Welcome to a special mini-episode of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today, my guests are co-founder of Massachusetts Afghan Alliance John Moses and #afghanevac president Shawn VanDiver. We discuss the inaccuracies and concerns raised by a piece by "Civis Legatus" in the Benjamin Franklin Fellowship that purports to share information about the special immigrant visa program.
Find Massachusetts Afghan Alliance:
on the web: https://massafghanalliance.org/on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/massafghanalliance/
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/massafghanalliance/ Follow Shawn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shawnjvandiver Follow #AfghanEvac:
on Twitter https://twitter.com/afghanevac on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/afghanevac/ on the web: https://afghanevac.org/ About the host: Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
Welcome to Episode 116 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today, my guest is #afghanevac president Shawn VanDiver providing an overarching update on the various programs supporting Afghan SIV and USRAP applicants and the legislative efforts underway to support our allies. About Shawn VanDiver and #AfghanEvac: Follow Shawn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shawnjvandiver Follow #AfghanEvac on Twitter https://twitter.com/afghanevac on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/afghanevac/ on their website: https://afghanevac.org/ About the host: Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
Welcome to "The case that broke my heart," a special series within The Afghanistan Project Podcast where volunteers, advocates, and veterans speak out about the case or cases that had the greatest impact on them over the course of four years (sometimes more, rarely less) of supporting Afghan allies.Today's episode features Geeta Bakshi of nonprofit Famil.Geeta talks about being introduced to a member of the Zero Units experiencing suicidal ideation because he was having serious struggles with his SIV case status, which made him feel as though he had no future.Miraculously, Famil was able to find that this man answers - and uncover more of the vagaries in the SIV system that make it difficult to navigate.
Welcome to Episode 115 of The Afghanistan Project, where wecover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today, my guest is Fahim Abed, an investigations editor with Lighthouse Reports and 2023 Nieman fellow at Harvard. Fahim was a reporter for The New York Times in Afghanistan until the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021.
Fahim discusses a Lighthouse Reports’ investigation which found that 110 reprisal killings of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) personnel have taken place since 2023.
Fahim talks about the peril that ANDSF personnel live under as a result of their affiliation with the former government, including aggressive torture. We discuss the need for additional protections for ANDSF personnel, considering the closeness of their ties with U.S. military personnel.
Fahim closes the episode by reading a letter from the widow of an ANDSF reprisal victim.
Find the Lighthouse Reports investigation here: https://www.lighthousereports.com/investigation/hunted-by-the-taliban/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
Welcome to Episode 114 of The Afghanistan Project, where wecover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today, my guest is Dr. Amna Mehmood, a molecular biologist who has turned her skills to helping Afghans in their homeland and the diaspora. Dr. Mehmood recently conducted a survey of the impact of the Taliban’s internet ban, and she shares herimportant findings in this episode.
Dr. Mehmood also talks about how hard she fought for her own education as a refugee in Pakistan during childhood and particularly her teen years.
About Dr. Amna Mehmood:
Dr. Amna Mehmood is a molecular biologist and senior scientist (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg) in Germany.
She received her Master’s and PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Jacobs University Bremen as a DAAD scholar and later studied Cancer Genomics and Immuno-Oncology at Harvard Medical School.
After completing her PhD, Dr. Mehmood returned to Afghanistan to help establish the country’s National Reference Laboratories Network, working to strengthenmolecular diagnostics and research capacity on a national level.
But behind her impressive scientific career is an extraordinary personal journey.
As a young girl fleeing war in Afghanistan and growing up as a refugee in Pakistan, Amna’s path was marked by instability, changing schools, and limited resources; often with little or no access to a laboratory.
Yet her determination and love for science never faded. From those humble beginnings, she went on to help establish national molecular diagnostic laboratories in Afghanistan, contributing to her country’s medical and research capacity during some of its most challenging years. Yet she transformed those challenges into purpose and leadership.
