Skokie Father Fears For Family In Afghanistan

SKOKIE, IL — A Skokie man says his family is in desperate need of assistance as they try to escape Afghanistan.

Ali, identified only by his first name, told WLS-TV that his wife and three young children — all U.S. citizens — traveled to Afghanistan in June to visit family and were due to return in the coming weeks.

But Taliban forces completed their takeover of the Afghan capital Sunday, triggering a desperate rush at the Kabul airport as thousands of people seek to flee the country.

President Joe Biden, in an address to the nation Monday, described the images from the airport as "gut-wrenching." But he said he did not regret his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan ahead of the 20-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Ali's family has been sending him videos of Taliban fighters parading American-made military equipment through the streets of Kabul, he told the station.

The Afghanistan native said his family is hiding out to avoid Taliban checkpoints, since their only identification shows that they are Americans.

"Since they are U.S. citizens, the only documentation that they have is their passports," he said, "which makes it even more dangerous and even more harmful."

More from WLS-TV »