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LAST UPDATE | 19 Aug 2021
SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE reportedly been killed amid gunfire and a stampede at an Independence Day rally in the Afghan city of Asadabad.
The Reuters news agency reported that Taliban fighters fired at people waving the Afghanistan flag at the rally in the city, which is the capital of Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province.
Citing a witness, Reuters said it was not clear if the casualties resulted from Taliban firing or from the crush that it triggered.
The news outlet said flag-waving protesters took to the streets of more Afghan cities today as popular opposition to the Taliban spread.
Elsewhere, a staff member in the Afghan embassy in Uzbekistan told AFP that 1,500 Afghans fleeing the Taliban have crossed into the neighbouring country where some are currently living in tents near the border.
The embassy representative, who did not want to be named, could not provide details of where the refugees were being housed and how they had reached the country, citing security concerns.
He said the refugees are currently “in the Surkhandarya region near the (border) city of Termez and in Termez itself.”
Some have passports with them while others are “without identity documents”, the staff member added.
He said they reached Uzbekistan “in different ways” and that they will be “gradually sent to foreign countries”.
Meanwhile, Taliban fighters manned checkpoints around Kabul’s airport today as concerns built they were blocking Afghans from reaching evacuation flights, with the United States demanding safe passage.
Tens of thousands of people have tried to flee Afghanistan since the hardline Islamist militants swept into the capital on Sunday, completing a stunning rout of government forces and ending two decades of war.
Taliban leaders have in recent days repeatedly vowed not to seek revenge against their opponents, while seeking to project an image of tolerance.
They have also sort to portray growing political authority, with Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar returning from exile and other senior figures meeting ex-president Hamid Karzai.
But the United States said yesterday that the Taliban were reneging on pledges to allow Afghans who worked with the United States and its allies out of the country.
“We have seen reports that the Taliban, contrary to their public statements and their commitments to our government, are blocking Afghans who wish to leave the country from reaching the airport,” Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told reporters.
We expect them to allow all American citizens, all third-country nationals and all Afghans who wish to leave to do so safely and without harassment.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Tuesday that the new regime would be “positively different” from their 1996-2001 stint.
Their rule then was infamous for an ultra-strict interpretation of Sharia law, featuring deaths by stoning, girls being banned from school and women from working in contact with men.
The United States ultimately led the invasion of Afghanistan to topple the Taliban because they continued to provide sanctuary for Al-Qaeda after the September 11 attacks.
“I am desperate to leave, I have bad memories of their regime,” a 30-year-old person who worked for a foreign NGO and tried but failed to reach Kabul airport told AFP.
They hate people who have worked for other agencies rather than their movement.
The person recounted hearing shots being fired, and crowds of people trying to reach the airport.
“Despite that (the shooting) people were moving forward just because they knew a situation worse than death awaited them outside the airport.”
The United States said it had airlifted out nearly 5,000 US citizens and Afghans, while France, Britain and other nations have also organised evacuation flights.
But the Taliban have not been solely to blame for Afghans being unable to flee.
The Netherlands said yesterday its first evacuation flight returned without a single Dutch or Afghan national as US troops blocked them from entering the airport.
At the start of the week, before the US military took greater control at the airport, there were scenes of tragic desperation with mobs of people trying to board planes.
Some footage showed hundreds of people running alongside a US Air Force plane as it rolled down the runway, with some clinging to the side of it.
One person was later found dead in the wheel well of the plane.
President Joe Biden – under pressure at home and abroad over his handling of the withdrawal of US forces after 20 years of war – said yesterday that some soldiers could remain past the 31 August deadline to ensure all Americans get out.
In an interview with ABC News, Biden also issued another defence of the withdrawal.
“The idea that somehow there’s a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I don’t know how that happens,” Biden said in an ABC News television interview.
On the political front, the Taliban continued to edge towards establishing a government, meeting with senior Afghan figures from the past two decades.
Taliban negotiator Anas Haqqani met with Karzai, the first Western-backed leader of Afghanistan after the Taliban’s ouster in 2001, and Abdullah Abdullah, who had led the government’s peace council, the SITE monitoring group said.
In the United Arab Emirates, ousted president Ashraf Ghani – who fled on Sunday as the insurgents closed in on the capital – said he supported negotiations between the Taliban and former top officials, and was in his own talks to return home.
But Sherman said Ghani was “no longer a figure” on the country’s complex political stage.
With reporting from AFP © – AFP, 2021
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“I am desperate to leave, I have bad memories of their regime,” a 30-year-old person who worked for a foreign NGO and tried but failed to reach Kabul airport told AFP. Granted I can’t fathom what is happening there at the moment but when I see quotes from a 30 year old who’d rather run than stand and fight for their country the question has to be asked. If the Afghan people won’t fight for their country why should the rest of the world?.
