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Original poster

One small way to help Afghanistan

335 replies

TimeIhadaNameChange · 15/08/2021 21:22

Copied from a FB post

Tonight not tomorrow tonight we desperately need the help of each and everyone.

Practical action please can everyone tweet Boris Johnson and your own mp and post on their facebook pages and instragrams with #Nowzad animal shelter Afghanistan, save its staff from certain death.

For those who don’t know Nowzad set up the first ever animal shelter in Afghanistan its has dogs, cats and even donkeys. It was set up by former royal marine Pen Farthing. It trains young women and has trained 500 young vets since it started. They will be seen as British collaborators and face certain death and for the women worse, if the 25 staff and their families are not got to the safety of the UK. Please act now as they Nowzad did for the Afghan people and our troops. Tomorrow is too late it has to tonight.

OP posts:
notimagain · 24/08/2021 16:01

@Needapoodle

Prioritising a truck makes as much sense to me as prioritising animals. It's NOT about the space in the plane. It's about the resources needed to get them on the plane and process them at other end. In this situation, humans should be the absolute priority.
One possibility of several on why this this may have happened:

1.From what I’m hearing (and it’s been well reported in the MSM) the bottle neck on the airport is screening and processing people….that’s what has being determining the flow of evacuees onto aircraft.

  1. Ramp space (space on the ground on the airport) is limited, because of this it’s being reported elsewhere that there’s a slot system . Not sure of the exact details but it’s quite possible flights may well have mandatory arrival slot and a mandatory departure slot.
  1. So…in yesterday’s case it is possible aircraft was on the ground, loading up, they get to what is known as “close out” which in in the civilian parlance is the time before departure when the load has to be finalized - no more changes …and it transpires there’s a shortfall of passengers..however might have left that payload weight/ room available to get equipment on that aircraft.

I’m not for one moment saying that is definitely what happened in this case but it is just one of several possibilities..

Sadly, and TBH, people need to realize that as we get towards the end of all this (and we might be getting towards the end right now) you are going to be seeing some equipment being flown out whilst people are outside the wire trying to get into the airport.

Fernticket · 24/08/2021 16:06

FedNlanders
I so hope your wrong😥

Tuppity · 24/08/2021 18:04

Keep checking to see any update on Facebook but none appeared yet today

Happylittlethoughts · 24/08/2021 18:14

Just popped on to see if anyone had found anything in the news that I had missed. 😪Hoping and praying for everyone who needs an exit.

SueSaid · 24/08/2021 18:14

Oh @Berkeys grow up. I'm allowed am opinion on such a high profile situation, so sorry if my views differ from yours 🙄

Yes notimagain I would guess there would have been a very good reason, do people seriously think they'd say oh forget the people lets just shift this car.

'I have a horrid feeling kng this will end terribly'

I have a feeling it may end terribly. Farthing is risking his life, his staff's lives, the personnel on the grounds life if he doesn't just get out now while he can.

Errno · 24/08/2021 20:17

@TimeIhadaNameChange I hope you don’t mind me changing the subject briefly & hijacking your thread but I know it’s being read by many compassionate people who may help spread the word.

This is copied from the Linda Norgrove Foundation, a charity working with women & girls in Afghanistan:

We are urgently campaigning to get our female staff evacuated from Kabul, where we fear for their safety.
Please support us:

  • contact your MP
  • spread this message.

More info at lindanorgrovefoundation.org/evacuate-our-afghan-staff

Doodlebug71 · 24/08/2021 20:18

@JaniieJones

'I’ve read some nonsense on here, but janiie’s posts take the biscuit. Refusing to back down after clearly being told that no animal is taking a human’s place, the argument now seems to be that it looks bad or is ‘tone deaf’.

'Nonsense'. Right.

Look this is a highly distessing situation. I want Farthing and all his staff out of there. My issue is with 'Operation Ark'. If we find out they have delayed any rescue or evacuation to save animals then that imo is very wrong. They will be putting other people at risk while doing so, they need to run and sadly forget the dogs and cats harsh though that sounds.

Have a look at the interview Wallace did with Sky News earlier today. At just past the two minute mark, he's clear that he offered Pen a place on a plane, but not his staff. Wallace is clear that he refused to allow the staff. Pen refused to leave without them.

Wallace is a gaslighting git. You appear to be refusing to allow facts to get in the way or your opinion. There's a phrase for that: cognitive dissonance.

