Well known MJ lawyer arranges for "rogue flight" evacuation of Afghans

NYT: Inside the Afghan Evacuation: Rogue Flights, Crowded Tents, Hope and Chaos

"Not all refugees made their way to Doha by military transport.

The arrival of a private charter plane in Doha on Tuesday was a surprise to Ambassador Holtz, the veteran ambassador in Qatar who oversaw the evacuation efforts in the city.

In an email, she wrote: “Apparently the flight has landed with 300 people of unknown nationalities,” adding that the U.S. Central Command “didn’t want the Wing Commander to land the plane because it didn’t have ‘status.’ It had already landed.”

... Erin M. Barclay, a deputy assistant secretary of state, wrote that the plane was chartered by a Washington law firm known as the Federal Practice Group, “which we have not facilitated landing rights for nor have we received a final manifest for.” ... A spokesman for the law firm, who declined to be quoted by name, said he believed the flight was arranged by the firm’s founder, Eric S. Montalvo, a former U.S. Marine."

Comment: Great job, Eric.