The Fall Of Kabul To The Taliban

[worldwatcher]

It seems that the last plane from The Netherlands has landed at airport Eindhoven:
"A plane landed at Eindhoven Air Base on Friday evening with Dutch soldiers and embassy personnel from Afghanistan on board. The Dutch ambassador in that country, Caecilia Wijgers, also flew back. A defense spokesperson could not say how many passengers were on board in total. The Netherlands now has no military or diplomatic representation in Kabul. A small group of military personnel with an aircraft will still remain in the region, as will a small embassy team. For the time being, it is the last flight from Afghanistan to the Netherlands. Evacuations will be practically impossible in the near future, because the airport in the Afghan capital Kabul is no longer safe. The Americans, who are still in charge at the airport, must have left the Taliban by August 31. It is not yet clear what is possible after that.

Translated from live blog |Dutch media :
DPG Media Privacy Gate

ETA:
"Where, among others, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland have now stopped their evacuations, America has continued to do so today. According to Psaki, the coming days in the evacuation mission are 'the most dangerous', when the last men and military equipment have to be removed, among other things."

^From same MSM - link/source^

 

[worldwatcher]

Pen Farthing escapes Kabul with 200 cats and dogs but is forced to leave his Afghan staff behind | Daily Mail Online

The wife of animal charity founder and former marine Pen Farthing last night spoke of her joy that her husband and his four-legged friends looked to be on their way home.

Kaisa Markhus, who fled Afghanistan last week for her native Norway, was eating dinner with her father in Oslo when Pen video-called her from inside Kabul airport. ‘You should have seen the smile on my face,’ she said.

Following Thursday’s carnage, Kaisa knew her husband was planning another attempt to reach the airport – but had no idea when or if he would make it safely to Kabul. Talking exclusively to the Daily Mail about Pen’s dramatic evacuation, she said: ‘He’s now inside the airport and we had a quick video call. The second I saw him safely inside... you can imagine.’

Her husband and his animals escaping Kabul is the dream she has clung to ever since she was flown out of the city on a near-empty flight. She learned last night that Pen, having made it through Taliban checkpoints, had been finally allowed to board a flight with 200 rescue cats and dogs from his Nowzad charity – but he was forced to leave his staff members behind.

‘I know Pen had a very hard choice. He faced that same choice when he was inside the airport with his staff and their families on Thursday and the animals and the staff were not allowed through,’ says Kaisa.

This headline suggest otherwise, I am not sure if, it comes from a reliable source /msm?

Kinda vaque, imo.

However, I do hope the staff is present, during the flight out of Afghanistan.
Pen Farthing, staff and animals ‘awaiting flight out of Afghanistan’

 

[Skigh]

UK planning to take out ISIS-K chiefs responsible for plotting Kabul airport blast | Daily Mail Online


The UK was last night plotting the elimination of Isis-K leaders responsible for the Kabul atrocity as it emerged that two British nationals and the child of another Briton were among at least 170 killed in the attack.

Ministers said they were prepared to 'take action' to deal with the terror threat as the death toll continued to rise following the suicide bomb blast which signalled the biggest single loss of American troops in Afghanistan for a decade.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab confirmed the deaths of two British adults as well as injuries to two others. It is understood the child who died was a teenager.

Mr Raab said: 'These were innocent people and it is a tragedy that as they sought to bring their loved ones to safety in the UK they were murdered by cowardly terrorists.

'Yesterday's despicable attack underlines the dangers facing those in Afghanistan and reinforces why we are doing all we can to get people out. We are offering consular support to their families.

'We will not turn our backs on those who look to us in their hour of need and we will never be cowed by terrorists

 

[LadyL]

He was a baby on 9/11. Now he’s one of the last casualties of America’s longest war.

 

[Simply Southern]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

I've been exchanging emails with my Senator, Mark Warner of VA. He serves on the Intelligence Committee. I would like to be able to reference in my next conversation. I'm not understanding turning over names and not receiving assistance or clearance/passage for these people to the airport. That's the reason given so far, or what I understand the reason to be.

I've quietly mentioned the Afghan army taking the helicopters to escape, leaving their families and the father of the trapped students and family, leaving his family. <modsnip>

Moo...

 

[Wicked Strong]

PICTURED: Navy medic killed in suicide bomb attack at Kabul airport | Daily Mail Online


The first American victims of the attack on Kabul airport on Thursday has been named as Navy medic Max Sovia, Marine Rylee McCollum and Marine David Lee Espinoza.

Soviak, believed to be in his early 20s, was named by his high school in Edison, New Jersey. McCollum was named by his high school in Wyoming. The other 11 have not yet been publicly identified.

McCollum was expecting his first child with his wife. He was deployed to Afghanistan in April.

The identities emerged on Friday as Pentagon officials revealed there was only one suicide bomber at Kabul airport on Thursday and not two, as previously claimed, adding to confusion over the attack and fears for the ongoing operation on the ground.