Doodlebug71 · 24/08/2021 20:30

@JaniieJones

'In that, if it wasn't for these animals, the people around them might have no route out'

They have a route out, all his Afghan staff have been given rights of passage they just need to get their arses to the airport without trying to get 200 odd animals through checkpoints too. It is an emergency yet he is wasting time and fannying about. The time to rehome 200 pets was months ago. Now Ricky Gervais has joined in on twitter calling people counts for pointing out the animals should be left and he is wasting precious time.

The Afghan staff don't have the documents they need to get to the airport. The UK govt has refused to provide them. Pen knows that the Taliban won't let his staff through to the airport if they don't have that documentation. Go and read Pen's twitter feed, and see for yourself, instead of insisting everyone else is wrong, when *you are the one who doesn't have their facts right.

To make matters worse, the Taliban announced earlier that they're not letting any more Afghans out. It's stunning that anyone would try to twist Pen's honourable behaviour (refusing to leave his staff), but Ben Wallace has done exactly that. You apparently believe everything Wallace says. Why?

Berkeys · 24/08/2021 20:46

This reply has been deleted

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SueSaid · 24/08/2021 20:46

'The Afghan staff don't have the documents they need to get to the airport. The UK govt has refused to provide them'

One of their spokespeople was on twitter saying they did have the documentation all they needed was a 'call sign', Farthing seemed confident he could transport all the animals but they needed clearance for the animals. He has gone quiet so we can but hope there's been progress to get this whole sorry mess sorted. As people are being murdered by the taliban he really hasn't got the time to be transporting stray dogs and cats. The hysteria on twitter is quite staggering, hardly any mention of taliban atrocities just lots of frothing from people like Gervais about pets.

'To make matters worse, the Taliban announced earlier that they're not letting any more Afghans out'

Yes that does make matters worse, totally predictable though.

notimagain · 24/08/2021 20:50

Sorry, can’t see the where the gaslighting is TBH. Ben Wallace is just spelling things out:

Current situation is a passport carrying Brit (e.g. Mr Farthing) could go to the airport tonight and assuming he gets through the Taliban cordon he gets on a RAF flight.

Afghans with no connection with UK gov/HM Forces don’t get on.

All horribly straight forward..if Mr Farthing insists he won’t spilt from his workforce then 10/10 for loyalty I guess but he lives with the consequences, and above all he certainly shouldn’t get to call the shots about who the RAF fly out….

If he can genuinely can get this charter organized he’s been going on about and get permission from the US to operate it…good on him.

notimagain · 24/08/2021 20:59

*One of their spokespeople was on twitter saying they did have the documentation all they needed was a 'call sign”

Not sure what all this documentation is but a “callsign” is trivial in the schemes of things and is almost an automatic byproduct of successfully obtaining lots of other clearances/permissions.

It sounds like the spokesperson hasn’t quite got the full picture or isn’t telling the whole story.

Doodlebug71 · 24/08/2021 21:29

@JaniieJones He's gone quiet because it's 1am in Kabul.

@notimagain: Pen stated during an interview that his staff didn't have everything they needed, and would be stopped by Taliban checkpoints.

The gaslighting is Wallace insisting that Pen should leave his staff to the Taliban. You'd have Penn do that, would you?

MistySkiesAfterRain · 24/08/2021 21:30

I don't think we know all the facts but I can't help think Pen Farthing was misadvised at some point.

He was asking for fairness in a situation that is anything but, and now he has to hope for compassion from the military who are already stretched evacuating women, children and those who have been desperately waiting.

SueSaid · 24/08/2021 21:35

'He's gone quiet because it's 1am in Kabul.'

He's been quiet all afternoon and evening and you're not telling me with all this going on he'd be tucked up having a full night's sleep anyway?!

'I don't think we know all the facts but I can't help think Pen Farthing was misadvised at some point.'

No we don't but Twitter and some on here seem to think they do, as if the foreign office and all relevant departments would be going folk a blow by blow account . For example Farthing said he'd been 'cut off' yet clearly there is ongoing dialogue just perhaps not the exact provision that he is demanding. Leave the animals just get out with the staff.

