Documents submitted in federal filings show that Joshua Mast used his military status, appealed to Trump administration officials and turned to small-town courts to adopt the baby, unbeknownst to the Afghan couple raising her 7,000 miles away.
FILE - Hundreds of people gather near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane at the perimeter of the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 16, 2021. An Afghan couple who arrived in the U.S. as refugees are suing a U.S. Marine and his wife for allegedly abducting their baby.
The little girl, now 3 ½ years old, is at the center of a high-stakes tangle of at least four court cases. The Afghan couple, desperate to get her back, has sued Mast and his wife, Stephanie Mast. But the Masts insist they are her legal parents and “acted admirably” to protect her. They’ve asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit.
The Masts call the Afghan family’s claims “outrageous, unmerited attacks” on their integrity. They argue in court filings that they have worked “to protect the child from physical, mental or emotional harm.” They say the Afghan couple are “not her lawful parents,” and Mast’s attorney cast doubt on whether the Afghans were even related to the baby.
Originally from Florida, Joshua Mast married Stephanie and attended Liberty University, an evangelical Christian college in Lynchburg, Virginia. He graduated in 2008 and got his law degree there in 2014. Both sides agree that when the dust settled, U.S. troops pulled the badly injured infant from the rubble. The baby had a fractured skull, broken leg and serious burns.Mast called the baby a “victim of terrorism.” His attorney said she “miraculously survived.”The baby was rushed to a military hospital, where she was placed in the care of the Defense Department.
In emails to military officials, Mast alleged that Pence told the U.S. Embassy in Kabul to “make every effort” to get her to the United States. Mast signed his emails with a Bible verse: “‘Live for an Audience of one, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.”The U.S. Embassy never heard from Pence’s office, said a Department of State official, who requested anonymity because they did not have permission to speak publicly about the situation.
At the meeting, Mast asked about adoption, the State Department official said. Attendees from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs explained that by Afghan law and custom, they had to place the baby with her biological family. If that did not work, the Afghan Children’s Court would determine a proper guardian.
Mast also continued his appeals to American politicians. The U.S. Embassy began hearing from Congressional staffers about the baby, and diplomats met with a military general, the official said. The U.S. Embassy heard that Mast was granted custody. Military lawyers assured them that the Marine was just preparing in case Afghanistan waived jurisdiction, but would not interfere with the search for the baby’s family, according to the State Department official.Yet all along they planned to adopt the baby, according to records obtained from the state of Virginia under a Freedom of Information Act request.
In emails to a U.S. military office requesting evacuation, Mast alleged that he read more than 150 pages of classified documents, and concluded the child was a “stateless minor.” Mast believed she was the daughter of transient terrorists who are citizens of no country, his attorney said. He also speculated that if reunited with her family, she could be made a child soldier or a suicide bomber, sold into sex trafficking, hit in a U.S. military strike, or stoned for being a girl.
But the Justice Department attorneys said they had no right to mandate how the Afghan government vets the family, and that the Red Cross — which has reunited relatives in war zones for more than a century — had confirmed it was done properly. Further, the federal government’s attorneys described the Masts’ custody documents from state court as “unlawful,” “deeply flawed and incorrect,” and “issued on a false premise that has never happened” — that Afghanistan would waive jurisdiction.
Motley had originally gone to Afghanistan in 2008 under an American-funded initiative to train local lawyers. She stayed, largely representing foreigners charged with crimes. She took on high-profile human rights cases, gave a TED Talk and wrote a book. On July 10, 2021, around the baby’s second birthday, Motley facilitated the first phone call between the Afghan couple and Joshua Mast, with the aid of translator Ahmad Osmani, a Baptist pastor of Afghan descent. Mast told the Afghan couple that unless they sent the child to the United States for medical care, she could “be blind, brain damaged, and/or permanently physically disabled.”
Osmani did not respond to requests for comment. He asked a federal judge to throw out the lawsuit, and said he never deceived anyone. He was only a “mere translator.”In late summer 2021, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. Mast said he contacted the family to bring the baby to the U.S. “before the country collapsed.” He said he was “extremely concerned that they may not get another chance.” The couple agreed.
“If anyone asks to talk about your documents, show them this text: I am Major Joshua Mast, USMC. I am a Judge Advocate … ‚” Mast texted them detailed directions for how to deal with U.S. authorities, their lawsuit says. Inside was the same photo of the child in the wading pool, but altered to change the background, add a shirt and smooth her hair. Mast told the Afghans to “keep quiet” about having his name on her passport, their lawsuit alleges, so it would be easier to get medical care.
In their heavily redacted response to the lawsuit, the Masts acknowledge they “took custody” of the child; they said their adoption order was valid and they did nothing wrong. Meanwhile, the couple says in court documents, Osmani warned them not to contact a lawyer or the authorities, and suggested that Mast might give them the baby back if they dealt directly with him.
His wife gave birth to a girl on October 1, 2021. The young mother’s grief became overwhelming. A month later, she considered suicide and was hospitalized.
Indonesia Berita Terbaru, Indonesia Berita utama
Similar News:Anda juga dapat membaca berita serupa dengan ini yang kami kumpulkan dari sumber berita lain.
Afghan Couple Accuses US Marine of Luring Them to America and Abducting Their BabyU.S. Marine Joshua Mast helped the family flee Afghanistan during the chaotic troop withdrawal. Then, once on U.S. soil, he abducted the child, court records say.
Baca lebih lajut »
Nessa Barrett Reacts to Being Called a 'Homewrecker' After Josh Richards-Jaden Hossler Relationship Drama - E! OnlineNessa Barrett shared how she felt about being called a 'homewrecker' when she was dating Jaden Hossler, who was friends with her ex-boyfriend Joshua Richards.
Baca lebih lajut »
3 charged in connection with Reseda murder of motoristJoshua Reneau, 31, of Los Angeles, Derek Lateef Hall, 28, of West Covina, and Miracole Brown, 20, of South L.A., were each charged with one count of murder, five counts of assault with a firearm and two counts of second- degree robbery. Hall also faces one count each of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Baca lebih lajut »
U.K. Home Secretary Exits Amid Government ChaosIn her resignation letter, Suella Braverman said she’d violated the rules by sending an official document from her personal email to a colleague “as part of policy engagement.”
Baca lebih lajut »
Afghan couple accuse US Marine of abducting their babyA war orphan is claimed by two families: her Afghan relatives and a U.S. Marine who adopted her from 7,000 miles away. An AP investigation pieces together the story of the child, as a judge in a tiny Virginia town decides who gets to keep her.
Baca lebih lajut »