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(***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ Safi Rauf is an Afghan-American humanitarian, Navy reservist, and former refugee. Rauf rose to prominence in 2022 after the Taliban held him hostage in Afghanistan for 105 days. Currently, Safi runs the Human First Coalition –– which facilitates undercover missions to evacuate refugees from Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan (CIA, Special Forces vets, etc. facilitating). Prior to HFC, Safi was in the US Special Forces working black ops missions overseas.

Human First Coalition: https://www.humanfirstcoalition.org/ 

***TIMESTAMPS***

0:00 - Safi born a refugee in Pakistan (as an Afghan refugee)

7:38 - Pakistan History & Conflicts w/ India

12:59 - The Durand-Line Agreement; US / Pakistan Relationship

21:53 - Safi’s difficult life growing up in Pakistan

27:01 - Safi trained himself to be a spy; Safi’s dad’s travels back to Afghanistan

34:56 - Safi’s parents leave Middle East for US; Safi comes to US

40:06 - Safi works with Special Forces

46:04 - Safi’s 4-year supporting SF

50:34 - What Safi was inspired to go to Medical School

55:20 - Afghanistan falls & Safi gets to work with CIA & Special Forces guys

59:44 - The lay of the land around Kabul Airport in August 2021

1:06:28 - Taliban provided security for Airport?; Why Afghan militia was a problem

1:11:36 - Safi’s ground evacuation operation in Afghanistan

1:17:08 - The helicopter runs of August 2021

1:20:56 - 160,000 people still left behind in Afghanistan today; Vetting Refugees

1:25:07 - Political difficulties in Washington DC for Afghan refugees

1:30:33 - State Department Shuts down ops August 31, 2021

1:37:08 - Safi puts new plans in place for rescue missions; Biden’s interpreter

1:40:43 - How the undercover evacs post-August 2021 worked

1:46:29 - Safi develops contact with Taliban leadership to facilitate evacs; $360,000 plane rides

1:56:32 - Funding the mission & gov support

1:59:25 - Safi heads to Afghanistan; Dinner w/ Taliban

2:09:00 - Safi captured by Taliban

2:12:13 - The Taliban’s structure / politics

2:14:11 - Safi tells story of what happened immediately after capture

2:19:05 - How Safi smuggled a phone into prison; Solitary confinement; The Taliban questioning

2:28:23 - Biden gets involved; Safi’s hunger strike

2:35:46 - Safi’s parents negotiate with Taliban; Safi’s girlfriend meets with White House

2:44:32 - Safi released and immediately gives TED Talk in America; Taliban allows Safi to continue ops

2:50:11 - Humor through trauma; Channeling inner spy

2:53:43 - Afghanistan refugee crisis today and work Safi is doing to evacuate victims of the regime

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