President Ghani Flees as Afghanistan falls to Taliban, Meanwhile Biden Practices Social Distancing??
Taliban has all but taken control of Afghanistan, but this time fears are that they retake the country with a vengeance against those who allied with the invaders. aliban fighters on Sunday took over the Afghan capital as President Ashraf Ghani fled abroad, triggering a massive effort to airlift Western diplomats, civilians and Afghans likely to be targeted by the country’s new rulers, WSJ others reported.
Biden continues to practice social distancing:
13 August as Afghanistan goes to hell, the Social Agenda remains top priority on Biden’s Page:
Meanwhile in DC, Pelosi thinks anyone in the world listens to her, throwing in some of her social agenda while all Afghans of all genders and ages suffer.
U.S., U.K., Canada dispatch Special Forces to evacuate their citizens as Kandahar falls and Afghanistan is overcome by the Taliban which has come back stronger and much better equipped with military hardware than the pre 2001 war years according to Security Analysts.
Earlier, “Kandahar is completely conquered. The Mujahideen reached Martyrs’ Square in the city,” a Taliban spokesman tweeted on an officially-recognised account, AFP news agency reported,
“During the conquest operation, the governor’s office, police headquarters and many other centers in Kandahar city were cleared of the enemy last night and were under the control of Mujahidin…..Hundreds of weapons, vehicles and ammunition were seized” Afghan Member of Parliament Gul Ahmad Kamin told CNN
DOD: The security situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating, Pentagon officials said, and U.S. officials are monitoring the situation in the country. The Taliban have taken over one third of the countries provincial capitol, and the U.S., U.K. expect the Afghan government to collapse unless circumstances change.
News reports indicate more provincial capitals in the country have fallen to the Taliban, and Mazar-i Sharif, a key provincial capital in the north of the country, is under Taliban attack.
DOD Deploys Forces to Protect Kabul Embassy Drawdown BY JIM GARAMONE,
U.S. forces will deploy to Afghanistan and other sites in U.S. Central Command to ensure safety of American embassy personnel and to facilitate the departure of Afghans under the special immigrant visa program, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said today.
President Joe Biden ordered the reduction of the staff in the U.S. embassy in Kabul. DOD personnel will deploy to ensure their safety.
“We believe that this is the prudent thing to do given the rapidly deteriorating security situation in and around Kabul,” Kirby said. The Taliban has advanced around the nation.
The first movement is of three infantry battalions — two Marine Corps, one U.S. Army — to Hamid Karzai International Airport. This will occur within the next three days, Kirby said.
“The next movement will consist of a joint U.S. Army/Air Force support element of around 1,000 personnel to facilitate the processing of SIV [special immigrant visa] applicants,” the press secretary said. These personnel will arrive in Qatar in the next few days. Some may deploy to Afghanistan or to other areas where the Afghans will be processed.
The third movement is to deploy one infantry brigade combat team out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Kuwait. They will be a quick reaction force for security in Kabul if needed. “We anticipate those forces will reach Kuwait sometime within the next week,” Kirby said.
Overall, this involves roughly 8,000 U.S. service members. As in all cases, U.S. service members have the right to self-defense if attacked. The troops will be under the command of Navy Rear Adm. Pete Vasely, the commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan — Forward in Kabul.
Kirby said officials anticipate the increased need for U.S. airlift and, “and the secretary has already had conversations with the chairman and with Transportation Command about these potential needs so we do fully expect that there’ll be additional military airlift required.”
The press secretary said the idea is still to complete the drawdown in Afghanistan by the end of the month.
From the U.K. MOD : Additional UK military personnel will deploy to Afghanistan on a short-term basis to provide support to British nationals leaving the country, the Defence Secretary has announced.
- Military personnel will deploy to the country on a short term basis to assist British nationals to leave
- The British Embassy in Kabul is focusing efforts on consular assistance and accelerating work to provide visas for former UK staff in Afghanistan
- Last week FCDO Travel Advice changed to recommend British nationals leave Afghanistan as soon as possible
The additional deployment of approximately 600 troops is in light of the increasing violence and rapidly deteriorating security environment in the country. In parallel, the number of staff working at the British Embassy in Kabul has been reduced to a core team focused on providing consular and visa services for those needing to rapidly leave the country.
Last Friday the FCDO changed Travel Advice to recommend that all British nationals leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while commercial travel options remain available. Any British nationals who are still in Afghanistan are encouraged to contact the Embassy in Kabul as soon as possible for assistance.
