2 Southwest RivCo Lawmakers Issue Statements On Afghanistan

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — A Republican congressman whose district includes part of Temecula announced Thursday that two local San Diego-area families trapped in the Kabul region of Afghanistan have successfully been evacuated from that country.

The news comes as another GOP congressman who represents much of Southwest Riverside County blasted President Joe Biden for putting "U.S. troops and Afghan lives at unnecessary risk."

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Bonsall, credited his team for getting the Southern California families out of the conflict area.

"This is great news, the result of tireless work by our team to ensure that our people aren't left behind in Afghanistan," Issa said. "But while we have made extraordinary progress, there are so many more Americans stranded in Afghanistan. We have more work to do and under extremely difficult conditions."

The news comes as the Taliban leadership consolidate their hold over the country and several explosions rocked the Afghan capital's airport Thursday morning.

After being contacted by local school officials, as well as a local husband and father and another relative, Issa's 5oth District staff was informed that families with several children were among the thousands of American citizens stranded in Afghanistan.

In addition, Issa's office received a request for help from the husband and father of five American citizens via a form the congressman's staff created on the issa.house.gov website. Issa then directed efforts to the highest levels of the U.S. government, including the State Department, the Department of Defense and the White House, before the families began to be successfully extracted from Afghanistan.

"I could not be more pleased at what has been achieved so far," he said. "But this is only a start to finally bringing our community back together and bringing our people home."

San Diego County made national news this week as several dozen students and parents from East County remain trapped in Afghanistan after visiting extended family in the country this summer.

The 20 students and 14 parents — who make up five families — requested assistance to fly home from the U.S. government. According to David Miyashiro, the Cajon Valley Union School District superintendent, the children range in age from preschool to high school.

The tumult and chaos as the Taliban quickly took Kabul made it nearly impossible to secure a flight out of the country. The families could not reach the airport even though they had plane tickets, Cajon Valley School Board President Tamara Otero told the Los Angeles Times.

One family was able to secure passage out of the country earlier this week. Four students and two parents, along with one infant, returned home after stopping in another country, Miyashiro said.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona), whose 42nd District stretches across nearly all of Southwest Riverside County issued a statement Thursday on the events in Afghanistan.

“Our worst fears are now being realized with a suicide bombing at HKIA (Hamid Karzai International Airport), as the Biden Administration continues to put U.S. troops and Afghan lives at unnecessary risk. My prayers are with those injured in these attacks," Calvert said.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby tweeted Thursday morning that "a number" of U.S. service members were killed in the airport attack and "a number of others" were being treated for wounds. Afghans also "fell victim" to the attack, Kirby tweeted. He did not provide exact numbers, but later in the day the Pentagon confirmed 12 U.S. service members were killed and 15 were wounded in the attack.

CNN reported that two suicide bombs went off at the airport Thursday morning.

Last week, Calvert said his office had heard from a number of distraught Afghan constituents with relatives in Afghanistan who were unable to safely get out of the country.

On Thursday, Calvert pleaded with those in the U.S. who are here on special immigrant visas to stay put even though they might have loved ones in Afghanistan.

To the Biden Administration, Calvert said, "We must increase the security of this operation immediately and not abandon the estimated 1,000 U.S. citizens still in country, Afghan SIVs or vulnerable refugees.

He continued, "This is a no-fail mission that is not over until every American is home and we must make it clear that we do not negotiate with terrorists, and we will use any and all tools at our disposal to ensure the safety and protection of our citizens, at home and abroad."

—City News Service contributed to this report.