“US Court Upholds Marine’s Adoption of Afghan Orphan”

A US court has ruled in favor of a Marine and his wife in a contentious adoption case involving a baby they brought back from Afghanistan, despite objections from individuals claiming to be the child’s relatives. Joshua and Stephanie Mast were granted the adoption of a severely injured orphan found by the US military in Afghanistan in 2019. Subsequently, a couple purporting to be the child’s kin contested the adoption, citing Afghan law as granting them custody rights over the baby. However, the Virginia Supreme Court, in a recent decision, upheld the adoption and dismissed challenges to its validity, citing a state law that solidifies custody rights six months after an adoption order is issued. According to the court, the child’s biological parents perished during a US special forces mission against Al Qaeda militants. The infant received medical treatment at a military facility in Kandahar and later at Bagram Air Base before being taken to the United States for further care. The Marine, Mast, sought custody of the child for medical reasons, as detailed in the court’s ruling. The Masts contended in their initial petition that the adoption was urgent and that the baby had no known living relatives. The Afghan couple, including an individual claiming to be the child’s uncle, challenged the adoption, asserting their right to custody and accusing the American couple of taking the child unlawfully. The recent court ruling highlighted that the Afghan couple failed to provide sufficient evidence, including DNA testing, to establish their legal custody over the child under Afghan law. Notably, the adoption conflicted with the US State Department’s stance, which emphasizes reuniting children with their families under international law. The US military’s involvement in Afghanistan traces back to the 2001 invasion authorized by then-President George W. Bush in response to the 9/11 attacks orchestrated by Al-Qaeda. Following years of conflict, Afghanistan’s Taliban regained control of the nation in 2021 after clashing with a US-supported government in Kabul.