Hi everyone, it’s my first break after however many days I last posted. Spent most of the last few days in the south getting people out via planes. Now back in Kabul city itself assisting with getting high-risk Afghans to the airport safely, a much more organised airport than was shown yesterday in the media. There has been a lot of confusion, and selfishness. Britain should run ATC: they’re trusted, calm, have the expertise - but US wants to control, which is panicking other countries and delaying their aircraft. US need to think outside the box: instead of boasting about shoving 600 people on a 300 seat plane, work with the UAE and get their A380s making short runs to a neighbouring country where you can use local and evacuated embassy staff to organise and process on the ground in safety. That’s 850 people a trip, on a much shorter flight than to the Gulf. We estimate that could clear 10,000 people in 12 hours using 10 planes. While they do now have a system, it’s not the most efficient system, and they’re still trying to process visas partly on the ground of an airport half controlled by the Taliban. India and Italy refused anyone who wasn’t on their lists, and left with half/ two thirds empty aircraft - so refuse them landing permission! Only those who are willing to engage with pushing as many arses on planes as possible should be using the limited resources available.
I appreciate that there is a lot of praise of ambo, but he wasted an entire day of the SAS who could have returned after he was out and helped get people out from the city - a job I’m now doing with a team of only six people (a standard single unit for this work is 8), at significantly more risk than when they could have started. Sometimes what seems brave and heroic is a vast waste of resources that does more for the ego/public image than the people who matter. Equally, it meant the UK government stuck with a policy of visa processing on the ground for too long due to his assurances of being able to ‘manage it’. Raab also needs to stop increasing presence 200 troops at a time, and instead take a pause and reflect on the amount of troops the military say they need to secure the airport properly and get everyone out from across the country. Send 1.5x that number. Getting troops out is easy if drawdown plans are followed, civilians are difficult. Relying on the Americans to stay after they get whoever they care about out is a mistake that will cost lives.
I know there is some discussion of why so many men at the airport. This is largely due to the way visas are processed: the person who worked for the organisation has to make the application/be processed first; and then when landed, they can apply for their family to follow. While countries insisted on the visa process being followed, it made sense for men to go first - especially as travelling through Kabul is dangerous. There are lots of women/children at the airport, but they are waiting inside.
I don't work for the UK govt, but desperately am trying to get some young women (they founded a successful feminist NGO) visas/permission to go there, so if anyone has contacts they don't mind me reaching out to, please let me know. They're incredible young women, and I don't want them to die because they are a 'lower priority' category. I'm happy to make a large donation to cover all costs if there is a group that can get them to safety.