In this review for The Washington Post, Elliot Ackerman assesses Mitchell Zuckoff's "The Secret Gate," which follows a U.S. diplomat and an Afghan women's rights activist through the chaotic final days of the 2021 Kabul evacuation.
Echoes of Hiram Bingham
Ackerman opens with the story of Hiram Bingham IV, the U.S. vice consul who defied State Department orders to save thousands of refugees from Vichy France, framing it as the moral precedent for the diplomats forced to choose who to evacuate from Kabul.
Two Intertwined Escapes
Ackerman traces the book's twin narratives: Sam Aronson, a junior Foreign Service officer thrown into the withdrawal's final days, and Homeira Qaderi, a writer and activist reluctant to leave the son and family she may never see again.
The Gate Run by the CIA
Ackerman highlights Zuckoff's account of the book's title gate, run off the books by CIA paramilitary officers and Afghan Counter-Terrorist Pursuit Teams, calling it an important addition to the historical record of a largely undocumented force.
Read the Original Article
This review originally appeared in The Washington Post.