Welcome to European Tribune. It's gone a bit quiet around here these days, but it's still going.

Afghan Transfer of Power to Taliban

by Oui Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 10:31:56 AM EST

As smoke billows above US Embassy, diplomats and staff exit by CH-47 Chinook Helicopters ...

BREAKING NEWS:

The Taliban has ordered its fighters to enter the Afghan capital Kabul to prevent looting after local police deserted their posts, a spokesman for the militant group said on Sunday.The statement by Zabihullah Mujahid came shortly after a leading Afghan peace envoy said President Ashraf Ghani had left the country for Tajikistan.

Ghani Resigns, Transfers Power to Taliban

Follow-up from earlier diary ...

Iraq War Crimes and  Impending Loss of Kabul

Frontpaged - Frank Schnittger


Taliban enter Kabul, say they are 'awaiting a peaceful transfer' | Dawn News |

Acting Defense Minister Bismillah Khan sought to reassure the public in a video message.

"Authority has been given to a delegation that will be going to Doha (Qatar) tomorrow to reach an agreement on Afghanistan," he said. "I assure you about the security of Kabul."

Earlier, the insurgents also tried to calm residents of the capital.

"No one's life, property and dignity will be harmed and the lives of the citizens of Kabul will not be at risk," the insurgents said in a statement.

Despite the pledges, panic set in as many rushed to leave the country through the Kabul airport, the last route out of the country as the Taliban now hold every border crossing. Rapid shuttle flights of Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters near the embassy began a few hours later after the militants seized the nearby city of Jalalabad. Diplomatic armored SUVs could be seen leaving the area around the post.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to questions about the movements. However, wisps of smoke could be seen near the embassy's roof as diplomats urgently destroyed sensitive documents, according to two American military officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the situation. The smoke grew heavier over time in the area, home to other nations' embassies as well.

Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, which typically carry armed troops, later landed near the embassy as well. At least one attack helicopter could be seen overhead as helicopters launched flares to distract possible missile fire. The US decided a few days ago to send in thousands of troops to help evacuate some personnel from its embassy.

Taliban Found Sanctuary In Quetta Pakistan

Afghanistan's Future | Dawn News - Editorial |

As the Afghan Taliban continue their blitzkrieg across their country, with key cities falling like ninepins, it is a foregone conclusion that the capture of Kabul -- and with it the control of Afghanistan -- is only a matter of time.

The international community must send a strong message to the Taliban: when they do take Kabul, if their country is used to host transnational terrorists, there will be consequences. After all, the Afghan Taliban have a working relationship with anti-Pakistan terrorists such as the banned TTP, and a major security nightmare may emerge if these malign actors are given an open field to operate. China has also communicated its concerns about Uyghur militant groups such as the ETIM, while Al Qaeda and IS too have a large footprint in Afghanistan. Therefore, if the Taliban do not wish to see a repeat of the events of Sept 2001, they must pledge to not allow territory under their control to be used by terrorist groups against any other state in the vicinity or further off.

Spokesperson Kirby at the Pentagon

Display:
Daykundi Province falls into the traditionally ethnic Hazara region known as the Hazarajat and the provincial capital is Nili. It is surrounded by Bamyan Province in the northeast, Ghazni Province in the southeast, Urozgan Province in the south, Helmand Province in the southwest, and Ghor Province in the northwest.

Map as per July 6th ...

Plenty of propaganda from all sides, trying to be secure.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 12:23:06 PM EST
run up to the Taliban "blitzkreig", war crimes, and unexpected capture of 34 provincial capitals

7 Aug: US unleashes B-52s in bid to stem Taliban advance
"The return of the B-52 "stratofortress" after at least a year's hiatus is the clearest sign yet that the Pentagon is being forced to intensify daily sorties, not only to halt the Taliban but also to help the struggling Afghan air force"

8 Aug: US B-52 Bombers, Gunships Sent into Action in Afghanistan in Attempt to Stop Taliban Advance on Key Cities
"The B-52s are flying into Afghanistan from an airbase in Qatar, hitting targets around Kandahar, Herat, and Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, sources told The [London] Times."

10 Aug "update":The US is sending B-52s and AC-130 gunships back in Afghanistan to slow its impending collapse
"In late July, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed the U.S. military was continuing to carry out airstrikes in Afghanistan even though the Afghan government has its own air force. ... The Taliban continue to carry out an assassination campaign against Afghan pilots to deprive the Kabul government of its lone advantage: airpower."

12 Aug: From Kobani To Kabul: Can U.S. Bombers Help Halt Taliban Advances In Afghanistan?
"While these strikes may help blunt the Taliban offensives, they are not likely to help Kabul win any lasting strategic victories if the U.S. doesn't continue them after Aug. 31."

