Afghanistan

[Rita Chevrolet]

Sky news is saying his plane has arrived


Charter flight for ex-Royal Marine and rescue animals arrives in Kabul

Pen Farthing has been trying to evacuate up to 200 dogs and cats from Afghanistan for days, dubbed Operation Ark.

It was reported earlier that a charter flight for Mr Farthing was delayed leaving Karachi in Pakistan.

However, Sky News understands the aircraft has now arrived in Kabul.

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

TKU I had'nt picked up the latest news yet as OH is watching some old rubbish on the telly

 

[emm]

Its crazy saying we have the head guy, I would expect we just have one head guy in any other army, we know AlQueda didn’t vanish when they got Bin Laden…… the next in command just steps up.
this just feels attritional now and we will back within the year…..

yeah no doubt with a markedly worse situation than when we went in a decade ago. I think there will be a surge in terror attacks across the west which will be clearly linked to ISIS/AlQuaeda that will push (at least the US) to go back in

 

[Underthetabletop]

Access Restricted

I can’t do a share token, but wow, what a bloody brave bloke. Saw his dad killed by AlQueda and he’s running back on what seems to be a suicide mission.No fuss, no shouting about it, just a discreet return to try and save his homeland.

 

[thegirlscout]

Access Restricted

I can’t do a share token, but wow, what a bloody brave bloke. Saw his dad killed by AlQueda and he’s running back on what seems to be a suicide mission.No fuss, no shouting about it, just a discreet return to try and save his homeland.

From what I’ve read, his father was legendary and stuck fast to wanting to free Afghanistan.

yeah no doubt with a markedly worse situation than when we went in a decade ago. I think there will be a surge in terror attacks across the west which will be clearly linked to ISIS/AlQuaeda that will push (at least the US) to go back in

I could see a big one happening in America.

 

[Merpedy]

Target of US drone strike not senior ISIS-K member – reports

The individual killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan is not believed to be a senior ISIS-K official, according to a source quoted by Reuters news agency.

The US official added that future action against Islamic State Khorasan has not been ruled out.

(from Sky News live update article)

...right so that achieved a lot when they're meant to be withdrawing. I also like the bit about 'no known civilian casualties' (which I didn't include in the quote)

Edit - according to the Pentagon they killed two high-ranking members

 

[thegirlscout]

Edit - according to the Pentagon they killed two high-ranking members

Which no doubt have already been replaced.

 

[Silly Sausage]

I wonder if this story from BBC Pakistan will get picked up.

 

[Merpedy]

What confuses me is how they/someone made the mistake of thinking that there were two separate attacks? Plus, no one seems to have mentioned the explosions that followed after either for some reason

Apparently the Italian plane was never shot at either and it was a crowd control thing, but surely no one would have allowed for anyone to be shooting in the air so close to the air field?

Pentagon says Kabul attack carried out by one suicide bomber

A deadly attack in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Thursday was carried out by a single suicide bomber at a gate to the airport and there was no second explosion at a nearby hotel, the Pentagon said on Friday.

www.reuters.com

Shots fired at Kabul airport were not aimed at plane, Italian government says

Aircraft carrying almost 100 Afghan citizens not damaged and no injuries reported

www.independent.co.uk

it honestly seems like such a mess on reporting these things at the moment, I almost feel bad for the journalists

 

[bubbadabut]

I wonder if this story from BBC Pakistan will get picked up.

It would explain the reported gunfire following the explosion.

 

[Underthetabletop]

(from Sky News live update article)

...right so that achieved a lot when they're meant to be withdrawing. I also like the bit about 'no known civilian casualties' (which I didn't include in the quote)

Edit - according to the Pentagon they killed two high-ranking members

I wish they would make their mind up what exactly happened in all the incidents…..

 

[Underthetabletop]

https://www.archive.is/oldest/https...le-escape-Kabul-animals-not-former-staff.html

It’s a sign that the gov were maybe told to keep quiet because of all the tit that was being chucked out. The chairman of the foreign affairs committee HAS been asked about why an interpreters family have been left there and dogs evacuated. On other forums people were saying it was made up and I think people here have thought it was made up too. I can’t imagine what he would say to that bloke…..
and it’s revealed that the 200 animals rescued need four months in kennels. All this for that, the poor things are going to be even more traumatised by all this, Pen needs to answer about who will pay for this and where these animals will go after christmas. it’s sickening if they have come through all this to be just locked up again and it isn’t animal friendly at all. Or is it going to be a donation thing again at a time when uk charities are already struggling.


I’m just glad the remaining paras are finally out, Biden is expecting another attack in the next 36 hours. The taliban appear pissed off he never told them about the air strike on isis, and they will be wanting revenge. I wonder if Joe also wants to go down in history as someone to lead a ‘liberation’ because I can’t think of an other reasons. Those poor people, told life was safe and easy and so crack on without us, the taliban come out from hiding as do Isis, the world leaves half of them for dead and then they might get sodding blown up again as a thank you.

