Rep. Mark Wayne Mullin said he helped American families escape from Afghanistan on Monday morning

Oklahoma State Representative Markwayne Mullin said that he helped an American family evacuated from Afghanistan successfully left the country on Monday morning.

Mullin, a Republican, said on Twitter on Monday that he Leave Afghanistan Helped to rescue a young woman and her three children two weeks ago because they were trapped in Kabul in Kabul TalibanIt quickly took over the country last month.

“More than three weeks ago, I received an email from a friend asking if we could help a young lady named Mariam and her three children (all American citizens) leave Afghanistan,” Mullin said And added. When the family was trapped in Kabul, Mariam had gone to Kabul to visit her parents.

“We left today two weeks ago and took her, children and others out,” Mullin said. “We work day and night. But despite many frustrating setbacks, the team I was fortunate to work with has never given up. Mariam and the children have gone through so much, literally facing death many times, including today Again, but they never gave up,” he continued.

“They left Afghanistan at 05:32 EDT this morning. Praise the Lord!”

Despite criticisms and concerns from Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other U.S. officials, the Oklahoma Republicans began a semi-secret rescue mission.

Mullin tried to enter Afghanistan through Georgia and Tajikistan, and passed the Taliban checkpoint with enough cash to rent a helicopter to rescue American citizens. According to a report Last week by Washington postHowever, this attempt failed when the US ambassador to Tajikistan refused to assist him in circumventing the law regarding the amount of money people can bring into the country.

According to reports, Mullin also went to Greece at the end of August and asked the Ministry of Defense for permission to visit Kabul, but the Ministry of Defense refused. Pentagon. despite this, post The report said that Mullin’s whereabouts were unknown at the time, and his communications director Meredith Blanford (Meredith Blanford) only confirmed that he was safe.

“Congressman Mullin was and is completely safe,” Branford wrote on Twitter last week. “He and the Oklahoma Second District Office will continue to do everything we can to bring all Americans home from the war zone that President Biden abandoned. The safety and security of the American people will always be his top priority.”

At a press conference last week, the US State Department declined to comment on whether Mullin actually entered Afghanistan.

“The State Department does not routinely comment on the travel of private citizens or government members. Congress, About this question. However, we have made it very clear that it is not safe to travel to Afghanistan,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, according to WTVY-TV.

Mullin’s rescue efforts were also made after members of Congress Seth Moulton and Peter Meijer were severely criticized Flew to Kabul in August and witnessed the US evacuating citizens and allies.In response, the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi Issued a statement asking the delegates not to visit the country during the military operation.

“Ensuring the safe and timely evacuation of individuals at risk requires undivided attention and attention American armies And the local diplomatic team in Afghanistan,” Pelosi said. “Members going to Afghanistan and neighboring countries will unnecessarily divert the required resources from their priority tasks, namely, safely and quickly withdrawing from Afghanistan from the United States and Afghanistan at risk. people. “

Still, Mullin Defend his private mission By stating that he “tryed to do a job that President Biden would not do.”Mullin also accused the president Joe Biden Lie to the public, claiming that any American who wants to leave Afghanistan will have the opportunity to do so after the United States withdraws.

“This is a bold face, a 100% lie. Because we are working with these people,” he told Fox News‘Friday Brett Bayer.

After the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan on August 31, Biden said that 90% of the country’s Americans who wanted to leave were able to leave. The Democratic president added that the United States evacuated more than 120,000 American citizens, allies, and vulnerable Afghans in just two weeks.

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klein Expected Sunday Approximately 100 American citizens still remain in Afghanistan.

“We will find a way to get them — those who want to leave — to leave Afghanistan. We know that many of them have families, and many of them want to stay, but those who want to leave, we want Drive them out,” Klein said CNN.

Weekly newspaper The White House was contacted for more comment, but did not respond to the publication in time.