13 Aug: Canvassing US reporters reveal hasty evacuation of US State employees under cover of a flood village survivor tales of Taliban bombs and door-to-door rapes

Bomber Biden Sends B-52s in Tantrum over Taliban Advance, essay

by Cat on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 02:32:47 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Biden's best move is to leave by Trump's May 1 deadline | USA Today - March 23, 2021 |

Biden can say the deal was done, his hands were tied and he wants the US to be a reliable negotiating partner. And he can blame Trump for any setbacks.

Trump could gain from Biden's decision to delay withdrawing from Afghanistan | NBC News - April 13, 2021 |

The choice is likely between leaving Afghanistan peacefully in May or again putting American forces under fire -- making a withdrawal much harder.

With Trump leading both the polls and the betting markets for the 2024 Republican nomination, continuing the war in Afghanistan would be a gift to his future campaign. Biden would be wise to consider this as he decides which path to take.

A quick and clean exit has big political appeal. It would satisfy Biden's campaign pledge to end "forever wars" and quiet voices in Congress demanding an end to the costly conflict no matter what the conditions.

It would also represent a decisive break with the decades-long reasoning that just a few more months of American boots on the ground might be enough to change the fate of Afghanistan.

But withdrawing too quickly risks the possibility that the Taliban seizes power, erasing even the modest achievements won after 20 years of conflict.

"Pulling out by May 1 would be a huge mistake," said David S. Sedney, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan.

Final Report: A Pathway for Peace in Afghanistan | USIP - May 1, 2021 |

The Afghanistan Study Group began its Congressionally mandated work in April 2020, just weeks after the United States and the Taliban signed an agreement (the "Doha agreement") on the conditions for a U.S. troop withdrawal that would end our long military engagement in Afghanistan.
This framework for a negotiated peace informed our recommendations, which are based on recognizing the imperative * of a negotiated conclusion to this long conflict while safeguarding our long-term interests.

Violence has surged across Afghanistan since May 1, when the Taliban launched a sweeping offensive as the US began its troop withdrawal after 20 years of occupation.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 03:55:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
which has not be EXPOSED for the salvation of the steaming generations of "content consumers" is, US federal government sits on a throne of lies (vaguely known as "corporate donors" who inexplicably do not include US American corporate employees encouraged to reward this elite cadre of gender-balanced psychopaths with "individual small donations to their "representatives" in both chambers of the US Congress) from which its bureaucracy and European "allies" have terrorized adversaries of this canon of vacuous, "progressive" offensive worldwide DOMINATION.

All day, every day, for more than 2000 years of rape and rapine in the name of the ICONIC Jesus Christ Augustus "making a difference".

Look. The evidence is all around you.

Yet the only moral dilemma present in public discourse of the liberty and justice for all is, Who deserves the spoils of war?

by Cat on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 01:10:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
In Welcoming The Taliban, Kremlin Opens Door To A Host Of Criticisms, Diplomatic Uncertainties | RFERL - July 16, 2021 |



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 12:23:44 PM EST
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 12:24:33 PM EST

Translation:

    On Sunday, President Karzai met with His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation.

    During the meeting, a delegation of competent and authoritative negotiators met with the Islamic Movement of Qatar to take necessary decisions in Qatar.



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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 12:30:57 PM EST


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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 12:34:44 PM EST


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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 05:00:24 PM EST
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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 12:38:51 PM EST


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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 02:55:11 PM EST


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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 02:59:06 PM EST
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Afghanistan updates: US airport operations continue, Taliban negotiate in Kabul | ABC News |

On ABC's "This Week," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that U.S. personnel are being relocated from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul to the airport "to ensure they can operate safely and securely," but still maintain a core diplomatic presence there.

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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 03:21:41 PM EST
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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 06:25:54 PM EST
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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 03:23:59 PM EST
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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 06:30:39 PM EST
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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 03:39:32 PM EST
Gunshots heard, active shooting ...



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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 05:03:30 PM EST


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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 05:41:02 PM EST


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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 07:34:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Operation PITTING: UK Armed Forces evacuate British personnel from Kabul

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 05:52:33 PM EST


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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 06:01:57 PM EST


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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 06:21:54 PM EST


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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 07:45:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Similar situation outside the Airport with enormous road chaos, leaving hundreds of motorists stranded on the streets surrounding the airport facilities.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 08:29:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Taliban represents 77% Afghans, according to CIA indisputable World Fact Book.

