Taliban extremists have seized sophisticated U.S. military biometric technology that could aid them in identifying Afghan nationals that assisted U.S. efforts in the nation over the past 20 years, which would put those individuals’ lives in immediate danger.
“The devices, known as HIIDE, for Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment, were seized last week during the Taliban’s offensive,” The Intercept reported, adding that sources in the U.S. Armed Forces were “worried that sensitive data they contain could be used by the Taliban.”“HIIDE devices contain identifying biometric data such as iris scans and fingerprints, as well as biographical information, and are used to access large centralized databases,” the report added. “An Army Special Operations veteran said it’s possible that the Taliban may need additional tools to process the HIIDE data but expressed concerns that Pakistan would assist with this.”
The news comes amid the chaos that erupted over the last week following Democrat President Joe Biden’s disastrous pullout from Afghanistan, which has left thousands of American citizens trapped in enemy controlled territory.
Rep. Andy Kim’s (D-NY) office said in an email that journalists posted online that the Biden administration destroyed the passports of Afghan SIV applicants at the Embassy.“For SIV applicants: Visa and passport appointments at the Embassy have been canceled, and passports that were in the Embassy have been canceled, and passports that were in the Embassy’s possession have been destroyed,” the email stated. “Department of State advises all people waiting for processing to find shelter and wait for further instructions. They should not go to the airport until they are called to do so and should follow the instructions carefully.”
Reuters reported that “Biden was concerned about the political impact of the large number of Afghan refugees flowing into the United States and preferred they be sent to third countries.” Biden’s concern about the political toll that refugees could have on his administration comes after he has overseen a border catastrophe that has worsened every month under his leadership.
No comments:
Post a Comment