Rescue operators who saved Americans stranded in Afghanistan call out State Department for taking credit

A group of private US citizens claims the Biden State Department is trying to take credit it doesn’t deserve for a recent rescue operation of civilians fleeing Afghanistan.

The current routine of having rescue groups with military backgrounds going into Afghanistan to try and rescue trapped Americans happened as a result of the Biden administration’s imposed limitation of military flexibility at Kabul airport last month.

Cory Mills told Fox News that it was his private team of veterans and private backers bankrolling the effort that helped four Americans escape Afghanistan.

The State Department claims that they "assisted four Americans depart Afghanistan via an overland route on Monday. We provided guidance to them, worked to facilitate their safe passage, and Embassy officials greeted the Americans once they had crossed the border."

But tonight we’re hearing the other side of the story.

The mom’s name is Mariam, and it was her along with her three children trying to escape. The four of them were blocked from entry into the Kabul airport before the Biden administration had the military resources leave the country.

The back-up plan of getting a charter flight out of Mazar-i-Sharif airport was also a bust because the planes in question didn’t get clearance to take off. Earlier this morning it was reported that Biden’s State Department refused to give charter flights at Mazar-i-Sharif airport approval to depart.

It was only through a last ditch effort at traveling by land across an unspecified country’s border that Mariam’s family got out of Afghanistan.

Cory Mills completely disputes the State Department’s framing.

"The fact that they're spinning this, trying to take 100% credit when they didn't track this family, when they placated this family, when the mother, who was under extreme stress and extreme pressure, reached out to the State Department multiple times and got no help."

Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas echoed similar feelings. "The State Dept didn’t do a damn thing for these people for 12 days except almost get them killed repeatedly."

Rep. Markwayne Mullin a few hours later said the State Department was lying.

"This is a flat out lie. The Biden Administration abandoned them. Let’s be clear, it was our team of patriots who worked around the clock for two weeks to get them out, despite the many roadblocks from the State Department."

There are other stories of Americans trapped in the Taliban-controlled country. A pregnant 25-year-old from California spoke over the weekend about how the State Department botched the rescue of her and her husband.