2019 CRS origin story

The Taliban viewed the post-Soviet government of Burhanuddin Rabbani as weak, corrupt, and anti-Pashtun. The four years of civil war between the mujahideen groups (1992-1996) created popular support for the Taliban as they were seen as less corrupt and more able to deliver stability.8 The Taliban began by taking control of the southern city of Kandahar in November 1994 and the movement captured Kabul on September 27, 1996. The Taliban lost international and domestic support as it imposed strict adherence to Islamic customs in areas it controlled and employed harsh punishments, including public executions, to enforce strict Islamic practices, including bans on television, Western music, and dancing. It prohibited women from attending school or working outside the home, except in health care, and publicly executed some women for alleged adultery. In March 2001 the Taliban blew up the monumental sixth century Buddha statues carved into hills above Bamyan city, considering them idols. The Taliban's hosting of Al Qaeda's leadership gradually became the overriding U.S. concern with the Taliban.
2021 CRS origin story
After more than a year of negotiations, U.S. and Taliban representatives signed a bilateral agreement on February 29, 2020, agreeing to two "interconnected" guarantees: the withdrawal of all U.S. and international forces by May 2021, and unspecified Taliban action to prevent other groups (including Al Qaeda) from using Afghan soil to threaten the United States and its allies.1
by Cat on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 06:33:46 PM EST


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 07:05:30 PM EST

Translation:
Ashraf Ghani left Afghanistan to avoid bloodshed, message on Facebook

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 07:18:30 PM EST


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 07:29:01 PM EST
Shooting Reportedly Occurs Near Kabul Airport in Afghanistan
The United States and France moved their embassies to the airport on Sunday, with many countries evacuating diplomatic personnel from the country. According to reports, commercial flights from the airport have been stopped.
Embassy in Kabul instructs US citizens to shelter in place
In April [!], President Biden announced that all U.S. troops would withdraw from Afghanistan after a 20-year military presence occupation there.

Biden has stressed that the Afghan government can oversee the country without U.S. involvement but is sending an additional 5,000 U.S. troops to the country to aid in the evacuation of U.S. Embassy staff.

April
by Cat on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 11:51:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 07:49:22 PM EST
Corruption is poor cohesion of a US proxy government and its people ...



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 07:58:19 PM EST
Poor sod's been steeping in foreign policy tanks since he rolled out of West Point. Perhaps, he'd reason to believe, common peoples of Afghanistan were a slightly larger, less sophisticated Iraq because they'd had lost count of PM puppets NATO had exported from NoVA to Iraq's occupied "democracy". Perhaps not.

But US State is pretending to be surprised by the abject absence of legitimate, text-book #Resistance, I can't help but suspect that Taliban council has colluded with US-approved PMs in playing NATO for fools all along. Biding time. After all, they've nothing else to lose.

US Americans don't understand that. Accordingly, their government exists to cause confusion.

Matter of fact, I'd bet a wooden nickel no one in State--in all their orientalist guises--can fathom that the deposed Taliban government have already prepared for NATO's next offensive.

by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 02:28:05 AM EST
[ Parent ]


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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 09:32:31 PM EST


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by Oui (Oui) on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 09:33:25 PM EST

After two decades and billions spent, Afghan governmentNATO +1 Proconsul Ghani collapses as Taliban retakes Kabul
America's longest war began after the terror attacks Sept. 11, 2001, plotted by al-Qaida's Osama bin Laden, who was harbored by the Taliban [or Musharraf] government [depending on phase of the moon]. A U.S.-led invasion forced the Taliban [government] to ["]retreat["].
Taliban Boasts of Seizing Black Hawk Helicopters, US Jets After Capturing Kandahar Airport - Video
by Cat on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 11:06:02 PM EST
I detect another disturbance in the pronoun farce.

Afghan [employees of] broadcasters for US government radio fear Taliban backlash

The acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees U.S. civilian international media, Kelu Chao told staff on Sunday in email that they was doing everything they could to keep their journalists safe and "will not back down in our mission to inform, engage, and connect Afghans in support of freedom and democracy," according to The Times.
[...]
"Journalists are being left behind," Rateb Noori told the luxury-priced tabloid.
McConnell slams Biden's 'botched exit' from Afghanistan
He previously called on Biden to commit to sending more troops back into Afghanistan after Aug. 31, his target date for pulling all soldiers from the region, and urged the president to begin conducting airstrikes against the Taliban in support of the Afghan colonial forces in Afghanistan.
because US-UK don't do international law.
by Cat on Sun Aug 15th, 2021 at 11:19:26 PM EST
by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 12:53:53 AM EST
In 1843 British army chaplain G.R. Gleig wrote a memoir of the disastrous (First) Anglo-Afghan War. He wrote that it was

"a war begun for no wise purpose, carried on with a strange mixture of rashness and timidity, brought to a close after suffering and disaster, without much glory attached either to the government which directed, or the great body of troops which waged it. Not one benefit, political or military, was acquired with this war. Our eventual evacuation of the country resembled the retreat of an army defeated".

by asdf on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 01:19:48 AM EST
😥

Defence secretary breaks down in tears and admits 'some won't get back' from Afghanistan | The Independent |

Persons who won't shed a tear as strong leaders ...