Today, she continues her scientific work in Germany while leading the Resilient Afghan Diaspora Initiatives, a platform she founded to give voice to those silenced by conflict and to share the stories of Afghan resilience, strength, and hope across generations
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
Welcome to Episode 113 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today, my guest is Shabir Kabiri, who has in-depth understanding of the internet infrastructure inside Afghanistan.We discuss the growth of the internet inside Afghanistan during the past twenty years, and the likely scenario which created the most recent whole-country internet outage inside Afghanistan.We talk about the sectors impacted by the outage, and possible workarounds should the Taliban cut off access in the future.About Shabir Kabiri:Shabir Kabiri is an Afghan national who has lived in the US for over 10 years - first as a student and now a resident. Originally from Kabul, he worked as a digital development consultant with the World Bank to expand internet access and adoption in Afghanistan. A graduate of the United States Military Academy, West Point, he currently works for an American defense contractor. Shabir has in-depth technical knowledge of the digital connectivity and internet infrastructure in Afghanistan, and how the technology is intertwined with other sectors such as education, health, banking, and others.About the host: Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
Welcome to Episode 112 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today, my guest is Mina Sharif, author of the new shortstory collection Your War, Our Lives.
Mina discusses the book’s reception among Westerners,Afghans in the diaspora, and Afghans who remain in the Taliban’s Afghanistan.
We talk about the major themes in the stories, and end our conversation with a call to action for supporters of Afghan women, whose lives have been deeply impacted by the loss of human rights they experience under Taliban rule.
About Mina Sharif:
Mina Sharif is an Afghan-Canadian writer and advocate whose work centers on amplifying Afghan women’s voices and challenging simplified narratives about Afghanistan. She is the founder of Sisters 4 Sisters, a nationwide mentorship program for Afghan girls, and her debut short storycollection, Your War, Our Lives, draws on her 15 years in Kabul to illuminate the resilience and humanity of Afghan daily life.
Find Your War, Our Lives here:
https://minasharif.com/your-war-our-lives
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
Welcome to Episode 111 of The Afghanistan Project, where wecover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today, my guest is Army veteran Rebekah Edmondson, CEO of NXT Mission, a nonprofit which serves Afghan women who were part of the elite Female Tactical Platoon.
Rebekah talks about how the FTP came to exist, and what she witnessed of these incredible Afghan women during multiple deployments of her own to Afghanistan as a member of the Cultural Support Team.
Rebekah talks about her work to support members of the FTP following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan as many members arrived in the U.S. on humanitarian parole. She also mentions the struggles of those who remain overseas as U.S.Refugee Admissions Program applicants.
Find NXT Mission here: https://www.nxtmission.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
Today, my guest Andrew Walker, who has been helping Afghans in a volunteer capacity for several years.
Andy talks about the case of a 16-year ANASOC commando whom he helped find safety, who was recently forced to depart Pakistan and return to a country where he will behunted by the Taliban.
Andy discusses misconceptions about the Afghan National Army’s willingness and capacity to fight for their country and delves into personal details about the impact that his work had on his health. Finally, he applauds the service members – including Generals – who assisted the Afghan he has been shepherding.
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor toFox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
Welcome to "The case that broke my heart," a special series within The Afghanistan Project Podcast where volunteers, advocates, and veterans speak out about the case or cases that had the greatest impact on them over the course of four years (sometimes more, rarely less) of supporting Afghan allies.Today's episode features No One Left Behind Executive Director Andrew Sullivan.Andrew talks about attempting to help his interpreter’s family, about a woman forced to watch her husband depart Camp As Sayliyah with her children, and a daughter whose future was in limbo due to a misunderstood scenario involving an engagement.
Welcome to Episode 109 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today I have three incredible guests, Hosna Jalil, AnniePforzheimer, and Jason Howk, joining me to talk about the gender apartheid and terrorist regime in place inside Afghanistan four years following the collapse of the former Afghan government, and how opponents of that regime can support those who seek a free, inclusive, and democratic future for Afghanistan
We talk about the greatest disappointments of the past fouryears, the near recognition that many Western countries have expressed in regard to the de facto government, and the heinous pain that Afghan women face in their homeland.
We also discuss possible solutions for returning peace toAfghanistan, and note why the world should be concerned about the Taliban’s gender apartheid system and growing terrorist network inside Afghanistan.
About Hosna, Annie, and Jason:
Hosna Jalil is a former Afghan government official who madehistory as one of the youngest and first women to serve in senior leadership roles. She served as the Deputy Minister of Interior Affairs and later as the Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, following her role as Director of Policy at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum. Now based in the U.S., Hosna continues her work at the intersection of governance, security, and women’s empowerment, focusing on policy, innovation, and education to counter extremism and buildmore inclusive systems.
