US agencies purge websites of content that could endanger Afghans

Federal agencies that operated in Afghanistan are removing content from their websites that could endanger the lives of Afghan citizens who assisted the U.S. government and now face possible retaliation from the Taliban, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

Spokespeople from the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Agriculture Department told the AP that they have been taking down articles, photos and other information over the past week as the Taliban swept into power. The concern was that Taliban fighters might use the U.S. websites to identify Afghans who had assisted American agencies.

“State Department policy is to only remove content in exceptional situations like this one,” spokesman Ned Price told the AP. “In doing so, department personnel are following records retention requirements.”

A spokesperson from the State Department expressed the same sentiment to The Hill in an email, emphasizing that the safety of the department’s Afghan contacts is of the “utmost importance” and that the department continues to watch the situation closely. 

USAID said it began purging its websites on Friday, the day after about 3,000 U.S. troops were deployed to help secure the airport in the capital Kabul, the AP reported.

“Given the security situation in Afghanistan, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our staff, partners, and beneficiaries, we are reviewing USAID public websites and social media to archive content that could pose a risk to certain individuals and groups,” the agency told the AP.

An agency spokesperson confirmed the statement to The Hill.

An Agriculture Department official who spoke to the AP said the agency was also in the process of removing content that could put the lives of Afghan citizens at risk.

The Agriculture Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

The website purges come as Afghan civilians who worked with the U.S. government are scrambling to flee the country. Taliban fighters have been going door-to-door looking for any men who served in the Afghan special forces or helped the U.S. military, Fox News reported.

The U.S. has said it will help evacuate more than 80,000 people who worked with the U.S. government in Afghanistan and qualify for special immigrant visas, as well as their family members, though experts warn it may be an unrealistic goal.

This story was updated on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.