Hold on a second: Is the Biden administration requiring evacuees of Taliban-controlled Kabul to... pay for their evacuation flights home?

Even though U.S. officials tell NatSec Daily and others that evacuation flights from Kabul will be free, people trying to catch a plane in the Afghan capital say differently. One person said State Department staff were seeking large payments — up to $2,000 — from American passengers and even more from non-U.S. citizens.

When we relayed what this person told us to the State Department, a spokesperson didn't deny that this is happening.

Imagine being caught up in the chaotic, literally deadly conflict in Kabul, dodging the Taliban patrols, getting to the airport, somehow making it past the military checkpoints, locking down a flight home, and... being forced to shell out $2,000?

Evidently such reimbursements are required by U.S. law:

Given that the Biden administration kinda sorta oversaw this whole nightmarish collapse of the Afghani government and the lightning-quick rise of the Taliban there, you'd think the least they could do would be to issue a waiver.

UPDATE: Apparently, the Biden administration got so much negative feedback that they nixed this whole plan. Gotta love it.