Speaking at a briefing on Friday, Army General Hank Taylor said: 'I can confirm that we do not believe there was a second explosion at or near the Baron hotel. It was one suicide bomber. In the confusion of very dynamic events can cause information to get confused,' he said.

He did not say whether the bomb that went off was car bomb or bomber in a vest. Both were described on Thursday on the ground and by Washington officials. The Pentagon's Press Secretary, John Kirby, was among those who confirmed both of the blasts.

Thank you for this post - I read each story on the various news - and I'm crying tears for them. Bless their families, friends, and I thank them for their service. It's not much, but it's everything I can do for now.

 

[Reasonable & Just]

Sorry if this was already posted, but it is absolutely worth bumping. Heroes honoring their promises.

US special operations vets carry out daring mission to save Afghan allies

 

[Skigh]

Britain pulls the plug on Kabul airlift: UK will start getting soldiers out of Airport | Daily Mail Online

Britain has started to withdraw its soldiers and diplomats from Afghanistan, with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) saying the UK's ability to process more civilian evacuations from Afghanistan will now be 'extremely reduced' - meaning as many as 1,250 people, including up to 150 UK nationals, could be left behind.

On Friday night, the MoD said that that 14,543 people had now been extracted from Kabul since August 13, a mix of Afghan and British nationals, and that now the focus would turn to getting diplomats and service personnel out.

Some 8,000 of those were Afghans and their families under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme, which applies to those who helped the UK and are at risk of persecution by the Taliban.

But Operation Pitting - the name for the evacuation effort - is drawing to a close. Already the Baron Hotel facility, which was being used to process those leaving the country by British officials, has closed.

The MoD said this would allow a focus on evacuating the British nationals and others who have already been processed and are at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.

But the department said 'the UK's ability to process further cases is now extremely reduced and additional numbers will be limited', and no-one else would now be called forward.

Evacuating all those already processed will now free up space on military aircraft to bring diplomats and military personnel home.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace earlier declined to give a timeline for the exit of British forces as they processed the approximately 1,000 further evacuees already in the airport but acknowledged it would come before the Americans withdrawal, with Mr Biden having set the departure deadline of Tuesday.

He said there were between 800 and 1,100 Afghans eligible under the Arap scheme who would be left behind, while around 100 and 150 UK nationals will be left in Afghanistan, although Mr Wallace said some of those were staying willingly.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke of his 'great sense of regret' at those left behind.

He said: 'Of course, as we come down to the final hours of the operation there will sadly be people who haven't got through, people who might qualify.

'What I would say to them is that we will shift heaven and earth to help them get out, we will do whatever we can in the second phase.'

 

[Mauig’ma]

Sorry if this was already posted, but it is absolutely worth bumping. Heroes honoring their promises.

US special operations vets carry out daring mission to save Afghan allies

Courageously picking up the pieces of what turned out to be quite the debacle. Bless these special ops for stepping up to the plate. They deserve a special recognition that’s for sure.

 

[Wicked Strong]

And just now, I've read the news that Cpl. Daegan William-Tyeler Page, an Omaha son, 23 years old was killed. My state, city just west of me. tears for his family, and tears for all the families who have heard the news that their family members that served but were killed and injured. Omaha native killed in attack on Kabul airport in Afghanistan

 

[sds71]

• As of Aug. 27, the district said one of the eight families were still in Afghanistan; the other seven families had either returned home or were safe and on their way
• 
  
• ‘Progress': More El Cajon Families Stranded in Afghanistan Now On Their Way Home to San Diego

 

[HawthorneJuniper]

I don't think that's a possibility. We committed the military to a mission, getting Americans & eligible Afghans out by 8/31. Nothing will deter that mission. It's just how it is.

I understand. I'm suggesting they get the Americans out instead. The way this withdrawal has been botched, sadly, imo, there's no good solution that protects our own citizens AND Afghan nationals.

 

[Gardenista]

House Dem calls Biden's handling of Afghanistan 'f---g disaster'

He told the magazine: "I did everything I could. I mean, I would get on these calls with like a small number of members of Congress, mostly Democrats, who would all very politely say, ‘We love you Biden administration, but can you do a little bit more on this.’"

"I would be the only one who would just say starkly, ‘Here are the stakes. People are going to die.’"

While Moulton said he didn't like criticizing President Biden, he also said, "If telling the truth is what’s required to save a few lives, then it’s worth all the bad politics in the world."

‘A Total F*cking Disaster’: Inside Seth Moulton’s Secret Trip to Kabul

 

[ringbearer]

I don't think that's a possibility. We committed the military to a mission, getting Americans & eligible Afghans out by 8/31. Nothing will deter that mission. It's just how it is.

The "mission" can change at any given time depending on developments on the ground. Indeed, the whole thing could have been called off at any moment, or any tactical decision changed. Just like the withdrawal date was. Those brave soldiers at the airport were on a fool's errand, imo, not a mission. jmo

 

[NoSI]

I think this source is allowed. This is beyond devastating!