UK troops will provide force protection and logistical support for the relocation of British nationals where required and assist with the acceleration of the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP). This will help to make sure interpreters and other Afghan staff who risked their lives working alongside UK forces in Afghanistan can relocate to the UK as soon as possible.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace MP said:
I have authorised the deployment of additional military personnel to support the diplomatic presence in Kabul, assist British nationals to leave the country and support the relocation of former Afghan staff who risked their lives serving alongside us.
The security of British nationals, British military personnel and former Afghan staff is our first priority. We must do everything we can to ensure their safety.
The additional military support announced today will arrive in Kabul over the coming days.
Sir Laurie Bristow, the UK’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, will continue to lead a small team in Afghanistan which will relocate within Kabul to a more secure location. This team will focus on helping remaining UK nationals to leave the country, and the continued roll out of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and working with international partners to support the Afghan Government.
ARAP, launched on 1 April 2021, is the most generous scheme of its kind in the world and has already supported over 3,100 former Afghan staff and their families to start new lives in the UK, with more than 1,800 of them arriving over the last few weeks alone. In the coming days UK Government will further accelerate work on this scheme to ensure those who are eligible go through the necessary security checks and have the required documentation to travel to the UK.
The UK remains committed to Afghanistan and will continue working as part of the international coalition to support the country’s government through our diplomacy, development and counter terrorism work. This year the UK will provide Afghanistan with more than £100 million of support to improve critical health and education services.
U. S. Embassy UPDATE 13 August
The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately using available commercial flight options. If you cannot afford to purchase an airline ticket at this time, please contact the U.S. Embassy at KabulACS@state.gov for information regarding a repatriation loan. If you are a U.S. citizen and delaying your departure while you await an immigrant visa for a spouse or minor child, please contact us immediately. Given the security conditions and reduced staffing, the Embassy’s ability to assist U.S. citizens in Afghanistan is extremely limited even within Kabul. Please review, “What the Department of State Can and Can’t Do in a Crisis.”
The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens that on April 27, 2021, the Department of State ordered the departure from U.S. Embassy Kabul of U.S. government employees whose functions can be performed elsewhere due to increasing violence and threat reports in Kabul. The Travel Advisory for Afghanistan remains Level 4-Do Not Travel due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed conflict, and COVID-19. Domestic flights and ground transportation routes outside of Kabul are severely limited and subject to cancellation or closure.
U.S. citizens should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates and ensure the Embassy can contact you in an emergency. In the event of a future official evacuation flight, the Embassy would notify U.S. citizens enrolled in STEP of available assistance. However, the Embassy reiterates that U.S. citizens should leave Afghanistan as soon as possible using available commercial transportation and not plan to rely on U.S. government flights.
Throughout Afghanistan
7 AUGUST The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately using available commercial flight options. Given the security conditions and reduced staffing, the Embassy’s ability to assist U.S. citizens in Afghanistan is extremely limited even within Kabul.
The U.S. Embassy can provide a repatriation loan for U.S. citizens who cannot afford at this time to purchase a commercial ticket to the United States. Please contact the Embassy’s American Citizen Services Unit at KabulACS@state.gov for further information.
The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens that on April 27, 2021, the Department of State ordered the departure from U.S. Embassy Kabul of U.S. government employees whose functions can be performed elsewhere due to increasing violence and threat reports in Kabul. The Travel Advisory for Afghanistan remains Level 4-Do Not Travel due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed conflict, and COVID-19. Domestic flights and ground transportation routes outside of Kabul are severely limited and subject to cancellation or closure.
U.S. citizens should enroll in the Safe Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates and ensure the Embassy can contact you in an emergency. In the event of a future official evacuation flight, the Embassy would notify U.S. citizens enrolled in STEP of available assistance. However, the Embassy reiterates that U.S. citizens should leave Afghanistan as soon as possible using available commercial transportation and not plan to rely on U.S. government flights.
Information about current travel restrictions world-wide can be found on the International Air Transport Association website.
Actions to take:
- Consider leaving Afghanistan via the earliest available commercial transportation.
- Develop a plan of action that does not rely on U.S. government assistance.
- Enroll in the Safe Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates and ensure you can be located in an emergency.
- If your U.S. passport expired on or before December 31, 2019, please see our website for information on how to renew your passport before traveling.