asserts that he and his comrades consider the U.S. their home and their sole sanctuary, highlighting the emotional impact of such rhetoric.