The Fall Of Kabul To The Taliban

[shotgun09]

Seeing the photos of these young lives erased by terror makes me weep. Could this have been prevented?

 

[Skigh]

Father of fallen Marine says chaotic Kabul airport withdrawal was not planned out | Daily Mail Online

 

[Reasonable & Just]

DOD Press Conference Live: Live Events

 

[SuziQ]

I keep seeing this claim in USA news - that the USA evacuated 100,000 people. That surprised me, so I looked into it. The USA did not evacuate 100,000 people. The USA evacuated 4500 USA citizens.

"The surge allowed the U.S. to rapidly evacuate over 100,000 people, including special visa holders, ethnic minorities, and others who faced persecution by the Taliban." (link)
​

Per Reuters, these are a few of the countries that evacuated far more people than the USA.

"The United States and partners have evacuated about 105,000 people since Aug. 14
...

Washington has so far evacuated 4,500 U.S. citizens and their families

Canada had evacuated or facilitated the evacuation of around 3,700 Canadian and Afghan citizens.

Britain has evacuated more than 13,700 British nationals and Afghans

German military has evacuated 5,347 people, including more than 4,100 Afghans.

100 French nationals and more than 2,500 Afghans had reached French soil after being evacuated

Italy said that by Aug. 26, 4,832 Afghans had been brought out of Afghanistan

Dutch government said on Thursday it had evacuated 2,500 people from Afghanistan since Aug. 15

Qatar said on Thursday it had so far helped evacuate more than 40,000 people to Doha

UAE said on Thursday it had helped evacuate 36,500 people to date"
​

Factbox: Evacuations from Afghanistan by country

IMO, the US is taking credit for all evacuations.

 

[shotgun09]

IMO, the US is taking credit for all evacuations.

I agree, and I believe some of the press were questioning the Pentagon Press Secretary about those numbers, Per the linked press conference above. The answers given were not clear, IMO.

 

[MajorHoople]

Father of fallen Marine says chaotic Kabul airport withdrawal was not planned out | Daily Mail Online

From the link you provided. It certainly is a sad story.

Father of fallen Marine says chaotic Kabul airport withdrawal was not planned out | Daily Mail Online

"All 13 US troops slain by an ISIS-K suicide bomb attack in Kabul on Thursday have been identified, and haunting final images of one female Marine show her escorting evacuees days before her death.

Killed were Navy corpsman Max Soviak, Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss, and Marines Hunter Lopez, Rylee McCollum, David Lee Espinoza, Kareem Nikoui, Jared Schmitz, Daegan Page, Taylor Hoover, Humberto Sanchez, Johanny Rosario, Dylan Merola and Nicole Gee.

Just days before she was slain at an overcrowded airport checkpoint, Marine Sergeant Gee was photographed escorting a line of evacuees as they filed into the cargo hold of a C-17 Globemaster to escape Afghanistan. Other photos show Gee holding an Afghan baby.

As the families and friends of the troops slain in Thursday's bombing learn of their loved ones' fates, many are speaking out in frustration over the perceived planning and leadership failures leading up to their deaths.

McCollum's father told the Daily Beast that he does not blame any specific administration for the situation in Afghanistan, but does blame President Joe Biden for the botched handling of the withdrawal.

'I've lost my son, but there are still Marines over there,' he said. 'I am scared s**tless to see what's going to happen next, and what's going to come our way.'

Nikoui's father Steve told Fox News on Friday night that he was angry at the conditions the Marines were working in, calling the situation at Hamid Karzai International Airport a 'turkey shoot'."

 

[shotgun09]

Per Lucas Tomlinson, Fox News reporter covering the Pentagon briefing today:

"State Department yesterday: Taliban and Haqqani network are "separate entities”
Pentagon today: There is "commingling...marbling" between the Taliban and Haqqani network "

https://twitter.com/LucasFoxNews/status/1431652133451993089

I agree with his tweet! So so many mixed and confusing messages coming from the State Department press briefings vs the Pentagon briefings.
Is it a wonder, that the families of our slain military heroes are questioning the leadership?

 

[otto]

IMO, the US is taking credit for all evacuations.

I think so too. I'm sure that everyone in the USA will feel very proud for having evacuated 100,000 people. Too bad most won't realize that this is simply not true.

 

[sds71]

@Yamiche
https://twitter.com/Yamiche/status/1431665184595226625
@DeptofDefense
has released the names of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the attack at Kabul Airport. They are aged between 20 to 31.




https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2756011/dod-identifies-marine-corps-navy-and-army-casualties/source/GovDelivery/

 

[Arkay]

I'm very pleased that the US was able to kill an ISIS "planner," maybe two if the latest report is correct.
What is bothering me is if we were able to remotely send a drone, with pinpoint accuracy, to kill a terrorist in his vehicle, how did everything else get so botched. Rhetorical question.

 

[ringbearer]

I'm very pleased that the US was able to kill an ISIS "planner," maybe two if the latest report is correct.
What is bothering me is if we were able to remotely send a drone, with pinpoint accuracy, to kill a terrorist in his vehicle, how did everything else get so botched. Rhetorical question.

I'm skeptical, since they won't identify who they killed and claim to not know if any civilians were injured. Seems more like a PR move than something that actually happened considering we were incompetent to stop the attack in the first place. Even the headline is wishy washy jmo

U.S. launched drone strike against ISIS-K in Afghanistan, likely killing intended target

eta: a more current headline is even sketchier, although it purports to confirm the killings. They still won't say who was killed, and the headline reads like it was written by a PR firm imo.