President Biden slammed for 'hiding out on vacation' at Camp David during multiple crisis

Twenty years ago spending August vacation at his Crawford Ranch in Texas ...

The thrifty Dutch ...

Rutte reluctant to let in Afghan people who helped Dutch troops

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 10:26:16 AM EST
Dutch Will Send A Military Plane to Kabul -- Rutte says It's Difficult

The Netherlands will send a military plane to the Afghan capital, Kabul, to retrieve Dutch embassy workers, interpreters and their families as the Taliban advances, Minister of Defense Ank Bijleveld told RTL Nieuws Sunday afternoon.

The Dutch embassy was evacuated last night and cannot be reached via their old contact details. Anyone in urgent need of the Dutch embassy in Afghanistan can call +31247247247 or send an email to kabul@minbuza.nl.

It was not known how many Dutch citizens and Afghan interpreters were still in Kabul. All interpreters that helped the Netherlands during their mission in Afghanistan have been contacted, according to Bijleveld.

KLM announced on Sunday that they are avoiding the air space above Afghanistan. Flights departing from Schiphol towards New Dehli, Bangkok and Singapore will be diverted to avoid the Afghan airspace. Passengers will need to take into account an extended flight duration.



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by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 12:16:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
MH-17 Partner Ukraine gives a helping hand ...

The Donbas Conflict

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 12:19:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
As the Dutch military failed in their operation to evacuate Embassy personnel and Afghan interpreters.

Shame! She has received harsh criticism of Dutch Veterans of the Afghan and Iraq operations.

WWII's forgotten Dutch battle: The Battle of the Scheldt

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 10:31:08 PM EST
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by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 12:12:21 PM EST
huh. To judge by the strict Sharia gender-appropriate wardrobe, the scene appears to be a stampede of males.

Will westworld--which also has resisted repatriation of ISIS brides--interpret this sign of patriarchal power as a definitive manifest misogyny?

by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 04:14:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Angela Merkel broke her silence on Afghanistan after a meeting with leaders of her Christian Democrat party

German media urge Merkel to rescue Afghan journalists | Politico.eu |

No ally consultation on quick withdrawal, Biden decision for domestic issues 💵 💵

Merkel says Afghanistan withdrawal due partly to US 'domestic politics'

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 02:07:14 PM EST
"We have always said, if the Americans stay, we will also stay," she said, according to participants at the meeting.
huh. So "Americans wut done it" is the measure of EU26 sovereignty, humanity, and responsibility to protect "the vulnerable"?

If Suzy jumped off a bridge, would you, too?

by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 04:27:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
DW | Merkel on Afghanistan -- 'Bitter, dramatic and terrifying' (disabled A/V link)
In her first press conference since the Taliban claimed victory in Afghanistan, the German chancellor warned of a pending crisis if those fleeing the country are not supported.
by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 11:58:07 PM EST
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'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 02:10:01 PM EST

Afghan military jet shot down by Uzbek air defences | Pak Tribune |

Pajhwok Afghan News Afghan military jet shot down by Uzbek air defences

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 02:28:05 PM EST
I am reminded of my departure from London 20 years ago. Of course, I shipped household goods by freight (duty free). But there was the matter of some personal articles belonging to myself and child.

At first I was pleased to have crammed it all in one handsome suitcase. With wheels! Then we arrived at airport, where the airline promptly rejected it's weight and would not even tax my ticket for "oversize" cargo. The only solution, I was advised, was to divide the load into two pieces of luggage. SO. We waddled off to "gift" kiosks to purchase as large a duffle as might be procured, then hurried to divest and distribute our ahh dignity into the teeming public lobby and the sack.

Although the remainder of our repatriation was not ideal, we got the job done without injury, further unexpected cost, or any losses. VICTORY!

Russia Says Afghan President Fled With Cars and Helicopter Full of Cash - RIA

"As for the collapse of the (outgoing) regime, it is most eloquently characterised by the way Ghani fled Afghanistan," Nikita Ishchenko, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Kabul, was quoted as saying by RIA.

