To ask if you think ben wallace has done a bad job?

[Needapoodle]

Loads of people on social media calling for Ben's (defence secretary) resignation over pen farthing and his operation ark.

I think ben and his department have suddenly been thrust into a highly volatile and constantly changing dangerous situation in which he has to make decisions for the good of the most amount of people possible. I also think that the insistence on evacuating hundreds of animals will undoubtedly have taken resources away from getting people out of Afghanistan and prevented human lives from being saved. I don't think that calling for ben's resignation over some animals not being able to be evacuated is reasonable at all. Or have i missed something?

How did Pen Farthing get out? Was it on the private plane he chartered or was it on a military aircraft? Has that been confirmed?

I think he is still waiting in the airport somewhere. They said he was taken to a warehouse with the animals.

Not well yes, clearly some good decisions by the Foreign Office have been made here. For the record, I would rather have seen Farthing's staff flown out than the animals.

But I reserve the right to be cynical about the current Government. Maybe that is for a different thread.

I think Pen is an utter tosser. The animals should have been euthanised and he should have left with his wife. I can't imagine the hassle this has caused the foreign office whilst already being under enormous pressure to save as many lives as possible.

where will he live?

Twitter is a cesspit

There will be people who behave badly everywhere. I have got to know/know if some good people via twitter and other social media from people involved in human rights, animal welfare through to fans of certain music. So it’s not all bad.

i hope he doesnt flood the tv/radio now

where will he live?

How would anyone know that? You want the address?
He has family and friends here.

@Odisia

How did Pen Farthing get out? Was it on the private plane he chartered or was it on a military aircraft? Has that been confirmed?

Daily Fail are reporting a private jet

i hope he doesnt flood the tv/radio now

Of course he will, he’ll want to let people know about his staff and the people of Afghanistan.

There’s a thing called an off button if you need it.

@DogFoodPie

I think he is still waiting in the airport somewhere. They said he was taken to a warehouse with the animals.

The very much rumours doing the rounds are:

1.He’s still stuck in Kabul, mobile phone network out of service due to the continuing threat of ISIS bomb attacks.

1. He is en-route to Tashkent,

1. He is en-route to Tajikistan ..

FWIW it looks like the 727 freighter that was flying between Kabul and Kulyab, Tajikistan yesterday will shortly land in Kulyab again having done another shuttle to Kabul again this morning.

where will his animals go once they are here?
such a huge operation

@MrsLargeEmbodied

i hope he doesnt flood the tv/radio now

I hope he does, to keep up the pressure and awareness of his vulnerable colleagues still trapped there.

good point @Saucery

I hope he does, to keep up the pressure and awareness of his vulnerable colleagues still trapped there.

He might want to be a bit careful about how that’s done, but I’m sure he’s well aware of that.

Such heart breaking stories coming out of people leaving with one small bag each. These are the lucky ones.

"No words can describe my feelings & nothing would heal this trauma & pain. I never imagined I’d leave my country like this with a small hand bag. Deeply n sorrow, fearful & heartbroken. All what I hv worked for & all the dreams I had are vanished & left behind"📍#Kabul Airport t.co/PNBVUE0u83

So even if his supporters are adamant he has done the right thing surely at some point they must recognise if people are leaving with the clothes on their backs and a small bag then someone else taking 200 animals is grossly unfair and inappropriate. It just seems such a gross display of white privilege.

Kabul Small animal rescue said last night that Pen and his animals had already flown out. They said that at about midnight.

I hope he does, to keep up the pressure and awareness of his vulnerable colleagues still trapped there.

Of course he will, as will Dyer, Peter Egan, Ben Abraham, Iain McGill who have all been doing lots of interviews for Pen, his staff and animals.

Why is Pen farthing going - I'm sure I read he is going to return. There were dogs homes in China when I was there, they self funded and got on with it, nothing to do with the Gov. Are the Taliban going to start shooting all stray dogs - if so why isn't it a known event already, Taliban kill animals would be regularly in the headlines - they should all have just stayed. Who the heck would have cared.

Are the Taliban going to start shooting all stray dogs - if so why isn't it a known event already,*

I’ve read and seen pics on twitter that say the Taliban are abusing and killing dogs in the last week. Shooting would have been much better than what I have read and seen.

In that case there will soon be no dogs in that part of Afghanistan - I expect it's religious reasons. I wouldn't think that is particularly a bad thing. There must be other countries with no dogs.
Why are there dogs at all if for religious reasons they aren't wanted. Possibly embassy staff abandoning them when they return home. That was the case for larger dogs in China.
Whole thing is ridiculous imv.

@HollyGrail

Why is Pen farthing going - I'm sure I read he is going to return. There were dogs homes in China when I was there, they self funded and got on with it, nothing to do with the Gov. Are the Taliban going to start shooting all stray dogs - if so why isn't it a known event already, Taliban kill animals would be regularly in the headlines - they should all have just stayed. Who the heck would have cared.

As these are ex service pets, should ISIS (or the nastier of the Taleban) have got hold of them it would be worse than shooting and on the part of ISIS probably televised. Aside from the humane considerations, strategically, it would have been highly damaging to morale.

@HollyGrail. He's going, because he's a former marine and a target. Here. Read this. metro.co.uk/2021/08/28/nowzad-pen-farthing-forced-to-leave-afghan-staff-behind-as-he-escapes-with-animals-15167441/

He wanted to get his staff out, because that was his best shot (coudln't get everyone out, but getting *some out would have been something...). So he tried to get them out, and the smear campaign against him has really taken off.

Ok, thanks, I'm better informed now.

He should have just euthanised the animals two weeks ago if he was that worried about the Taliban getting hold of them.

I'm also curious as to how cats are service animals.

I'm also curious as to how many of the dogs were street dog rescues rather than military support animals given the UK withdrew combat troops in 2014 and what will become of them in the UK where unwanted dogs are routinely put to sleep.