Yes, NatGeo did that update story in ‘02. It was really remarkable the photographer found her again, and remarkable how just that one photo served to bring awareness of Afghanistan to so many people.

I vividly remember looking at this cover as a child, being mesmerized by the striking green eyes of the girl. I read about her a few years ago, when the photographer searched for her, to see if she had survived the brutal refugee camp. And he found that she had, and she had returned home, and was married with three…

As an immigration advocate, I can tell you that pressure works. Administration don’t want to look bad, they want to avoid negative press, and they want fundraising dollars. Votes are not the only incentive.