Annie Pforzheimer is a retired U.S. Department of Statecareer diplomat with the rank of Minister Counselor, an Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, an Adjunct Professor at Pace University and the City University of New York, a human rights advocate and a foreign policy commentator. She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves as Board Chair for Women for Afghan Women, a social service agencyin the US and Afghanistan. Ms. Pforzheimer is the author of numerous articles and op-eds on Afghanistan policy, and co-author of studies and articles on issues relating to international organized crime and fentanyl. Her thirty-yeardiplomatic career focused on security, rule of law, and human rights policy. She was the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan and Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Kabul; Office Director for UN peacekeeping and sanctions; head of the $700 million security assistanceprogram in Mexico; the lead human rights officer in Turkey and South Africa; and director at the National Security Council regarding Central American migration. Ms. Pforzheimer is a graduate of Harvard University, with a Masters degree in National Security Studies from the National Defense University.
Jason Howk is a US Army veteran whose service spanned major developments of our Afghan adventure, from supporting the early development of the Afghan National Army in 2002, to overseeing interagency teams of civiliansworking to establish enduring security in the region in 2013. Jason is now the Board President of Global Friends of Afghanistan, a diverse organization of Afghan andinternational leaders searching for paths to a democratic and peaceful future for Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Taliban’s rule. Jason is also a writer, musical collaborator, and adjunct professor of Islamic Studies at the US Air Force Special Operations School.
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
https://buymeacoffee.com/bwbailey85
Welcome to "The case that broke my heart," a special series within The Afghanistan Project Podcast where volunteers, advocates, and veterans speak out about the case or cases that had the greatest impact on them over the course of four years (sometimes more, rarely less) of supporting Afghan allies.Today's episode features TAPP host Beth Bailey talking about the cases that were most difficult over the past four years.
Welcome to Episode 108 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today, my guest is Army veteran Mikael Cook, my formerco-host and the author of Life and Death at Abbey Gate.
Mikael and I finally tell the story of how this podcast cameto be – which includes some embarrassing tears (mine), and the desire to counteract hatred and misunderstanding in the general population.
We talk about how Mikael began fighting to help his formerinterpreters escape Hamid Karzai International Airport, and how the effort morphed into involvement with two other evacuations
About Mikael Cook:
Find Mikael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikaelcook89/
Buy Life and Death at Abbey Gate: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Death-Abbey-Gate-Afghanistan-ebook/dp/B0CTRZJHRY?ref_=ast_author_mpb
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
https://buymeacoffee.com/bwbailey85
Welcome to "The case that broke my heart," a special series within The Afghanistan Project Podcast where volunteers, advocates, and veterans speak out about the case or cases that had the greatest impact on them over the course of four years (sometimes more, rarely less) of supporting Afghan allies.Today's episode features Megan, who asked to be identified by first name only.
Welcome to Episode 107 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today I am joined by Chris Robinson of the Last DeploymentProject to bring listeners back to the immediate consequences of the Taliban takeover for Americans and Afghans converging on Hamid Karzai InternationalAirport between August 15 and 16, 2021.
Using the over 300 hours of testimony accumulated from 70participants in HKIA operations, Chris goes into a detailed account of what occurred on the airfield during those days, complete with maps that help demonstrate key locations where actions took place.
This can be a difficult time for veterans of Afghanistan. For anyone in need of help or looking for ways to connect with other veterans who share their experience, please reach out to any of the following:
Operation Allies Refuge Foundation
PB Abbate
Fight the War Within Foundation
Veterans Crisis Line
About Chris:
Chris Robinson is a Marine Infantry veteran and OralHistorian. He served from 2016-2020 with the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (2nd LAR), 2nd Marine Division out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Originally from Southeast Louisiana, he is a two-time graduate fromSoutheastern Louisiana University, getting a BA in English (with a concentration in Creative Writing) in 2016 and a MA in History in 2023. He started The Last Deployment Project while he was at university and conducted his first interview in October 2022. In April 2023, he published his 176-pagethesis: The Last Deployment Project - Voices from HKIA. As of now, he has conducted 70 interviews totaling around 300 hours of recordings. In August 2024, he finalized a book deal with Casemate Publishers to have a book published for the fifth anniversary, August 2026.
