Afghanistan

[grace28]

I know most countries are getting out today and that USA will be the last to leave I'm guessing our last day is today and about pens flight it's been changed so theu can get out ASAP when they get in tje airport they said he's in and out the airport

There estimating there about 2000 US citizens will be left in the country. Surley they can't just leave them all?

 

[Mrs loizou]

I read a very interesting article about our views regarding refugees by Simon Kuper in the Financial Times (quite a long time ago, regarding Syria) basically saying that a situation like that in the 1940s where we accepted lots of Jewish people, especially children, would be difficult to happen now as then people could imagine themselves in that situation, whether because of geographical proximity, cultural similarities or just how it seemed like a probable situation that could happen in the UK due to the state of the world, whereas now something like the Taliban/Syrian conflict etc doesn't seem like that

Would absolutely disagree with his stance. The world is much 'smaller' due to education, internet access, social media. Therefore people would have some idea of what to expect if they left their home country. If I had to suddenly move to Poland, I could access a language app on my phone, I could look up where to buy clothes, food etc and if I wanted to practice a religion, I would be able to find out where to go to do this.

However, this can make people a bit twitchy because people can assimilate at a faster rate than previously and that is perceived as a threat.

There were far fewer cultural similarities in the past, Britain is much more diverse now than 1940s

 

[Tatooine_legend1]

And it is not only a huge human catastrophe but will also end up as a breeding ground for ISIS, I saw that experts are predicting a resurgance of terrorist attacks in the west

Also, Africa will see a resurgence of jihadists.

Verifying Device

 

[NeverEnough]

Cultural vandalism is a huge problem in war zones. Granted it’s not one of the biggest issues the country faces but massive swathes of their culture and heritage can be destroyed, wiped out or sold on the black market. The international council of museums has given a statement about the situation.

Statement concerning the situation facing cultural heritage in Afghanistan - International Council of Museums

A global organisation of museums & museum professionals committed to the promotion and protection of cultural heritage

icom.museum

Also this article on Wikipedia gives a helpful outline of what has been destroyed, all those generations of culture have gone.

Destruction of art in Afghanistan - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I do fear for the people who have worked to protect these sites because they will be in the Taliban’s crosshairs. This happened in Syria around 6 years ago. The curator refused to give ISIS information and they beheaded him.

Syrian archaeologist 'killed in Palmyra' by IS militants

The archaeologist who looked after ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria for 40 years is reported to have been murdered by Islamic State militants.

www.bbc.co.uk

All I can say is that the devotion of the faithful must be a very delicate flower indeed if it can’t survive the existence of some ruins that predated even the birth of the prophet.

Perhaps it was the thought of Queen Zenobia leading her nation which so offended their sensibilities?

 

[Underthetabletop]

Thankfully more & more humans are realising they have no more rights to this planet than any other creature.

i don’t think it’s about ‘rights’ to anything, it just so happens that currently the most evolved species on the planet is the human, and we probably outnumber all other species. personally, even though I think animals have lots of rights, do I put them above human rights? No. Equal maybe, but the cruelest form of animal mistreatment is humans to each other.
Personally I think we have to consider children in the same bracket as animals. They don’t ask to be born, and we should help them as much as animals- can anyone really say they would expect a four year old to find their own money for food? Because when we say pets are totally reliant on humans, so are young children, but yet they seem to be two different categories.
And let’s be honest, when it comes to things like dogs, cats etc, the pedigree animals that sell for like £2,000 only exist because someone chose to breed two dogs, so when people say having children is a choice, so is to some extent having an animal. But no one would say to a dog breeder ‘don’t have them if you can’t afford to keep them if they don’t sell’ but wouldn’t think twice of judging a parent for that. And we saw that remark on here in a different format.

I think quite a lot of people are total hypocrites; they want cheap meat as long as they don't see how it was raised but want cute animals protected.

Probably true. But at the same time, that responsibility should go on the food industry. Farmers need fair wages otherwise they will charge more for higher welfare because well, it costs more to do And supermarkets need to invest in fairer welfare for animals, but whilst theu can get things cheap from counties without the care towards animals we have, they will never change. It’s a cycle with no end and no real answer. And going vegan isnt for everyone unfortunately, which is fair enough. It’s certainly not for me, and I own that and try to ensure that what I do do regarding animal produce has the highest welfare for all that it can.

