No wonder people hate the media.
An Afghan American couple made it past Taliban and U.S. security checkpoints late Wednesday night with the aid of Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who has repeatedly offered his help to Americans and translators caught in the country.
The couple, who live in the Washington, D.C., area, was visiting Afghanistan for a wedding but became trapped when the country fell to the Taliban, The New York Times (NYT) reported. After repeatedly failing to reach the airport, they reached out to Cotton’s office, which gave them the name of a military contact at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Large crowds have amassed outside the airport, from where the U.S. is operating its embassy. The Taliban has set up checkpoints, preventing Americans and cleared Afghans from reaching the airport. “Pushing through the crowd was like killing yourself,” the wife reportedly said.
The couple requested that the NYT not name them until they exited the country. They will leave on a flight with American citizens and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders, who are often former military translators, contractors, or others who aided Americans in-country.
Cotton was one of the first members of Congress to publicize his help for stranded Americans, telling The Washington Post on Monday that he had heard from at least 100 Americans.
In response to Cotton publicizing his office’s assistance, Media Matters for America CEO Angelo Carusone tweeted, “Imagine being trapped in Afghanistan in this moment..and thinking best person to call is Tom Cotton of all people.”
Photo: Getty Images North America
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 08: (L-R) U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) leave the floor of the Senate following a round of votes on August 8, 2021 in Washington, DC. Later tonight the Senate will vote on amendments for the legislative text of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill ahead of August recess. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)