Welcome to Episode 15 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast, where hosts Mikael Cook and Beth Bailey highlight the struggles of Afghans living under Taliban rule, and the efforts of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and political affiliations who have stepped up to provide support to the people of Afghanistan in the chaos that followed the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

This week, we heard from Jonathon Alcocer, a veteran and pastor, about his endeavor to help 22 Afghans escape from their country, where they had been living in hiding for 18 months to avoid the Taliban’s reprisal campaign. Alcocer told us about how he joined two other Americans in trying to guide their flock from Zimbabwe, where they had legal traveler visas, to South Africa, where they planned to file for asylum.

Their journey went badly wrong when the South African government turned the group away at the border, sparking a grueling three-day period of interrogation aboard the bus the group traveled on, a harrowing drive to the country’s capital, and detainment beneath the Robert Gabriel Mugabe international Airport. Even after the group escaped Zimbabwe, Alcocer stayed with the Afghans in his charge until late April, when he was finally able to obtain temporary visas that will keep the group safe until their special immigrant visa cases are processed.

Our episode concludes with questions Alcocer posed to the two former Afghan commandos in his group, and their answers about their experiences since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

About the guests:

The Lifeline Foundation provided travel and other costs for the group of 22 Afghans as they fled their homeland.

Moral Compass Federation, Operation North Star, and Flanders Fields provided for the two commandos and their families while they lived in hiding.

About the hosts:

Mikael Cook was an Army non-commissioned officer and veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He was an active member of the #DigitalDunkirk movement to evacuate our Afghan allies in August of 2021. You can follow his Instagram @Mikaelcook89.

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 writer who has covered post-withdrawal Afghanistan extensively, primarily in the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram @BWBailey85 or Twitter @BWBailey85.

For listeners in Afghanistan:

If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected]. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.