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U.S Struggles To Speed Kabul Airlift Despite Taliban, Chaos

Published

3 years ago

August 20, 2021

Editor

The United States struggled Thursday to pick up the pace of American and Afghan evacuations at Kabul airport, constrained by obstacles ranging from armed Taliban checkpoints to paperwork problems. With an Aug. 31 deadline looming, tens of thousands remained to be airlifted from the chaotic country.

Taliban fighters and their checkpoints ringed the airport — major barriers for Afghans who fear that their past work with Westerners makes them prime targets for retribution.

Hundreds of Afghans who lacked any papers or clearance for evacuation also congregated outside the airport, adding to the chaos that has prevented even some Afghans who do have papers and promises of flights from getting through.

It didn’t help that many of the Taliban fighters could not read the documents.

In a hopeful sign, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in Washington that 6,000 people were cleared for evacuation Thursday and were expected to board military flights in coming hours.

That would mark a major increase from recent days. About 2,000 passengers were flown out on each of the past two days, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

Kirby said the military has aircraft available to evacuate 5,000 to 9,000 people per day, but until Thursday far fewer designated evacuees had been able to reach, and then enter, the airport.

Kirby told reporters the limiting factor has been available evacuees, not aircraft. He said efforts were underway to speed processing, including adding State Department consular officers to verify paperwork of Americans and Afghans who managed to get to the airport. Additional entry gates had been opened, he said.

And yet, at the current rate it would be difficult for the U.S. to evacuate all of the Americans and Afghans who are qualified for and seeking evacuation by Aug. 31.

President Joe Biden said Wednesday he would ensure no American was left behind, even if that meant staying beyond August, an arbitrary deadline that he set weeks before the Taliban climaxed a stunning military victory by taking Kabul last weekend.

It was not clear if Biden might consider extending the deadline for evacuees who aren’t American citizens.

At the airport, military evacuation flights continued, but access remained difficult for many. On Thursday, Taliban militants fired into the air to try to control the crowds gathered at the airport’s blast walls.

Men, women and children fled. U.S. Navy fighter jets flew overhead, a standard military precaution but also a reminder to the Taliban that the U.S. has firepower to respond to a combat crisis.

There is no accurate figure of the number of people — Americans, Afghans or others — who are in need of evacuation as the process is almost entirely self-selecting.

For example, the State Department says that when it ordered its nonessential embassy staff to leave Kabul in April after Biden’s withdrawal announcement, fewer than 4,000 Americans had registered for security updates.

The actual number, including dual U.S.-Afghan citizens along with family members, is likely much higher, with estimates ranging from 11,000 to 15,000. Tens of thousands of Afghans may also be in need of escape.

Compounding the uncertainty, the U.S. government has no way to track how many registered Americans may have left Afghanistan already. Some may have returned to the United States but others may have gone to third countries.

At the Pentagon, Kirby declined to say whether Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had recommended to Biden that he extend the Aug. 31 deadline.

Given the Taliban’s takeover of the country, staying beyond that date would require at least the Taliban’s acquiescence, he said.

He said he knew of no such talks yet between U.S. and Taliban commanders, who have been in regular touch for days to limit conflict at the airport as part of what the White House has termed a “safe passage” agreement worked out on Sunday.

“I think it is just a fundamental fact of the reality of where we are, that communications and a certain measure of agreement with the Taliban on what we’re trying to accomplish has to occur,” Kirby said.

Of the approximately 2,000 people airlifted from the airport in the 24 hours ended Wednesday morning, nearly 300 were Americans, Kirby said. U.S. lawmakers were briefed Thursday morning that 6,741 people had been evacuated since Aug. 14, including 1,762 American citizens and Green Card holders, according to two congressional aides.

Additional American troops continued to arrive at the airport. As of Thursday there were about 5,200, including Marines who specialize in evacuation coordination and an Air Force unit that specializes in emergency airport operations. Biden has authorized a total deployment of about 6,000.

Hoping to secure evacuation seats are American citizens and other foreigners, Afghan allies of the Western forces, and women, journalists, activists and others most at risk from the fundamentalist Taliban.