 

[Merpedy]

Pen needs to answer about who will pay for this and where these animals will go after christmas. it’s sickening if they have come through all this to be just locked up again and it isn’t animal friendly at all. Or is it going to be a donation thing again at a time when uk charities are already struggling

I definitely agree on the animals well being around this. I can’t imagine that several rides around Kabul and waiting in the heat, especially in crates, has been pleasant. I also can’t imagine that some 9 hour (probably more with refuelling) journey is stress free

I read earlier that the charity is going to continue at some capacity. Apparently they left a donkey behind that the staff intend to care for and that will partly be managed with donations or left over money that Pen left. Not sure what the rest of the plan is

Honestly, if people want to give their money to specific charities it’s their choice. I imagine seeing how their money and attention possibly helped here is really beneficial too and most charities don’t provide that or provide very basic versions of it. There’s generally a lot of talk about how charities use their money in hidden ways and what not as it is

 

[Underthetabletop]

But boarding 200 dogs for four months in kennels is going to cost a fortune, and if he is trying to keep going over there too, how can he fund it all, unless he starts doing the media rounds, books etc.
Like you say, it is personal choice as to who people donate to, but charities like the dogs trust are struggling with all the lockdown pets they have as it is, most of the people giving money to now as might have given it to them before this, and this is more of a vanity project. But maybe that’s me, I just feel that the animals got lost in this was war of attrition, and I can’t bear to think of how scared they must have been through all this.

 

[overthehill!]

https://www.archive.is/oldest/https...-official-demanding-flight-allowed-Kabul.html

Disgusting if this is true

 

[Debtex]

I cannot get the image out of
My head of the people queuing to escape in a canal of sewerage. Children and babies .Why did they end up in that - were they channelled into it . ? No dignity was given to them .
Couldn’t the queues have been diverted away from it ?

 

[Merpedy]

https://www.archive.is/oldest/https...-official-demanding-flight-allowed-Kabul.html

Disgusting if this is true

He was also similarly angry when his wife and their country manager when the gate wasn’t opened for them the first time. He even had to stop himself at one point but it was an implied threat to those that didn’t open the gate basically

Honestly, under the stress he must have been under I’m not that surprised. Though it’s definitely something he needs to apologise for

 

[freda19]

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

Exactly. My jaw hit the floor when that came on the news.

Way to go Joe ..... poke the enemy with a pointy stick while your people are still stuck there, stupid b.

 

[no-no]

Ffs you’d think pen farthing had the only plane in Afghanistan the way some people are carrying on Talk about misdirected anger (not aimed at anyone in particular, heard it on LBC and other news outlets all through the night). And as for the rescue costs for dogs, people will donate to this and it’s their money so absolutely nothing to do with anyone else. There’s nothing stopping anyone starting their own fundraisers for more “worthy” causes. Four months in kennels is a small price compared to their fate over there.

I really liked Maajid’s opening to his show before on LBC. Bang on the money IMO.

 

[Underthetabletop]

He was also similarly angry when his wife and their country manager when the gate wasn’t opened for them the first time. He even had to stop himself at one point but it was an implied threat to those that didn’t open the gate basically

Honestly, under the stress he must have been under I’m not that surprised. Though it’s definitely something he needs to apologise for

And I get that he was under pressure but people have been hurling abuse at the defence sec etc for days about this when they have been under even more pressure then he was, dealing with screw ups from the foreign sec with data breaches, having mps emailing about their constitutents, America being well…. America, alongside the bits they didn’t get right.
I doubt an apology will come though, this will just be justified by certain people tbh, (Not you obviously) I’m sure his celeb supporters will manage to turn it back round on the mps.

Ffs you’d think pen farthing had the only plane in Afghanistan the way some people are carrying on Talk about misdirected anger. And as for the rescue costs for dogs, people will donate to this and it’s their money so nothing to do with anyone else. Four months in kennels is a small price compared to their fate over there.

I really liked Maajid’s opening to his show before on LBC. Bang on the money IMO.

No, but when an mp is asked by an interpreter left behind why a dog is more important then his kids, surely you stop to think, yeah, there’s something there. Or when the government has to promise to negotiate with the taliban to get the extra people out. When actually we all know that this won’t happen, without it costing megabucks or lives
my anger personally has come about that, I couldn’t care less if he chartered sixty planes of dogs, fair play to him, but not at the expense of human lives who were doing some of our dirty work, or British citizens caught up in this.

 

[freda19]

He was also similarly angry when his wife and their country manager when the gate wasn’t opened for them the first time. He even had to stop himself at one point but it was an implied threat to those that didn’t open the gate basically

Honestly, under the stress he must have been under I’m not that surprised. Though it’s definitely something he needs to apologise for

He should be charged with threatening behaviour. The cheek of him throwing his imaginary weight around like a Billy Big Bolliix.
His whole attitude stinks. All that time wasted for a twit like him. Thinks he's a reincarnation of Noah stocking up the Ark. Idiot.

A defence source said: ‘This selfish charade has cost lives.’ Another source said the MoD’s help to evacuate animals meant ‘this is the first British Government explicitly committed to the idea of non-white people as equivalent to animals since the abolition of slavery.’

Says it all.