Welcome to Episode 28 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.

Our guest, Mariam Atash, is a Afghan American attorney, human right activist, and adjunct law professor who has been supporting Afghans through her practice since before the U.S. withdrawal in August 2021. Mariam talked about specifics of the Priority-1 and Priority-2 programs within the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, and the immigration consequences that have arisen from the processing delays within programs.

Today’s episode concludes with a story from a young Afghan woman currently living in Tajikistan. Directly following the Taliban’s takeover, a local Talib began pursuing her for marriage, but she was desperate to avoid becoming a wife and wanted to pursue a law career. U.S. Army soldier and Vets4NRF founder “Legend” advised the girl’s family to pretend that she had died, and brought her across the border to Tajikistan, where she now is studying to be a lawyer.

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 contributor to Fox News Digital and 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.