@Roy Dowling: subsistence farmers wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight against a well trained militia
@James Godson: Afghanistan has a population of 35 to 40 Million. Are they all farmers?. The person in the article I quoted isn’t a farmer and rather than fight they are running. If a 30 year old Afghan isn’t willing to put their life on the line for there country why should a 30 year old foreign soldier be expected put their life on the line for the same country.
@Roy Dowling: so you want an unarmed man to go up against them?
I suppose its great being able to be super critical of a man that may have seen beheading as a child, all the while you make your critical comment while in your comfy chair with no dangers to your life.
Life is hard for you.
@Barry Somers: Says the guy in the arm chair reply to me. Tell me did the Afghan army have no arms to fight with? There is no shortage of weapons in Afghanistan. There is a shortage of people willing to use them to fight with though. They are literally leaving there arms behind for Taliban to take. As the nice picture of the Taliban with a Humvee and a 50 Cal machine gun shows.
@Roy Dowling: Would you not direct your criticism against the countries that created this mess. For 20 years the U.S. have gone around in circles in Afghanistan. The U.S. stated at the time of the invasion, they invaded to destroy Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. Ironically when they got him it was in Pakistan, a country certainly not known for human rights and the treatment of women. The world is now in outcry about the danger to women in Afghanistan. Didn’t hear much outcry when the U.S. and the coalition bombed the s..t out if Afghanistan. Collateral damage .
@Donal Desmond: You don’t hear about the peace or stability of the last 20 odd years, you don’t hear about the women that could access education and are now professionals, you don’t hear about the business opportunities in Kabul, you don’t hear about the families that relocated freely, you don’t hear.
@Donal Desmond: I have expressed lots of criticism for the US and UK. But the reality is the Taliban was in power when the US and UK invaded. So if the invasion didn’t happen the people in Afghanistan would have suffered 20 more years of what is happening now. Granted the last 20 years have not been great but the Afghani people got a taste of freedom, women in particular. But when it comes to fighting to keep those freedom the Afghan people didn’t. They let the Taliban roll in and bring them back to the dark ages. Instead of fighting for their country they want to leave it. So why should the US and UK risk more of their troop when all they see now is the afghan army turn and run and the Afghan people climbing over themselves to leave the country..
@Roy Dowling: No nation that ever occupied the region of Afghanistan/Peshawar/Pakistan ever did so for its people, they have done so for strategic advantage.
People that are now trying to leave Afghanistan are experiencing a fight or fight response and the reality is that flight is the option most people choose, when they are put in that position, it’s not just in this instance.
Any natural disaster, attack or accident of any kind, anywhere in the world, has many more people running or walking away from it, than there are running towards it.
In todays world we could actually redefine it as the fight, flight or livestream response, yet its still the minority of people that run towards danger of any kind.
@Roy Dowling: tosser
@Marko: Nice intelligent comment there by a guy hiding behind a fake name. Tell me why am I a tosser thinking Afghan people should fight the Taliban for there country?
@David Van-Standen:None of than answers my question. Why should foreign soldiers risk there lives for a country who’s army turned and ran and who’s people are doing the same. If they don’t want to fight why should they expect others to fight for them?
@Roy Dowling: no fake name here pal. I’ve seen your constructive comments on several Afghanistan articles on here. The old you “should do this” chestnut as you type away on your mobile prob sitting in your D4 Georgian mansion! Have you applied to the department of foreign affairs as a diplomat to Afghanistan seen as you know so much
@Roy Dowling: Theres Roy. In his ivory tower demanding ordinary Afghans fight back and if they don’t, tough luck. Another “over night” expert on the ordinary citizens of Afghanistan. Get yourself over there, arm them up and tell them how cowardly they are trying to leave. Always one.
@Barry Somers: 30 mill agains 80 k could do it by bare arms. they judt dont want to.
@Marko: who claimed I know so much. Simply asking why should others fight for country who’s people have given up on it and would rather leave. You seem to be deflecting from my question and throw out insults and guessing where I live. I’ll like to hear you actually input on my question if that’s not to hard.
@Gavin Mckenna: Who said I’m an expert? You think I should go over there risk my life arm them. I’m asking why should I risk myself for their country when they won’t risk there’s for it?.
Again they had guns they dropped them and ran so what’s the point in arming them again?
