By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Days before President Donald Trump said he would help Afghan evacuees who fled their country and were stuck in the United Arab Emirates, the Emirati government had already begun returning them to Afghanistan and informed Washington that it was doing so, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters on Sunday.

The UAE, a close security partner of the United States, agreed in 2021 to temporarily house several thousand Afghans evacuated from Kabul as the Taliban ousted the U.S.-backed government during the final stages of the U.S.-led withdrawal.

Throughout the years, about 17,000 Afghan evacuees have been processed through the Abu Dhabi facility, known as Emirates Humanitarian City. However, more than 30 remaining Afghans have been stuck with their fate in limbo.

News outlet "Just the News" reported on Sunday that UAE officials were preparing to hand over some Afghan refugees to the Taliban.

"I will try to save them, starting right now," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday that linked to an article on the Afghans held in limbo there.

However, it may already be too late for some.

In a July 10 meeting with U.S. officials........

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