"Four cars were full of money, they tried to stuff another part of the money into a helicopter, but not all of it fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac," he was quoted as saying.

by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 04:56:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

From UN Secretary General today, atrocities are being reported and in Kabul the Taliban go door to door to find "collaborators" with the invaders.

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by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 05:51:16 PM EST
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by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 05:52:04 PM EST
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by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 06:19:43 PM EST
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Kabul airport: footage appears to show Afghans falling from plane after takeoff



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 02:34:05 PM EST
One thing's for sure, westworld is controlling the narrative so the Taliban won't win for loosing the hearts and minds of the free world. Takes "ring fence" to a whole new level of US "security" around the airport.

v 1 Five People Killed at Kabul Airport As Graphic Video Shows Chaos in Afghanistan
"In many clips, the sound of gunfire can be heard, but the source remains unclear."

v 2 8 people dead in Kabul airport amid chaos, 3 Persons dropped to death from airborne plane
"At least five people have been killed at the Kabul airport and three stowaways were reported to have fallen to their deaths from an airborne plane as thousands of Afghans are desperately trying to get on flights out of the country amid increasingly chaotic scenes, the Daily Mail reported on Monday."

v 3 Desperation at Kabul airport as people try to flee

With Afghanistan under the Taliban's control, countries are evacuating their citizens and issuing guidance.

Meanwhile, commercial flights out of Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport have been canceled [by WHO?], and footage filmed there showed scenes of chaos and desperation as people scrambled to get onto planes.

The US military have established a perimeter at the airport, guarding at least a portion of the sprawling complex. Several videos shared on social media shows razor wire has been laid to hold back to hundreds of people desperate to leave. American troops can be seen standing guard behind the razor wire.

It's unclear how much of the airport the US military is controlling.

and that's not all ...

by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 08:13:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
US troops try to manage Kabul airport turmoil; 7 dead as thousands rush to flee Taliban
Thousands of Afghans desperate to flee the besieged nation poured onto the runways at Kabul's international airport on Monday
[...]
Senior U.S. military officials said the dead included some who fell from a U.S. military transport jet as it departed Hamid Karzai International Airport.
[...]
U.S. troops killed two people, both of them armed, during the airport pandemonium, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. The troops had been fired on, Kirby said, adding there may be one service member wounded but that reports are incomplete.
[...]
There was no indication the individuals killed were members of the Taliban, the Islamic militant group whose swift takeover of the country amid the withdrawal of American forces stunned U.S. officials.
by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 08:43:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
According to Fahim, there are roughly 2,000 people, including men, women, and children, at the Karzai Airport.

"They want to leave", he says. "Nobody took them away, several people were killed. Canada previously stated that it would evacuate 20,000 Afghans, so [the people] went to the airport hoping that they would be taken away".

SNAFU: New Day Under Taliban Rule: Situation Relatively Calm But Fear Persists, Kabul Residents Say
The man noted that the Taliban had promised on air and on social networks to ensure the safety of people and protect banks and other institutions. After meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education of Afghanistan, the insurgents announced that doctors, teachers, and other employees could return to their work, the Kabul resident notes.
capital controls and a bank "holiday
Meanwhile, Afghan journalists report on Twitter that following the Taliban takeover, most television channels changed their agenda and removed women journalists from their screens. Afghan 24-hour television channel Tolo broadcasts its usual programmes and series, but fewer news reports, while the state channel Melli airs readings of the Koran, according to Kabul residents.
media holocaust and "prayer posts"
"Now we are sitting at home and cannot go out into the street, because there are Taliban fighters everywhere", he says. "We've learned that they are raiding the homes of those who used to work in the civil service. Therefore, we are alarmed. I've heard that militants are now conducting searches in homes of generals and officers of the Afghan Army. Those who are found are taken to prison. People say that after that [the Taliban] will go after journalists and scientists".
spinning like tops, wound up over 20 years
by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 09:16:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
There is a lesson in these "wanting to leave" situations. When one notices that a situation is getting unsupportable, it is better to leave early than to put it off to the very end.

People living in places like Florida or Mississippi in the US, or Hong Kong, or South Korea, or Greece, etc., might want to take that into consideration. "I can't afford to move" is an early-stage argument, "I need to leave right now even if it means hanging onto the landing gear of a jet airplane" is an end-stage argument.

