Geopolitics
Couple Ran 68 Safe Houses Across Afghanistan During Evacuation Without Government Support
Danger Close
Danger Close | The Fourth Option Podcast: Ben Owen & Jessica Owen
What was said
"We were running how many safe houses? 60-something. All over Afghanistan. In these chat rooms, you have a bunch of people with really badass backgrounds working at three-letter agencies and they're all worried about if it's legal to rent a house in Afghanistan right now. We didn't give a shit. So next thing you know, we're signing leases in Dari."
Ben and Jessica, former addicts turned nonprofit founders, operated 68 safe houses across Afghanistan during the 2021 evacuation while government contractors and agency personnel hesitated over legal concerns. The couple leveraged data intelligence skills to track missing Afghan families and funded the operation by selling their electronics recycling business. One Afghan woman they rescued now lives with them in Memphis and is attending medical school.
Verification status
Attributed speaker claim
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Source and context
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- Programme
- Danger Close
- Episode
- Danger Close | The Fourth Option Podcast: Ben Owen & Jessica Owen
- Clip time
- 38:57
- Original source
- Watch the source segment →
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