Fferny1 · 24/08/2021 21:41

The US army is in charge of air traffic control. Only military planes being tightly controlled are allowed to land. A private plane will not be allowed, when the evacuations are now into the final furlough.The US troops are already starting to pull out and there are increasing restrictions on the local Afghans. I think it's too late but I'm still hoping for a miracle.

notimagain · 24/08/2021 22:22

@Doodlebug71

The gaslighting is Wallace insisting that Pen should leave his staff to the Taliban. You'd have Penn do that, would you?

Mr Wallace pointing out that if “Pen” wanted a guarantee of an “out” on an RAF aircraft he needed to get to the airport PDQ is hardly gaslighting….

notimagain · 24/08/2021 22:29

@Fferny1

The US army is in charge of air traffic control. Only military planes being tightly controlled are allowed to land. A private plane will not be allowed, when the evacuations are now into the final furlough.The US troops are already starting to pull out and there are increasing restrictions on the local Afghans. I think it's too late but I'm still hoping for a miracle.
A lot of folks in or with connections in the flying world are wondering who exactly “Pen” has lined up to do this charter…There was at least one civilian flight in/out today (kamair, an Afghan airline), whether they’d be prepared or be able to do another run, or whether anybody else would be willing and able, given the way this is all headed I guess we will see (or not).

As you say it is reported the US military are starting to extract their own personnel tonight and absolutely nothing will be allowed to get in the way of that. I’m not sure how much slack there will be in the system from now on to accept anything other than those military flights…

Berkeys · 24/08/2021 22:47

The Uk is abandoning its own Embassy cat who is one of the animals Pen Farthing and his staff want to rescue. Says it all really. I hate this government.

Berkeys · 24/08/2021 22:47

But you know, as long as the car is safe.

FedNlanders · 24/08/2021 23:40

@Berkeys

The Uk is abandoning its own Embassy cat who is one of the animals Pen Farthing and his staff want to rescue. Says it all really. I hate this government.
That says it all about the government doesn't it :(
Doodlebug71 · 25/08/2021 00:10

@JaniieJones

'He's gone quiet because it's 1am in Kabul.'

He's been quiet all afternoon and evening and you're not telling me with all this going on he'd be tucked up having a full night's sleep anyway?!

'I don't think we know all the facts but I can't help think Pen Farthing was misadvised at some point.'

No we don't but Twitter and some on here seem to think they do, as if the foreign office and all relevant departments would be going folk a blow by blow account . For example Farthing said he'd been 'cut off' yet clearly there is ongoing dialogue just perhaps not the exact provision that he is demanding. Leave the animals just get out with the staff.

Janie: You have completely ignored the information provided. I doubt he's getting much sleep, but everyone needs to rest, or they're no good to anyone.

As for the foreign office, I wouldn't trust *any govt department, especially not one with the Tories in charge of it. They're a bunch of lying, manipulating, conniving bar stewards.

From a transcript of his interview earlier today (and which you have apparently ignored, because it doesn't suit your views):

He continued: "And also, I'd like to point out, that whilst the Prime Minister has actually given and said that our staff have been granted their visas to travel to England, I've got absolutely no confirmation - nothing in writing.

"So if I get stopped at a Taliban checkpoint, they'll get turned around and he absolutely knows that I'm not leaving here without my staff.

"So I'm not going to just go to the airport and go on an airplane [sic] just so his problem goes away - that's not going to happen."

from here: www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/ex-marine-pen-farthing-pledges-5828067

Doodlebug71 · 25/08/2021 00:15

[quote notimagain]@Doodlebug71

The gaslighting is Wallace insisting that Pen should leave his staff to the Taliban. You'd have Penn do that, would you?

Mr Wallace pointing out that if “Pen” wanted a guarantee of an “out” on an RAF aircraft he needed to get to the airport PDQ is hardly gaslighting….[/quote]
Watch the interview. Wallace is absolutely gaslighting. This government excels at that.

Motherdare · 25/08/2021 01:01

Sorry if it’s been covered in the thread already.

How are the staff eligible to move to the UK? What is the criteria? I thought it was people who had worked for the British government.

Motherdare · 25/08/2021 01:31

He accuses the govt of abandoning him yet they have told him to go to the airport and get on a plane. He won’t go without his staff/animals - how is that being abandoned?

I’m sure very many people have left behind people and things that were precious to them. There will be many sad stories of personal loss. But he cannot be allowed to hold the govt to ransom and have the rules bent just for him. Either he is stupendously naive or just arrogant.