A Jewish friend of my father's walked from Germany to Australia, through South Asia, during WW2. I have not forgotten his stories about the struggle to make the initial decision, and then the hardships along the way. More people need to be thinking about this sort of thing.

by asdf on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 02:14:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The problem is to decide where to move to. Imagine the people who moved, in time, from Florida to Western Canada...
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 02:19:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Afghan conflict: US and Taliban sign deal to end 18-year war | BBC News - Feb. 29, 2020 |



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 03:57:03 PM EST
by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 05:06:22 PM EST
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Pompeo Is Lying About Afghanistan | Slate |

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by Oui (Oui) on Sat Aug 28th, 2021 at 01:24:17 PM EST
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Dominic Raab is back in London ... threatens the Taliban regime in Kabul!

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has been accused of "going AWOL" after spending the past week on holiday abroad while the situation in Afghanistan was unravelling.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said Mr Raab was returning to the UK on Sunday and was "personally overseeing" the department's response to the crisis.

Bitter blow: UK's former hub in Afghanistan taken by Taliban | AP News - Friday 13th 2021 |

An immediate focus of British troops in Kabul will be the evacuation effort from the city's airport, which Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab revealed was the focus of an emergency COBRA meeting of top ministers and officials in Westminster on Monday.

Mr Raab revealed that 150 British nationals would be arriving back in the UK in the early hours of the morning, with a further 350 Britons and Afghan nationals arriving in the coming days.

Boris Johnson calls for elite G7 meeting with new orders for NATO?

Session of UN Security Council in New York today ... listened to the statements ... Pakistan was not invited as a non-member. Ambassador Munir Akram vented his grievances ... mostly over neighbor India and the immense dispute over Kashmir where the latter has stationed 900K troops. War has not ended ... to be continued.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 05:19:08 PM EST

Famously as the Dutch would say: "The blind leading the blind." Unbelievable the extend of incompetence.

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by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 05:38:58 PM EST
Waiting for the drama to unfold 😥

UK's Johnson Plans Virtual G7 Leaders Meeting on Afghanistan

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by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 06:16:26 PM EST
oh right. UK was not invited or had a schedule conflict arranging the QUAD? When Joe's regime picked up the reigns last March.

Who attended? US, RU, AF, IN, PK, CN

by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 08:27:40 PM EST
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by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 06:34:49 PM EST


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by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 06:35:42 PM EST
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'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 06:36:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Unbelievable bullshitter Joe Biden ...  doing a Trump act of blowing smoke ...

White House presentation

Joe Biden voted with George Bush to invade and occupy Iraq to remove former CIA ally Saddam Hussein ...

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 08:15:39 PM EST

I idly wonder whose idea it was to remind him of 2-term Mitch O'bama withdrawal schedule.
by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 09:39:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 11:51:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Netherlands doing "everything" to bring people back from Afghanistan, PM Mark Rutte says

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 08:17:46 PM EST


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by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 08:18:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Obama NSC official calls on President Biden to fire National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan over 'Afghanistan failure'

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 09:02:38 PM EST


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 09:03:29 PM EST
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'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 09:12:51 PM EST
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 09:38:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 09:41:45 PM EST


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 09:42:44 PM EST
With the US proxy Afghan regime gone, Antony Blinken turns to our number one enemy China.

China, Pakistan and Russia set to increase Afghanistan influence | The Guardian |



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 10:50:56 PM EST


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Aug 16th, 2021 at 10:51:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Biggest debacle that NATO has suffered since its founding

Merkel was reported to have attributed the US withdrawal to domestic political reasons.

At a meeting with her CDU-CSU party leadership, sources cited Merkel as saying NATO's decision to pull out after almost two decades of deployment was "ultimately made by the Americans."

"We have always said, if the Americans stay, we will also stay," she said, according to participants at the meeting. "The troop withdrawal sparked a domino effect" that culminated in the Taliban sweeping back into power."

The UK's Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan represented a "failure of the international community."

"All of us know that Afghanistan is not finished. It's an unfinished problem for the world."

Former US national security adviser HR McMaster accused his country of "willful ignorance" for its failure to anticipate the swift collapse.

McMaster, sacked by ex-president Donald Trump in 2018, said the withdrawal deal secured with the Taliban by his former boss in 2020 had been a mistake that weakened the Afghan government and strengthened the insurgents.

"We stood idly by and we turned a blind eye," he said. "This was utterly predictable."

Why We Failed: The American Exit From Afghanistan

Since 2018, the U.S. military has been invested in the State Department's delusional peace process with the Taliban, repeatedly claiming that there was no "military solution" to the conflict. But this was always a lie. 

As the Taliban takes control of Kabul, Americans can see for themselves that the jihadists had a "military solution" in mind all along. The Taliban and Al Qaeda were never ambivalent about their jihad. They were fighting to win.

A good read ...

Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 03:57:30 AM EST


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 09:31:21 AM EST
Collaborators?
Or "helpers"?
by Cat on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 12:19:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Soon the Taliban will be designated Freedom Fighters by U.S. Congress ...

Chechens - Uyghurs - Mujahideen - MeK

There are many opportunities 🇵🇰 🇸🇦

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 01:06:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
mmmm, That's not going to happen. I promise you.

Barbarian medieval militants they are, and barbarian medieval militants they will remain.

Think of the children. Think of MISOGYNY. Think of "unalienable" human rights and our savior Jesus Christ. Never forget POLAND. OR  commie aggression, dominoes, and jobs saved and created by NATO.

Or < wipes tears > the expert talk-show "By Any Means Nessary", history-rhyming-on-the-last-syllable episode Despite Biden's Insistence to The Contrary, Kabul is This Generation's Saigon, @00:01:06

... Have you ever seen a movie called Charlie Wilson's War?
starring ICONIC actor Tom HANKS, formerly known as beloved Forrest Gump. It's like that. Sort of. Kind of. Buy Richard Wolff's NEW! book, The Sickness Is the System: When Capitalism Fails to Save Us from Pandemics Or Itself
by Cat on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 02:19:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
By the way, that pic will acquire an alternative caption in < checks watch > 60 days:

MODERN SLAVE SHIP

by Cat on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 02:30:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
NPR | VOA U.S. Special Immigrant Visa Program Faces Criticism Over Slow Speed
NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with James Miervaldis, chairman of No One Left Behind -- which helps Afghan and Iraqi interpreters resettle in the U.S. -- on issues with the Special Immigrant Visa program.
[...]
MIERVALDIS: We at No One Left Behind went through six years of emails and Facebook messages. We identified over 300 instances of interpreters or their family members specifically being targeted and killed by the Taliban or other extremist groups because of their ["]affiliation["] with the United States. So there is a retribution campaign, an effort to...
CHANG: Yes.
MIERVALDIS: Yeah, exact revenge.
BIGGEST BRAIN DRAIN EVER since the 30 Years War.
by Cat on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 02:43:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Brietbart d/b/a CBNC tweeking the innerboobs of WHITE SUPREMACY JIM CROW FUSION filibusterin' | 80,000 Afghans Want U.S. Green Cards, Citizenship
by Cat on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 02:53:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 06:29:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I've encountered today--GIVEN the only people, confirmed by Pentagon press corpse, who were exchanging fire at the airport were US "security" and Afghans without airfare.

Stay tuned for the traumatized pilot's Eichmann defense.

oh. wait.
US Treasury gas a present for Afghan women and children.
US Reportedly Freezes Afghanistan's National Reserves in American Banks to Cut Taliban Off From Them

by Cat on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 09:41:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
US agencies scrub websites to protect Afghans left behind
State Department Spokesman Ned Price said the department was advising personnel to search for and remove social media and website content featuring civilians because the safety of Afghan contacts "is of utmost importance" to the government.

I suppose the rationale--like a blind trust FORCED on filthy rich US American politicians or bedsores in US American nursing homes--is out of sight, out of mind.
by Cat on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 10:41:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
How will they scrub the biometric database the US installed and Taliban got hold of five years ago?

Taliban insurgents behind the recent mass kidnapping in Kunduz, used a government biometric system to check if bus passengers were security force members, said commander of 808 Spinzar Zone, Sher Aziz Kamawal.

[...]

"The passengers said Taliban had a machine which checked their fingerprints. Most of the passengers were not familiar with the machine but we knew it was a biometric device that could identify security force members from amongst civilians," he told TOLOnews.

by fjallstrom on Wed Aug 18th, 2021 at 12:27:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
My man, why quibble.
by Cat on Wed Aug 18th, 2021 at 01:58:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I've only begun to delve the innerboobs for info on the Taliban air force which purportedly has been bombing "women and minorities", weddings and funerals, since NATO purportedly routed the buggers to the caves in 2001.
by Cat on Wed Aug 18th, 2021 at 02:03:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Soldiers of ANDSF are being tracked and executed by the Taliban in places like Kandahar.

Search on term in your linked article ... "biometrics Kunduz commander of 808 Spinzar Zone, Sher Aziz Kamawal"

Omnishambles in Kabul

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by Oui (Oui) on Wed Aug 18th, 2021 at 06:08:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Taliban Abducts Dozens in Northern Afghanistan | VOA - May 31, 2016 |

Helmand, where several districts are under the control of the insurgency, is the largest Afghan province and a poppy-growing hub.