 

[Underthetabletop]

It will be @Merpedy . I’ve been making the most of my telegraph subscription before it runs out and there’s an ex soldier discussed on there who has been supporting people to get to the airport. And now he’s stuck as his elderly mother, probably a white old woman stuck there, she’s going to be nothing to these people…. That’s what I’m finding so mind blowing. The people that are coming out that have been left stranded is unreal. I honestly wish there was something I could donate to get them out, but understandably there’s nothing now, and was nothing before really as it was pot luck.
in a way, this just reminds me of getting people out of occupied nazi areas back in the 30s, not on the same scale, and luckily things were as bad, but the modern media makes it seem all that but closer to home compared to then.

 

[Underthetabletop]

Thing is, that even if the security forces predicted an attack from ISIS-K (and it appears to be them as Taliban forces were also affected) there’s not a whole lot that can be done other than telling people to get away

They can’t exactly send troops or drones out to attack them and potentially start another war when it’s been agreed that they must be out of the country and the Taliban isn’t exactly going to allow them to start a whole mess either

ISIS-K appears to disagree with the Taliban anyway, it’s really going to be more of their fight for the time being

True. But it’s not about the prediction to me, it’s about using the knowledge we have and have gleaned even over the past week to know that they will fight dirty and there never should have been trust in this ‘agreement’ gentlemans agreements only stand when both sides agree too it

I fully agree my best friend has died for fuck all and I had friends who have done 2 tours and also others from my area for what really it makes me mad


He had took nothing away tho twirp said they can all get thro and it all backtracking now our government is full of lies. He's funded his own plane same as Charlotte who got there after his and she thro honestly both governments are a joke

I know he’s funded it all, but he was wanting support with the taliban etc, and the gov also have work with every other nation to agree ground clearance, time to load the animals etc. I do agree when Ben Wallace basically said, no matter what, people have to come first. And after the ordeal these poor animals have had to get here, is it worth risking all those people for maybe half to survive and then be traumatised.

 

[Underthetabletop]

https://www.archive.is/oldest/https...ts-Afghan-evacuees-fled-Taliban-Heathrow.html

and now they are greeted by her. I shouldn’t take the mick, this is serious shit, but of all the things to happen…. She’s probably checking papers and ancestry left right and centre

 

[kev1974]

Not sure the American people have fully realised this yet. Apart from some helicopter shootdowns today was the deadliest for US troops of the entire war.

 

[Merpedy]

As a side note my husband is convinced Biden wants to move his fight elsewhere. He's adamant it's only a matter of time before troops will be sent to the next target which he believes will be Iran.

I wonder if it may be something Asia focused, especially with the Harris trip there to reassure their allies. Don't think they'll be invading China (bit stupid and all) but I could see them trying to help out countries that China seems to be actively annoying + the South China Sea stuff

Though from a simple Google search, it seems that Iran appears to be trying to make nuclear weapons again and that's just one hell of an easy war to justify if they want it, plus it's probably a lot less risky than annoying China a bit more actively

Honestly no doubt they will just find another place to send troops to though, hopefully no one follows them

 

[Yel]

Kabul airport has been fixed enough by Turkish and Qatar teams to allow an aid plane to land

Kabul airport reopens to receive aid: Qatari envoy

Qatar's ambassador to Afghanistan says Kabul airport has reopened to receive aid and civilian flights will start soon.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Ahahha]

I've been watching flightradar24 and there have been lots of UK and US planes flying in the past couple hours. Haven't see any commercial planes at all today. There were several yesterday. Everything slowed down a lot after the bombings and a couple planes turned around. Everything seems to be picking up now though.

It's went another way itsnunder doha/na

 

[Underthetabletop]

The poor man looked so uneasy when that explosion went off. I do wonder what’s going to happen to the reporters in Kabul. The BBC have Lyse Doucet there, will they airlift her out? She won’t be safe after the deadline passes I wouldn’t have thought?

Sky are reporting that their main people were ordered out by the gov. Whether it’s because it was just too unsafe or because the more that’s reported the more risk is in the situation, i don’t know. I’m not expecting any journalists now to be reporting from there. These people need danger money. I hope the media companies will recognise this. I’d like to think they especially got the female journalists out ASAP, because isis-k will make the taliban seem like a champion for women’s rights.

