The Afghans, housed at Camp As Sayliyah on the outskirts of Doha, say returning to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan would expose them to reprisals because of their past work with U.S. and allied forces, while resettlement options remain limited after President Donald Trump’s administration suspended Afghan immigration cases and paused refugee admissions.

“We are all living in extreme anxiety. We feel that we are in limbo,” said Rasouly, a former interpreter for U.S. forces who has spent 19 months at the camp with his family.Camp As Sayliyah, once used by the U.S. military, has served as a transit and processing center for Afghan evacuees since the chaotic U.S. withdrawal in August 2021.

Many of those still there had expected eventual resettlement in the United States under refugee or special immigration pathways.That process stalled after Trump paused refugee admissions in January 2025 and later suspended Afghan immigration cases in November, leaving hundreds of families in prolonged legal and humanitarian uncertainty.

Advocacy group AfghanEvac said the U.S. administration is considering requiring residents to choose between returning to Afghanistan or relocating to countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, a proposal first reported by U.S. media and later confirmed by campaigners as under review.In an open letter shared by AfghanEvac, camp residents rejected the possibility of relocation to Congo, citing both security concerns and trauma from years of conflict.

“We have been in enough war. We cannot take our children into another one,” the letter said. “We also cannot return to Afghanistan. The Taliban will kill many of us for what we did for the United States.”The U.S. State Department has not confirmed Congo as a destination but said relocation to a third country could provide safety and an opportunity to rebuild lives. Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo have not commented publicly on the reports.

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry, responding to the reports, said Afghan nationals abroad could return in “confidence and peace of mind,” rejecting concerns over retaliation.However, the United Nations has documented arbitrary arrests, detentions and cases of torture involving former Afghan officials and security personnel who returned to Afghanistan, raising concerns among rights groups over the safety of returnees.

Residents at the camp said they have received little formal communication and rely largely on rumors about resettlement plans or possible camp closure.“Different rumors have circulated,” said Mahmoud, 38, who worked with U.S. and international forces and has lived at the camp for more than a year. “Rumours such as sending people to the Democratic Republic of the Congo are being spread to increase psychological pressure.

”Many families live in cramped, windowless containers and are generally unable to leave except for serious medical emergencies, residents said.The insecurity deepened during Iranian missile attacks targeting U.S. bases in the Gulf earlier this year, when explosions and interceptions were visible from the camp despite the base no longer being operational.

“It reminded us of Afghanistan,” said Shabnam, who arrived at the camp in January 2025 with her young son after her father’s work with U.S. and allied forces in western Afghanistan. “Many of us came here to escape conflict. It felt like we were reliving those same fears.”The State Department confirmed in February that Washington had offered financial assistance for voluntary return to Afghanistan.

AfghanEvac and camp residents said the package included $4,500 for each main applicant and $1,200 per dependent.Around 150 people have accepted the payments and returned, according to U.S. officials.For others, the offer does little to ease fears.“Security is not something that can be negotiated,” Rasouly said. “If they pay me $50,000 for me and my family, I cannot go to Afghanistan because my life is in danger.”

The hearing marked Rubio’s first public appearance before Congress since U.S. forces carried out the operation that led to Maduro’s removal. Lawmakers from both parties pressed the administration for clarity, reflecting unease over how the operation was conducted and what comes next for U.S. involvement in Venezuela.

Rubio said the Trump administration is now dealing with interim President Delcy Rodriguez, a longtime Maduro ally who assumed office following his arrest. While warning that military pressure could continue if U.S. demands are ignored, Rubio emphasized that current talks are focused on cooperation rather than confrontation.

According to Rubio, Venezuela’s leadership has shown openness toward rebuilding ties with Washington after years of strained relations. He told senators that officials on both sides are engaging respectfully and productively, adding that the United States could reopen a diplomatic presence in the country in the near future.

He argued that Venezuela had become strategically important due to the presence and influence of U.S. adversaries such as China, Russia, and Iran. Removing Maduro, Rubio said, was necessary to address what he described as an untenable security situation affecting both the region and U.S. interests.

Rubio told the committee that, for the first time in two decades, serious discussions are underway to reduce foreign influence in Venezuela. He said many political and economic actors inside the country favor renewed engagement with the United States across trade, security, and diplomatic fronts.

The secretary of state is also expected to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, fueling speculation about Washington’s long-term political vision for the country. Questions remain over whether the U.S. would support a leadership transition beyond the interim government.