The Taliban has intensified insurgent activities after its new leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhnduzada took charge following the killing of his predecessor, Mullah Mansoor, in the May 21 U.S. drone strike in neighboring Pakistan.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Aug 18th, 2021 at 06:11:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
a poppy-growing hub

The minute I sniff narcotics, the insinuation of "lawful" war crimes--eg summary execution of POWs described by Geneva--and credibility of witnesses flies out my window. Whether controlled by Taliban war lords or army of the "legitimate" gov, detection of conflict between drug gangs for control of the local supply, "slave labor" or small holders, and personal profits should override rhetorical claims to moral high ground. Most mornings I awake, I can shake off the conviction that NATO's professional regulars can do no wrong, no how, ever, simply because ibn told the inferiority of its enemies is a foregone conclusion and the purposes of "intervention" is impeccable.

While the Coalition of the Willing evade responsibility for that booming trade after routing Taliban in 2001, knowledge of state-sanctioned operators and so-called "abusers" (common criminals) who exploit conditions of civil distress (sharia or republican) won't so easily dissipate in the memories of either individuals or "authorized" law enforcers.

Frankly, common beliefs of just wars circumventing "harm's way" and preserving only the virginity of women and children is fucking ludicrous.

by Cat on Wed Aug 18th, 2021 at 09:24:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Michael Husdon
President Biden put a popular flag-waving wrapping on America's forced withdrawal from Afghanistan in his 4 PM speech on Monday. It was as if all this was following Biden's own intentions, not a demonstration of the totally incompetent assurances by the CIA and State Department as recently as last Friday that the Taliban was over a month away from being able to enter Kabul. Instead of saying that the massive public support for the Taliban replacing the United States showed the incompetent hubris of U.S. intelligence agencies - which itself would have justified Biden's agreement to complete the withdrawal with all haste - he doubled down on his defense of the Deep State and its mythology.
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 05:48:39 PM EST
Global Times editorial
Many people cannot help but recall how the Vietnam War ended in 1975: The US abandoned its allies in South Vietnam; Saigon was taken over; then the US evacuated almost all its citizens in Saigon. And in 2019, US troops withdrew from northern Syria abruptly and abandoned their allies, the Kurds. Some historians also point out that abandoning allies to protect US interests is an inherent flaw that has been deeply rooted in the US since the founding of the country. During the American War of Independence, the US humbly begged the king of France, Louis XVI, to ally with it. After the war, it quickly made peace with Britain unilaterally and concluded a peace treaty with Britain that was detrimental to France's interests. This put Louis XVI's regime in a difficult position, giving cause for the French Revolution.

How Washington abandoned the Kabul regime particularly shocked some in Asia, including the island of Taiwan. Taiwan is the region that relies on the protection of the US the most in Asia, and the island's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have made Taiwan go further and further down this abnormal path. The situation in Afghanistan suddenly saw a radical change after the country was abandoned by the US. And Washington just left despite the worsening situation in Kabul. Is this some kind of omen of Taiwan's future fate?

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 05:50:02 PM EST
by Cat on Tue Aug 17th, 2021 at 09:43:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Be nice or we will bring democracy to your country.

--stolen from somebody's sig line on here

by asdf on Mon Aug 23rd, 2021 at 07:44:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Afghan's tradition ... buying time 🇦🇫

As Taliban forces were fighting for their cause, the Kabul politicians were quarreling as they have done for decades ... waisting crucial time.

Afghanistan: A graveyard of empires, or of its own people? | TRT World - March 2, 2020 |

After eighteen months of negotiations, the Afghan Taliban and the US government signed an agreement that paves the way for a complete US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Many people, both Afghans and non-Afghans, see the deal as a major step towards peace in the war-torn country.

Obviously, both the Taliban and US President Donald Trump are celebrating the agreement. While the militant group portrays itself as the defeaters of the Western invaders, Trump can now tout the slogan that he has "ended America's longest war" on his re-election campaign.

Last but not least, there one loser too.

The Afghan government of Ashraf Ghani was neither mentioned in the deal nor a party to it. It became an irrelevant player, one that is at the moment busier fighting internal quarrels.

Two weeks ago, and after five months of waiting, the final results of the presidential elections were revealed. While President Ghani was declared victorious, his chief executive and main opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, rejected the results and announced a parallel government. Who benefits from this scenario? The Taliban, of course.

...
Afghanistan became a graveyard for many foreign soldiers, but many more Afghans have been buried here over the last decades. Often, brothers or friends are fighting each other on either side of the warring parties. This is the real tragedy and it has to end.

The bloodshed will not end solely with the withdrawal of US troops, but by a real process of reconciliation among Afghans.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Thu Aug 19th, 2021 at 07:35:14 AM EST


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