 

[Merpedy]

UPDATE - the taliban stopped Pen's staff & their families going with him

From what I understand, the Taliban is working under America’s orders on visas and what not at the gates. Because they didn’t have the documents now required by the US, the Taliban couldn’t actually let them pass

A lot of people will be in the same boat and I really hope that the blame isn’t just deflected to the Taliban. Though at the same time, at this point it was probably a necessary thing to do so they could focus on processing the prioritised people. It’s effectively US’ way of saying that the gates are closed to the majority of people

 

[rosewinner]

Well shows how close minded you are, just because you see it as oppression doesn’t mean it is,majority of the women in western countries choose to wear it as they want to. I’m a muslim who chooses not wear a headscarf, i have many friends who do, we are all free to make our own choices here. You choose not to see it as a beautiful thing, but those muslim women do see it as a beautiful thing.

I just can’t understand why so many people get triggered by the hijab, just because its something they can’t comprehend it automatically means its wrong or People have no choice in the matter.

On the topic of afghanistan, breaks my heart to see whats happening there, i’m so sick of men and their ego’s and the need for power, thats what it essentially comes down to.

Also traditional Christians and Jews are supposed to cover their heads. Christians are also not supposed to drink alcohol. I have Christian friends who do not drink because of their faith. The religions are so often so sensible.

Plus I'd rather see a head covering than a face full of cleavage to be honest.

Nothing to do with men though. Men are no better or worse than women.

 

[emm]

Amazing province are fighting back. Not fully sure how they are able to. Maybe it's the geographic nature of their terrain. Maybe it's their experience of defeating them before.

https://www.archive.is/oldest/https...ident-rally-anti-Taliban-forces-Panjshir.html

Do we think the USA and the West will change their minds? I'm still secretly hoping the fact everyone is appalled means they'll be forced to go back in and secure some kind of safe zone.

I hope they would but I am unsure... if they are they really need to do so asap before the situation further deteriorates

 

[Underthetabletop]

yeah I have been following this disaster over the last few days and have heard nothing about her, which is ridiculous, good on her at least some people are not just trying to exploit these vulnerable people

No one will hear anything. refugee charities have been pleading for donations and support for days, but no one bothers because they just see dinghys over here and people breaking through Donald’s imaginary wall over there.
.

Not many seem to believe this guff from Biden

Any actual names or proof Joe?
And if you have found him so easily today why didn't you do anything about him earlier?

But most importantly WTF would you risk antagonising the ISIS-K lot into more retaliation in the next couple of days when troops are leaving, and not send the drone to get the guy next Wednesday or so once we're not still trying to fly the last thousands of people out?

He's absolutely insane.

https://www.archive.is/oldest/https...elieved-mastermind-Kabul-airport-bombing.html

Joe found the big red button.
im wondering if we had a turn coat in all three camps who sold isis out for the biggest dollar he could get. Or we knew who these people were and just needed an excuse to go for them.
wait a mo, have I gone back in time 20 years???

 

[Warpaint]

There was a clip of them all dressed in white with faces marching down the road which looked pretty sinister. I think they're gearing up for some brutal rule.

 

[Merpedy]

It is worth noting that a lot of refugee camps function as a place for refugees who come to a country illegally, so Afghan nationals who get here legally probably won’t have to experience them

 

[Rita Chevrolet]

Pen on Sky news live feed

Former Marine says he was caught up in attack

Pen Farthing, who has been trying to get his animal shelter staff and pets out of Afghanistan, has said he was near the airport at the time of the explosion.

"We're fine but everything is chaos here at the moment," he said.

"All of a sudden we heard gunshots and our vehicle was targeted, had our driver not turned around he would have been shot in the head by a man with an AK-47.

"We've been in the airport, and back out of the airport; the whole thing's a mess. There's not much more I can say at the moment, I need to make sure the animals and everyone is safe."

The former Marine, who now runs animal shelter Nowzad in Kabul, has been involved in a tussle with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace over securing his exit from Afghanistan.

Afghanistan live updates: 'Ruthless' Taliban could end up co-ordinating with ISIS-K, says US top general

US President Joe Biden hails 'extraordinary success' of Afghanistan evacuation; UK official Sir Simon Gass meets senior members of Taliban to ensure Britons can safely leave; Pope Francis criticises West's involvement; former MI6 boss warns UK's terror threat level 'greater today'.

news.sky.com

Wallace is a twat - Pen being stuck there is HIS FAULT because he stopped them leaving first time around
Can I suggest you Google him then fill his parliamentry inbox and his FB page with your feelings? I have and it ain't pretty

Why are they call isi-k and not isil now?

They are a new branch - even the Taliban don't like them and in fact a couple of the dead were taliban men so they're not going to be impressed by this act of terrorism