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Tracey Jacobson Abandoned Our Afghan Allies. Now She’s Getting a Promotion.
Photo illustration by The Free Press, images via Getty, Tracey Jacobson image via U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia.
The woman who failed to rescue U.S. friends from the Taliban is Biden’s nominee for ambassador to Iraq.
By Eli Lake
02.01.24 — International
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When America was retreating from its 20-year-war in Afghanistan in August 2021, Omar was one of the Afghan allies President Joe Biden promised to rescue. He had performed a perilous task for the U.S. military: identifying and neutralizing roadside mines embedded by the Taliban insurgency. 

Omar was supposed to receive a special immigrant visa, or SIV, wh…

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Eli Lake
Eli Lake is the host of Breaking History, a new history podcast from The Free Press. A veteran journalist with expertise in foreign affairs and national security, Eli has reported for Bloomberg, The Daily Beast, and Newsweek. With Breaking History, he brings his sharp analysis and storytelling skills to uncover the connections between today’s events and pivotal moments in the past.
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