The administration’s handling of the Maduro operation has sparked debate in Congress, particularly over war powers. A resolution aimed at limiting further military action without congressional approval narrowly failed after Vice President JD Vance broke a tie vote in the Senate.

Several lawmakers expressed frustration over what they described as a lack of communication from the White House and State Department. Some said they were briefed late or not at all, while oil industry executives reportedly learned of the operation earlier than members of Congress.

Rubio defended the administration, saying secrecy was essential to operational success. He acknowledged confusion among lawmakers but said efforts are underway to keep Congress better informed as policy toward Venezuela evolves.

He also outlined short-term plans to manage Venezuelan oil sales under U.S. oversight, while emphasizing a broader goal of helping the country transition toward stability and prosperity. Rubio said the administration wants Venezuela to eventually choose its leaders through free and fair elections.

Democrats and some Republicans warned that the situation could escalate into a prolonged conflict. They pointed to past U.S. military engagements that began with limited objectives but expanded into costly, years-long wars without clear endpoints.

The close Senate vote and sharp exchanges during the hearing highlighted growing tensions between Congress and the White House over foreign policy authority. As the U.S. charts its next steps in Venezuela, lawmakers signaled they will continue to scrutinize the administration’s actions closely.

Sharaa, whose forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar Assad late last year, is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. The visit marks the first by a Syrian head of state to the United States since the country’s independence in 1946, analysts said.

The interim Syrian leader previously met Trump in Riyadh in May during the U.S. president’s regional tour.

Washington’s envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said earlier this month that Sharaa was expected to sign an agreement for Syria to join the international U.S.-led coalition against the Daesh (Islamic State) group.

According to a diplomatic source in Damascus, the United States also plans to establish a military base near the Syrian capital “to coordinate humanitarian aid and observe developments between Syria and Israel.”

Delisting and Diplomatic Shifts

The U.S. State Department’s decision to remove Sharaa from the terrorism blacklist on Friday had been widely anticipated.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Sharaa’s government had made progress in addressing key American demands, including cooperation on locating missing U.S. citizens and eliminating any remaining chemical weapons stockpiles.

“These actions are being taken in recognition of the progress demonstrated by the Syrian leadership after the departure of Bashar Assad and more than 50 years of repression under the Assad regime,” Pigott said.

He added that removing Sharaa from the blacklist would promote “regional security and stability as well as an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process.”

Crackdown on Daesh

Syria’s interior ministry announced on Saturday that it had carried out 61 raids and made 71 arrests in a “proactive campaign to neutralize the threat” of Daesh, according to the state-run SANA news agency.

The ministry said the operations targeted suspected Islamic State sleeper cells across several provinces, including Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Damascus.

Following his arrival in Washington, Sharaa met with representatives of Syrian community organizations in the U.S. capital, Syrian media reported.

In a lighthearted moment ahead of his departure, Syrian Foreign Minister posted a video on social media showing Sharaa playing basketball with U.S. CENTCOM Commander Gen. Brad Cooper and Kevin Lambert, head of the international anti-Daesh coalition in Iraq, with the caption: “Work hard, play harder.”

From Rebel Commander to Statesman

Sharaa’s visit to Washington follows his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in September — his first trip to U.S. soil — where he became the first Syrian president in decades to address the assembly in New York.

On Thursday, the U.S. led a Security Council vote to lift U.N. sanctions against him.

Once affiliated with Al-Qaeda, Sharaa formerly led the militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), which was delisted as a terrorist organization by Washington in July.

Since seizing power, Syria’s new leadership has sought to distance itself from its extremist roots and project a more moderate, internationally acceptable image.

“The White House visit is further testament to the U.S. commitment to the new Syria and a hugely symbolic moment for the country’s new leader, who thus marks another step in his astonishing transformation from militant leader to global statesman,” said Michael Hanna, U.S. Program Director at the International Crisis Group.

Reconstruction Challenges Ahead

Sharaa is expected to seek international funding for Syria’s post-war reconstruction during his visit. The country faces enormous economic and humanitarian challenges after 13 years of civil conflict.

In October, the World Bank estimated the cost of rebuilding Syria at a “conservative best estimate” of $216 billion.

As Washington and Damascus cautiously rebuild diplomatic ties, Sharaa’s visit signals what many observers see as a historic turning point — both for Syria’s reemergence on the world stage and for a region long defined by conflict and isolation.