These are the US service members killed in the Kabul airport attack

 

[otto]

House Dem calls Biden's handling of Afghanistan 'f---g disaster'

He told the magazine: "I did everything I could. I mean, I would get on these calls with like a small number of members of Congress, mostly Democrats, who would all very politely say, ‘We love you Biden administration, but can you do a little bit more on this.’"

"I would be the only one who would just say starkly, ‘Here are the stakes. People are going to die.’"

While Moulton said he didn't like criticizing President Biden, he also said, "If telling the truth is what’s required to save a few lives, then it’s worth all the bad politics in the world."

‘A Total F*cking Disaster’: Inside Seth Moulton’s Secret Trip to Kabul

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

 

[Snoods]

Pen Farthing & his dogs saved by Brit army and WILL board evacuation jet

Oh, thank you UK! Nowzad is more than a rescue group and these animals are more than pets. These abused dogs and cats have given comfort, companionship and unconditional love to service people when they needed it the most. Farthing and his staff have risked their lives for years to rescue and reunite the dogs and cats with the people who loved them.

How the Nowzad Rescue Group originated:

After a 30-minute walk Nowzad finally stopped pulling on his lead and sat quietly by my side. This was the furthest he had walked in nearly 13 months, since he'd first crept into the compound and my life.

Later that day I checked my emails. The message from a soldier out in Helmand was simple: 'I am serving in Afghanistan and have befriended a young stray dog that lives in the military base where I am stationed. Can you help me rescue it? I can't just leave it here to starve.'

As rescued dog Nowzad ran towards me, I said: Did you think I would leave you to die in Afghanistan? No chance | Daily Mail Online

 

[HawthorneJuniper]

From the regular Afghans I follow on FB and Twitter it's because most people refused to believe it. We've been there for 20 years, we'd said we were going to leave before and NEVER did. So, "eh". And then they realized we meant it and it was too late & people went completely crazy and did things like cling to the outside of a plane. So, whenever we actually left the reaction would have been the same. They were never going to believe it until it really happened IMO.

But this time Trump decided to negotiate, and deal with, the TALIBAN directly and cut the Afghan government completely out. So Trump sends Pompeo to sign a deal with the Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar who they just let out of prison.

Back in 2010, Baradar, then a top Taliban military leader, had been arrested in the Pakistani port city of Karachi in a joint operation by Pakistani and US spies. Eight years later, he was freed, supposedly at Washington’s behest, and flown to Doha to head the Taliban political office...In Doha, Baradar represented the Taliban in talks with US president Donald Trump’s administration, which culminated in the February 2020 deal for withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan.

Subscribe to read | Financial Times


The deal released 4,999 other Taliban prisoners. The Afghan government was not a part of that deal but government officials, at least in Kabul, KNEW and proceeded accordingly. Meaning they stopped paying & feeding the soldiers and "used" the $$$ elsewhere I guess....So, basically the top people knew and then I'm sure info drifted around which made local officials accept the Taliban payoffs on the down low.

And the average Afghan believes what is easy, what is comfortable, like most people. Even the women/girls now most at risk had lived their whole remembered life under US/Afghani control. It's all they ever knew. In Kabul it was almost like a "normal" western existence. So they almost literally could not believe we'd ever leave them to the Taliban. They didn't believe we'd deal with the Taliban even after we made a deal with the Taliban. Denial is powerful when the danger is great and your experience is contrary to what you're being told.

That's also why people continued to stay. Even after being repeatedly warned, people stayed. People came BACK to visit after reaching sanctuary. And Biden did delay the May 1 date that Trump had committed to, so it provided further confirmation bias that we wouldn't leave.

That's why I can't "blame" anyone for the chaos. Our actually leaving was always going to create mass hysteria, chaos, terror opportunities and more. And, once we decided to negotiate with the Taliban and agree to leave if they stopped killing us & then they actually kept their end of the bargain we really weren't in a prime bargaining position. So we have to continue to coordinate with the Taliban until we leave. And likely thereafter. But that path was set when the deal was negotiated IMO. All IMO of course.

Or.........were they told it would not happen so quickly? Biden claimed that it would not happen so quickly, maybe they thoughtlessly, believed him FGS.

 

[sds71]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pentagon: US airstrike targets Islamic State in Afghanistan in retaliation for deadly Kabul airport attack.

@OrenCNN

The US military says it has killed an ISIS-K planner with a drone strike. President Joe Biden vowed to strike ISIS-K, and US Central Command says he has, less than 36 hours after the terrorist attack that killed 13 US troops and scores of Afghan civilians.

 

[Dontknow?]

The US has bombed an Islamic State member in Afghanistan in retaliation for Thursday's suicide bombing in Kabul.

US airstrike targets Islamic State in Afghanistan after deadly Kabul airport attack

"Initial indications are that we killed the target.