U.S. Military Aircraft Dispatched to Pick Up Americans Stranded by Pandemic Shutdown
Source: Wall Street Journal
The U.S. military on Friday sent aircraft to pick up Americans who were stranded abroad because of sealed borders to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, a U.S. defense official said.
The military sent C-130s to both Morocco and Peru, the official said. A C-17 arrived in Honduras to pick up the U.S. women’s football team, the Pentagon said, as American tourists there still faced uncertainty on how to get home.
Many countries closed borders as the coronavirus crisis developed, prohibiting commercial airline flights in or out. Thousands of Americans remain trapped in South America, Morocco and elsewhere, unable to get home—and upset at Washington’s response as European countries, Mexico and Israel quickly moved to evacuate their citizens.
Some have linked the State Department’s difficulties in repatriating Americans to the departures of many diplomats who have resigned or said that they were forced out since President Trump took office. A senior department official said Friday the “unprecedented” work is being undertaken even as U.S. diplomats around the world are authorized to return home amid the global pandemic.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-military-aircraft-dispatched-to-pick-up-americans-stranded-by-pandemic-shutdown/ar-BB11tfam?li=BBnb7Kz
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