Afghanistan's ambassador to the United States, Adela Raz, has lost her country and her faith in the U.S. government — and her life's work of liberating women and girls is in shambles.
In a devastating moment, she suggested she feels guilty for encouraging Afghan women to believe in a new future and serve with her in government, and for those she encouraged to stay in Afghanistan.
"If you talk about democracy — I probably will question it and laugh at it," she said, when asked if she sees America as the leader of the free world. "You were engaged in building one in Afghanistan, and the people believed in it." She said Ghani — her former boss — owes Afghans an explanation for his "betrayal" by secretly fleeing the country and effectively ceding Kabul to the Taliban without a fight.Raz was 16 in 2002, when the Americans invaded Afghanistan and swept the Taliban from power. She said she remembers thinking, "This is the end of miseries of Afghanistan because U.S. is the superpower. When it arrives, that's it. It's the end of it.
pleading with the Biden administration — publicly and privately — to give stronger military support to the Afghan security services. "I was very sarcastic," Raz said. "I said, 'Oh, probably they're working on the evacuation plan.'" She was almost certainly right.The State Department and Pentagon canceled scheduled meetings with her in early September, she said, detailing the rebuffed requests. "By meeting me formally, probably they will legitimize the position, and that probably will upset the Taliban," she said.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How are the Taliban treating Afghan women and girls?Fears for women's and girl's rights and education in Afghanistan were fueled further by a top Taliban official's comments Tuesday.
Read more »
Afghan girls soccer team in Portugal gets surprise visitGirls from the Afghanistan national soccer team who were granted asylum in Portugal are able to play again. Their rescue mission, Operation Soccer Balls, was coordinated through an international coalition of former U.S. military and intelligence officials.
Read more »
Gen. Milley Calls Afghan Withdrawal ‘Strategic Failure’ in Heated Senate HearingGen. Mark Milley, the Pentagon’s top military officer, detailed decisions involving the U.S. exit from Afghanistan and defended two calls he had with his Chinese counterpart in the last days of the Trump administration.
Read more »
How are the Taliban treating Afghan women and girls?Fears for women's and girl's rights and education in Afghanistan were fueled further by a top Taliban official's comments Tuesday.
Read more »
Afghan girls soccer team in Portugal gets surprise visitGirls from the Afghanistan national soccer team who were granted asylum in Portugal are able to play again. Their rescue mission, Operation Soccer Balls, was coordinated through an international coalition of former U.S. military and intelligence officials.
Read more »