Is anyone else looking at Afghanistan?

[PickUpAPepper]

I'm unhappy about the abandonment of these women in Afghanistan. Johnson's speech is the usual male-centred self-justificatory claptrap. Freedom, justice, equality and even terrorism - all of it only means anything when men or money are involved. These women deserve freedom from the Taliban, and support to find it.

news.sky.com/story/i-dont-want-them-to-die-bitterness-resentment-and-fear-as-afghanistans-new-generation-left-to-fend-for-themselves-12349139

There were lots of pro Biden threads on here i hope thise mumsnetters who were fiercely advocating for him now hang their heads in shame at how they championed this man

@HereticFanjo

I'm really struggling with this. It's just so terrifyingly swift and for the people living there it must be a nightmare. Just feel so powerless to help. What can we do to help?

At the moment, not much

We can't invade. There isn't an alternative government to prop up and aid (and who could invire firing troops back in)

Right now, the best we can hope for is securing a permissive environment for evacuations. I can see good reasons why the Taliban would allow foreigners to leave (unless they fancy having some western hostages) but I fear it may be too late to get out any remaining locally employed staff of governments, NGOs or international contractors

Yes I've got a feeling the Taliban are hanging back just long enough for the last US evacuees,including most of the journalists, to go before closing in.

I didn't see it coming - but you're right dreamstate Biden did have clear beliefs on this that I didn't see based on clips now on Twitter.

But the withdrawal was initially negotiated by Trump, I understand, so the Republicans need not crow about anything.

This is a most spectacular failure for Western intelligence agencies. I see Boris Johnson does now plan to recall Parliament - but like everything else he does, it will be too little too late.

Yes IMHO they should try and get everybody out who had connections (direct and close family) with the UK…however given the rate at which things are falling apart that might simply not be possible….once you’ve lost control of the roads (which it’s rumoured has happened) then you’ll be limited by airlift capacity and how long any such operation will be allowed to continue.

Even if you do that, what about their families, what about the women teachers, doctors, judges? Beauticians? Hairdressers?

Airlifts are dangerous, the Taliban still have RPGs.

Airlifts are dangerous,

I’m aware

the Taliban still have RPGs.

The Taliban now don’t even need anything as fancy as RPGs or even surface to air missiles to stop any airlift : mortars, artillery, even small arms will stop airport/air traffic..there’s also the (diplomatic) issue of the US/USA continuing to need to overfly neighbouring countries possibly with military aircraft in order to access Afghan airspace, so neighbouring states need to be kept on onside for any large scale evacuation by air to continue.

The President is now reported to have fled the country, so that is it - the Taliban are in charge.

I think everyone is in shock at the speed of collapse. How is this possible after 20 years? What have our people been doing out there?

The US Embassy in Afghanistan is reporting that there is a fire inside Kabul Airport (from Twitter).

Just dreadful - a completely avoidable situation. By the time the international 'community' gets a refugee plan together the cost in lives lost will be enormous.

Although “taking fire” might also be interpreted as Under Fire, I e shots being fired. Whatever the scenario, fcckkkk. I mean, that’s the only word…..

There is a thread on Twitter about what we can do to help. The main thing is to contact your local MP and demand that they open the borders to Afghan refugees and grant them a safe haven. We have to put pressure on the government to allow everyone who helped British soldiers: drivers, interpreters, the Afghan soldiers etc AND THEIR FAMILIES to come to the U.K. , although how they will leave Afghanistan I have no idea.

I take it the plane loads of British soldiers who flew out of Brize Norton last night have returned home…

And then there’s this on Twitter….the killing has started. I want to weep for those poor souls.

@FlorisFigure

And then there’s this on Twitter….the killing has started. I want to weep for those poor souls.

Your weeping now? The killing in that country hasn't stopped for decades

Biden not having second thoughts 13.8.21:
www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/taliban-gains-ground-biden-grapples-ghosts-saigon-n1276727

"The Taliban is not the North Vietnamese Army, they're not," Biden said on July 8. "They're not remotely comparable in terms of capability. There's going to be no circumstance for you to see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy of the United States from Afghanistan. It is not at all comparable."

Dominic Raab has been on holiday abroad all this week, all through the fall of Afghanistan, only returning today.

Meanwhile, the UK ambassador is not yet out of Kabul, and he's still at the embassy. It's now come out that the airport is under fire and no longer considered safe. How we'll get the UK ambassador & embassy staff out, fuck knows.

Then there's the local staff. We won't get them out now, it's too late for them, and they will likely be raped and/or forced married (same thing) and/or tortured (same thing) and/or killed.

Dominic Raab clearly and unequivocally needs to resign. If Boris Johnson could fuck off at the same time, all the better.

"Dominic Raab clearly and unequivocally needs to resign. If Boris Johnson could fuck off at the same time, all the better."

1000000000% agree

How we'll get the UK ambassador & embassy staff out, fuck knows.

They must be terrified. The odds of getting them out now are really low.

It's now come out that the airport is under fire and no longer considered safe. How we'll get the UK ambassador & embassy staff out, fuck knows

Most embassy staff have left. The Ambassador is not leaving whilst there are still people to be evactuated (British nationals, possibly Afghans employed by the British government, and judging from what Boris just said, possibly some ideally all the Chevening scholars)

Various newspapers reporting the Ambassador has SF protection. He might not be able to stay much longer, but he'll be the last out.

It's quite heartening to see at least some efforts to do the right thing until it becomes completely impossible

I was refreshing my memory of events in Iran after the Shah was deposed and came across these pictures of the day thousands of women protested against the new hijab law. The young girls in this picture look so worried and heartbroken.

Just overnight women's rights can be snatched away, and replaced with violence and terror and worse.

designyoutrust.com/2018/10/rare-photographs-document-iranian-women-protest-against-the-hijab-law-in-march-1979/

Dominic Raab clearly and unequivocally needs to resign. If Boris Johnson could fuck off at the same time, all the better

Yes

100,000 women. All counting for nothing.

@PicsInRed

Dominic Raab has been on holiday abroad all this week, all through the fall of Afghanistan, only returning today.

Meanwhile, the UK ambassador is not yet out of Kabul, and he's still at the embassy. It's now come out that the airport is under fire and no longer considered safe. How we'll get the UK ambassador & embassy staff out, fuck knows.

Then there's the local staff. We won't get them out now, it's too late for them, and they will likely be raped and/or forced married (same thing) and/or tortured (same thing) and/or killed.

Dominic Raab clearly and unequivocally needs to resign. If Boris Johnson could fuck off at the same time, all the better.

The man is allowed a holiday just like you take a holiday at work and your team and other people cover you whilst your off.

Then there are lots of people saying it all came as a surprise how fast it happened, posters on here, political people etc. So a person can be ketp up to speed whilst on 'holiday' and the situation changed suddenly and now he is back.

Jus trike most ceo and directors who go on leave they never really are on leave, they still check in and are kept up to date

With people being able to work remotely and this pandemic showing it has been beneficial without affecting productivity in majority of cases, whats the problem if he is physically not in this country

@FannyCann

100,000 women. All counting for nothing.

When did we ever? The Taliban only encode strictly the same rules we all here: don’t go out by yourself, don’t wear anything that might tempt men. Why is it not men that have to pay for men’s inadequacies and crimes?

Hear, not here. As if it matters.

Our governments are willing to abandon the women and girls in Afghanistan. It tells me exactly what they would do to us as well.

As an American, I am absolutely terrified. The Democrats are in power. They are the party that supposedly stands for Women’s Rights, but we have always known that commitment had limits. I never imagined it would be this extreme. I should have known better.