Biden said US would 'hunt' down Kabul airport attackers. A day later, a drone strike killed two ISIS-K targets.

Kabul bombing: U.S. issues drone strike against ISIS-K planner

 

[Skigh]

Father of fallen Marine says chaotic Kabul airport withdrawal was not planned out | Daily Mail Online


PICTURED: The final photos of Marine, 23, evacuating Afghans before she was killed in ISIS-K suicide blast that claimed 183 lives: All 13 slain US troops are identified as one father says Biden's Kabul withdrawal has become a 'turkey shoot'

• Killed were Navy corpsman Max Soviak, Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss, and Marines Hunter Lopez, Rylee McCollum, David Lee Espinoza, Kareem Nikoui, Jared Schmitz, Daegan Page, Taylor Hoover, Humberto Sanchez, Johanny Rosario, Dylan Merola and Nicole Gee

 

[worldwatcher]

@Yamiche
@DeptofDefense
has released the names of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the attack at Kabul Airport. They are aged between 20 to 31.
View attachment 310501



DOD Identifies Marine Corps, Navy and Army Casualties > U.S. Department of Defense > Release

That is so sad.
May they rest in peace and their family's, beloved ones have the strength and support to deal with the loss.

 

[worldwatcher]

"Thousands have been left behind - including around 1,000 Afghans who have worked alongside Britain since the war in Afghanistan began 20 years ago, Labour shadow defence secretary, John Healey, told Sky News.

Visas were granted for 24 members of Mr Farthing's staff and their dependents."

Afghanistan: Charter plane arrives in Kabul to collect Pen Farthing and his animals

All is truly heartbreaking, for those who work so hard to get people evacuated, it's a race against the clock, it must be devastating to be there right now.
Its so messed up, all my thoughts and prayers are with Afghanistan, those who are left behind, those who lost their lives, loved ones and those who still work there.
Yesterday I made a donation for doctors without Borders, it must be traumatic 24/7

 

[dotr]

I think so too. I'm sure that everyone in the USA will feel very proud for having evacuated 100,000 people. Too bad most won't realize that this is simply not true.

This film comes to mind..imo

 

[nightowl1975]

I'm skeptical, since they won't identify who they killed and claim to not know if any civilians were injured. Seems more like a PR move than something that actually happened considering we were incompetent to stop the attack in the first place. Even the headline is wishy washy jmo

U.S. launched drone strike against ISIS-K in Afghanistan, likely killing intended target

eta: a more current headline is even sketchier, although it purports to confirm the killings. They still won't say who was killed, and the headline reads like it was written by a PR firm imo.


Biden said US would 'hunt' down Kabul airport attackers. A day later, a drone strike killed two ISIS-K targets.

Kabul bombing: U.S. issues drone strike against ISIS-K planner

I’ve also been quite perplexed about these headlines. If they were meant to strike fear in terrorists against the idea of more suicide bombs in the next few days, I sincerely doubt that was successful. The reports are vague at best. I’m also quite perplexed at the headlines basically telling us more suicide bombings are expected and it is what it is. Like that somehow makes it acceptable that we know it’s probably coming and we aren’t doing a thing to stop it. Very weird.

 

[ringbearer]

I think so too. I'm sure that everyone in the USA will feel very proud for having evacuated 100,000 people. Too bad most won't realize that this is simply not true.

Well THIS American doesn't feel proud for a couple of reasons. First, there should never have been a need to evacuate anyone other than non-Afghans if the withdrawal were done properly and, second, if the numbers the US is claiming to have taken are overstated, and other countries are taking them, I'll be very happy about it. Especially the males aged 16 to 35. I would LOVE to know demographics of the evacuees. One of the people referenced in the dulles article I quoted above was a 17-year-old Afghan male living in the US who travelled to Afghanistan on his own and was able to get on a plane out of there with apparent relative ease. Things that make you go hmmmm.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

IMO, the US is taking credit for all evacuations.

Give credit where credit is due.

The US has facilitated over 100,00o evacuations. It’s American soldiers manning the Kabul airport. They are the ones with the most to lose.

God Bless our troops!

 

[sds71]

@AC360

Two weeks prior to the attack in Kabul, CNN's
@clarissaward
interviewed a senior ISIS-K commander. At that time the commander told Ward the group was laying low and waiting for a time to strike.
As Ward notes, these were "words that turned out to be eerily prophetic.

ISIS-K commander told CNN the group was waiting to 'strike' two weeks before Kabul airport attack | Washington Examiner

 

[Skigh]

British evacuation mission ends: Last dedicated civilian flight takes off from Kabul | Daily Mail Online


UK started to pull its last troops out of Afghanistan on Saturday after the country's final civilian evacuation flight took off from Kabul airport, bringing to a close the British rescue mission and leaving behind up to 150 Britons and more than 1,000 Afghans who are now under Taliban rule.

Video and pictures from inside military aircraft shared online purportedly showed British troops leaving the Afghan capital, and the Ministry of Defence told the MailOnline that soldiers were in the process of being withdrawn, although could not confirm the veracity of the footage.

The footage, along with pictures of British solders on military aircraft, was shared by the official Twitter account of The Parachute Regiment on Saturday at 12:25pm GMT (16:55pm in Afghanistan).

The video showed smiling soldiers sitting on the floor of the aircraft listening to 'Ride of the Valkyries', while the pictures - taken in the dark - showed troops sitting and facing the front of the aircraft.