Find The Last Deployment Project:
On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NsCAm4XYhb00g6ggstwfZ
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.last.deployment_project/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
https://buymeacoffee.com/bwbailey85
Welcome to "The case that broke my heart," a special series within The Afghanistan Project Podcast where volunteers, advocates, and veterans speak out about the case or cases that had the greatest impact on them over the course of four years (sometimes more, rarely less) of supporting Afghan allies.Today's episode features John Moses of the Massachusetts Afghan Alliance and Kate Kovarovic, the former Director of Resilience Programming at #AfghanEvac.
Welcome to Episode 106 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today, my guest is Geeta Bakshi, founder of nonprofit Familand 14-year veteran of the CIA.
Geeta and I talk about the CIA-trained National Strike Units,more commonly known as the Zero Units, and the challenges they faced as our most highly-vetted partners over twenty years of war, and during the final weeks of our presence in Afghanistan. We focus particularly on the role the Zero Units played in clearing Hamid Karzai International Airport in August 2021 and the upheaval they experienced after being exfiltrated from their homeland.
We talk about the toll that losses and injuries within theZero Units had on the group and the families of the wounded and fallen, and the ongoing challenges they face in the U.S. We also discuss the imperative to help the Zero Units now as many have still not been processed for Special ImmigrantVisas and are reaching the end of their humanitarian parole.
Find Famil here: http://familusa.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
https://buymeacoffee.com/bwbailey85
Welcome to a special episode of The Afghanistan Project,where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today, my guest is Sonia Norton, the Director of Advocacyfor nonprofit No One Left Behind. Sonia delivers details about the two bipartisan acts that have been put forward in the last week by House and Senate, and how they would impact our allies if passed.
Sonia also discusses additional changes needed to do themost good for our allies, including the addition of more Special Immigrant Visas in subsequent legislation.
I mention new changes in IRAP's Pacito v Trump case, whichhas become a class action lawsuit that seeks to help all USRAP applicants impacted by the suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and several other subgroups of refugees and allies.
About Sonia Norton:
Before joining No One Left Behind, Sonia worked in the House of Representatives for five years with members of the House Committees on Armed Services, Judiciary, and Ways and Means. Most recently, she served as the Senior Legislative Assistant for Representative Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), where she led a policy portfolio including Afghan allies, foreign affairs, and judiciary issues. In that role, Sonia was the lead House Democratic staffer for the introduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act and was named one of the Top 10Policy Staff to Watch. Sonia has also served as a Fulbright-Nehru English Teaching Assistant and was elected for three terms on the Women’s Congressional Staff Association Board.
Follow No One Left Behind:
Online: https://www.nooneleft.org/
On X: https://x.com/n1leftbehind
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nooneleftbehindus/
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/no-one-left-behind
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on X: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
https://buymeacoffee.com/bwbailey85
Welcome to Episode 105 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today, my guest is Scott Bailey, co-founder and President ofthe Board of Directors of the Blacksburg Refugee Partnership.
Scott and I discuss the hopelessness that Afghan refugees and visa applicants are experiencing in Pakistan as they attempt to evade deportation to Afghanistan.
We also discuss the Blacksburg Refugee Partnership’s effortsto assist Afghans in need of assistance during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the community outreach from Blacksburg at large as the Blacksburg Refugee Partnership filed applications to help a number of Afghans reach the U.S. through Welcome Corps in late 2024.
Though those efforts have stalled, one family was able toarrive in Blacksburg, and received a warm welcome from a community who showered them with care.
Scott also talked about his work with She Leads Tomorrow,which allows Afghan women forbidden from receiving an education in the Taliban’s Afghanistan to further their learning online.
Find Blacksburg Refugee Partnership Inc. here: https://www.blacksburgrefugeepartnership.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as acivilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner.
Follow Beth:
on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/
on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85
on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85
on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/
https://buymeacoffee.com/bwbailey85
Welcome to "The case that broke my heart," a special series within The Afghanistan Project Podcast where volunteers, advocates, and veterans speak out about the case or cases that had the greatest impact on them over the course of four years (sometimes more, rarely less) of supporting Afghan allies.Today's episode features Leslie Merriman, founder of Our Culture is Giving. Find Our Culture is Giving here:https://ourcultureisgiving.org/