(AP)

Related Topics:Afghanistan Taliban U.S. Syria

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INEC Warns Against Incumbency Power Abuse In Edo, Ondo

Published

57 mins ago

May 17, 2024

Editor

Ahead of the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has cautioned against the abuse of incumbency power.

Yakubu noted that a situation where a ruling party denied the opposition access to campaign spaces often resulted in a breach of peace.

He appealed for security protection for both the personnel and materials that INEC would be deploying for the upcoming elections.

The Edo State governorship election is scheduled for September 21, 2024, while the Ondo State election will be held on November 16, 2024.

The Continuous Voter Registration in both states will run simultaneously from Monday, May 27, to Wednesday, June 5, from 9 am to 3 pm daily, including weekends.

Campaigns by political parties in Edo State began on April 24, 2024, and would conclude at midnight on September 19, 2024.

Speaking on Thursday at a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in Abuja, Yakubu underscored the responsibility of security agencies to ensure the enforcement of the law throughout the election period, stressing the importance of a peaceful and orderly process.

He also called on the security agencies to maintain vigilance over the electioneering process, to prevent violent attacks and negative mobilisation by political parties, candidates, and their supporters during campaigns.

He said, “We need security protection for the registrants, registration personnel, equipment, observers, and journalists that will cover the CVR exercise.

“I urge you to keep your eyes on the electioneering process to prevent violent attacks or negative mobilisation by political parties, candidates, and their supporters during their campaigns.

“Similarly, the use of the power of incumbency to deny opposition parties and candidates access to public facilities, such as radio and television stations, public buildings for campaigns and rallies, or even outdoor advertising through the imposition of excessive fees and levies often results in the breach of the peace.

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“These actions, including the mutual destruction of campaign materials and facilities, violate the provisions of Sections 91 to 97 of the Electoral Act 2022. The security agencies must ensure the enforcement of the law,” he said.

The National Security Adviser and co-chair of ICCES, Nuhu Ribadu, stressed the need for the same level of dedication and effort in the forthcoming elections as was demonstrated in previous ones.

Ribadu highlighted the importance of strategic deployment, cautioning against overwhelming the system with excessive numbers.

Represented by the Director of Internal Security in the ONSA, Hassan Abdullahi, the NSA said, “The same efforts for the previous elections would be extended to the forthcoming elections.

“However, we need to be careful in our deployment in terms of numbers so that we will not overburden the system.”

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JUST IN: Court Denies Binance Executive, Gambaryan Bail

Published

2 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Editor

A Federal High Court Abuja, on Friday denied the bail application of a crypto currency firm executive, Tigran Gambaryan.

Justice Emeka Nwite, while delivering the ruling held that the bail application is refused as he has carefully gone through the application submitted before him and resolved that the defendant will jump bail if granted.

Gambaryan, his company, Binance Holdings Limited and a fellow top executive currently on the run, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, with money laundering and terrorism financing .

Details shortly….

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Malnutrition: UNICEF Introduces Liquid Supplement To Enhance Child Nutrient

Published

3 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Editor

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has introduced a liquid base supplement to enhance a child’s nutrient diet in order to wage war against malnutrition in Nigeria.

Mrs Philomena Irene, UNICEF’s Nutrition Specialist, Bauchi Field Office, stated this in Gombe on Thursday during a two-day media dialogue on Age-Appropriate Complementary Feeding for Children Aged 6-23 months.

According to her, the intervention was being carried out by the Progressive Action on Resilient System Through Innovation and Partnership (PARSNIP) project of UNICEF.

She however, explained that the project was being implemented in Dukku, Kaltungo and Kwame Local Government Areas of Gombe state.

She said the project basically focused on enhancing young children’s nutrient diet with the liquid base supplements, adding that the commodity is nutrient rich and has both protein, energy, 15 minerals and vitamins.

“It’s for children under the age of 6 to 23 months by adding it to their food. It was formulated for children living in severe food poverty.

“It has shown that these children living in severe food poverty can’t even have a meal in a day that is rich with five food groups which is the minimum.

“The idea is, if you give them one of the sachets of this commodity, they have taken one meal a day that is nutrient dense which contains 100 to 120 calories a day.

“It has protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins,” she said.

The UNICEF Nutrition Specialist also explained that under the project, UNICEF also helps the states to create an enabling environment, health system strengthening and improving diet and practices.