WASHINGTON — The State Department was forced to scrap a widely excoriated plan to bill US citizens $2,000 or more for their evacuation flights from Kabul.
The hefty price tag drew social media outrage Thursday after it gained public notice.
“In these unique circumstances, we have no intention of seeking any reimbursement from those fleeing Afghanistan,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement provided to The Post.
The cost was publicly posted to a State Department website on Saturday but went largely unnoticed before it was highlighted by Politico’s military-focused newsletter Thursday.
An unnamed State Department spokesman initially stood by the charge, telling Politico that “U.S. law requires that evacuation assistance to private U.S. citizens or third country nationals be provided ‘on a reimbursable basis to the maximum extent practicable.’”
But the cost drew widespread condemnation.
New York Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney threatened legislation to prohibit the fees shortly before the State Department changed its stance.
“Biden created this crisis, now he wants to charge Americans who are desperately fleeing the Taliban? That’s wrong,” Tenney tweeted. “We should not be making Americans pay for their ride to safety. I’m drafting legislation now to PROHIBIT the US government from charging Americans, period.”
In one widely circulated tweet, Heritage Foundation communications director John Cooper wrote, “Oh, you’d like to escape the Taliban? That’ll be one month’s rent, please.”
The original plan to bill passengers was published by the State Department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council on Aug. 14. An advisory said, “U.S. lawful permanent residents may submit a repatriation assistance request, and their request will be considered depending on availability.”
The advisory said, “Repatriation flights are not free, and passengers will be required to sign a promissory loan agreement and may not be eligible to renew their U.S. passports until the loan is repaid. The cost may be $2,000USD or more per person.”
Some civilian flights remain available out of Afghanistan. For example, Air India has pledged to continue operations so long as the Kabul airport is open. One-way direct tickets to Delhi are available for Sunday for $147.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that the US military doesn’t know how many US citizens are still in Kabul, referring questions to the State Department, whose top spokesman Ned Price said Thursday that the answer is not known.
President Biden says the last US troops will leave Afghanistan by Aug. 31. Ahead of the deadline, the Taliban swept through Afghanistan in a stunning rout that resulted in a desperate scramble to Kabul’s airport.
French and British troops are venturing into the Taliban-controlled Afghan capital to escort their citizens to safety. The US military is not doing so for Americans.
