Desperate Bid to Evacuate Afghan Girls' Soccer Team

Strategic Insights -

Fearing for their lives, members of the Afghan national girls' soccer team, along with their families, are in a desperate bid to escape the Taliban in a harrowing airlift. The international effort, led by a far-flung coalition of former U.S. military and intelligence officials, congressmen, U.S. allies, humanitarian groups, and the captain of the Afghanistan women's national team, has been severely setback by a recent suicide bombing at the Kabul airport.

Despite the setbacks, the coalition remains determined to get the girls and their families to safety. "They're just unbelievable young ladies who should be playing in the backyard, playing on the swing set, playing with their friends, and here they're in a very bad situation for doing nothing more than playing soccer," said Robert McCreary, a former congressional chief of staff and White House official under President George W. Bush. Most members of the Afghan women's team, formed in 2007, were evacuated to Australia last week, but the girls and their families remain at risk.

Key Takeaways:

  • At least five failed attempts have been made to rescue the girls in recent days, with the coalition working to move them around for their safety.
  • The girls, ages 14-16, and their families are being targeted by the Taliban for being advocates for girls and active members of their communities.
  • The rescue effort, called Operation Soccer Balls, is working with other countries, including Australia, France, and Qatar, to find a safe haven for the girls and their families.
  • The mission requires securing necessary documentation, such as passports, for the group, which comprises 133 people, including 26 youth team members, adults, and children, including infants.
  • Former U.S. women's national soccer team captain Julie Foudy, a two-time World Cup champion, and CIA and Air Force veteran Nic McKinley, a founder of the nonprofit DeliverFund, are voicing support for the rescue efforts.

Statistics:

  • 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members were killed in a recent suicide bombing at the Kabul airport.
  • 26 members of the Afghan national girls' soccer team, 14-16 years old, are currently in hiding.
  • 133 people, including 26 youth team members, adults, and children, are involved in the rescue efforts.
  • The coalition, known as Operation Soccer Balls, has already relocated 50 Afghan families to safe havens.
  • The U.S. spent over $300 billion on the war in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2020 (source: Brown University's Watson Institute).

Sources:

  • [1] Robert McCreary, former congressional chief of staff and White House official under President George W. Bush.
  • [2] Farkhunda Muhtaj, captain of the Afghanistan women's national team and a resident of Canada.
  • [3] Julie Foudy, former U.S. women's national soccer team captain and two-time World Cup champion.
  • [4] Nic McKinley, CIA and Air Force veteran and founder of the nonprofit DeliverFund.
  • [5] Alex Sanz, AP journalist and correspondent (as cited in the original article).