SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Bonsall, announced Wednesday that an American citizen and San Diego-area resident is on his way home from Afghanistan.
“This one was personal. My team and I worked for months to ensure the safe return of Prince Wafa and his wife, and we were amazed by his courage and commitment,” Issa said. “His betrayal by President Biden and the almost limitless delays by this administration were needless and shameful.
“He wasn’t the first American left behind and we are determined that he won’t be the last to come home,” Issa added.
Wafa is a small business owner of convenience stores in the San Diego area.
On Aug. 31, the U.S. military officially withdrew from Afghanistan, ending a 20-year conflict that started shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The withdrawal was accompanied by sometimes frenzied efforts to evacuate U.S. allies, which led to criticism of the Biden administration.
Shortly afterward, Wafa went to Kabul where his wife had been waiting for her spousal visa paperwork to process. He then contacted Issa through the Afghanistan Evacuation Assistance portal on the congressman’s website.
“Prince Wafa’s story will not go unnoticed,” Issa said. “No American should have to go through what he endured, and this should also provide a lasting lesson: Today, we celebrate the return of a brave American. But there is much more work to do, and many more Americans to bring home.”
Officials for Issa’s office said they have helped evacuate more than 40 members of his congressional district from Afghanistan since the Taliban regained power.