@Roy Dowling: I’d say you’ve impressive strength in those fingers from the keyboard pounding to fight your way out of a wet paper bag, just about! If the shoe was on the other foot I’d imagine you’d be fighting alright, cowering under your mother’s apron no doubt. Don’t complain about people not willing to fight etc. when you have never faced such a situation yourself, you can type and fire off as many comments as you like, however the harsh reality is, your comments are worthless compared to a bullet!
@Roy Dowling: I have no input as I’m not an expert on Afghanistan so I choose not to talk absolute rubbish on here ! I’m merely pointing out the type of person you are who knows everything and they should do what Roy Dowling thinks is right !I think I’m fair in my assessment though by the number of people who’ve called you out on here as a typical armchair specialist!
@This time its personable!: agreed
@This time its personable! I’m entitled to my opinion and I gave it. When 300 thousand soldiers armed with modern weapons and aircraft turn and run from and estimated 80 thousand militia forces. When a county of 35-40 million can return to the dark ages because of 80thousand I will questions why the people of said country won’t Fight for their country. You don’t like it I don’t really care. I dont see you offering any helpful comments either.
Tell me what do you think of the Afghan army who fled and left there weapon for the Taliban to have?. Tell me what should an 30 year American soldiers put his life in the line when he sees 30 year old afgan men hanging onto planes the side of planes instead of fighting
@Marko: Again you deflect form the question I asked. Why?. What’s so hard about answering a simple question.
Why should a foreign army risk there lives to fight for Afghanistan when there own army and people won’t risk there’s. It’s not a hard question so please answer it instead of deflecting.
@Roy Dowling: Then you didnt read my response, no occupying force that ever occupied that region ever did so to fight for its people, not in the last 20 years and not in the last two hundred.
The people trying to leave are not asking anyone to fight for them either, just help in fleeing the Taliban, that have once again taken over Afghanistan and are intent on turning it back into a islamic utopia ruled by the most extreme interpretation of Sharia law.
The “Afghan army” are not a national army based on pride in the defence of Afghanistan, they were an attempt by the USA to put in place a regime they could control from afar, much like they did in Iran and iraq in the past, most recruits joined to earn money and to get paid bribes, not because they wanted to fight for the regime.
@David Van-Standen: I did read your comment. Fully agree with you about the Americans. But still Afghanistan had 35-40 million people there. 80 thousand Taliban forces took less than 2 weeks to bring 35-40 million back to the dark ages. they know exactly what the Taliban will do now there back in power and they let them. Instead of picking up a gun and fighting the Taliban the men would charge a runway and climb onto the wings of a moving plane and demand they be evacuated. I can’t fathom why why a whole country would refuse to fight and run when they know what wik happen to those that are left behind.
@Maximus_Demonus: Stability? The fact coalition troops have quietly leaving Afghanistan, The withdrawal of U.S. troops has led Afghanistan all but disappearing from the news. Until the Taliban stormed back to power. The U.S.has not denied part of the deal with the Taliban was to not attack U.S. or coalition troops . Afgan forces were not included in this deal. Agree the lives of Afgan people will probably revert back to a version of religion that Christianity held in the dark ages. The rights of women, education, Stability? Didn’t seem to worry the U.S. when they struck a deal with the Taliban.
@Roy Dowling: Have you ever stood your ground against an armed assailant in real life?
Would you respond to a call to arms to defend Ireland today against 150,000 Taliban, delivered by Micheal Martin and Leo Varadker as they boarded a plane to leave the country?
Would you pack up your family and anything of value you could carry and try to escape? Or head out unarmed to engage them in a firefight for your fifteen seconds of glory?
@David Van-Standen: when did the Taliban suddenly get an Extra 70 thousands troops. Last reports were they were 80thousand strong. Would I call arms for Martin or varadker no I would do it regardless of them. You certainly won’t find me clinging to the outside of an American plane demanding to be evacuated.
The country had arms they chose to abandon those arms and run..
@David Van-Standen: look at that nice humvee with a 50 cal machine gun the Taliban have that was one many hundreds of thousands of arm the Afghan army and people had that they didn’t use. So give over with the they are unarmed. They only reason they are now us because they threw down there arms and ran.
@Roy Dowling: I won’t answer something I know nothing about! What’s so hard for you to understand this concept instead of you accusing me of deflecting? Haha
@Roy Dowling: It sounds like you served your time in all the combat zones of call of duty…
@Marko: not accusing you. You are 100% deflecting. Have a good day
@David Van-Standen: won’t lie. don’t mind a bit of call of duty. What has that got to do with Afghans throwing down there weapons and running from the Taliban. Your the very one who said no foreign army ever went in and for the benefit of the Afghan people. But you’ve nothing to say about the fact the Afghan people won’t do whats best for them. Apparently they free the Taliban but they let it take the country without a fight.
@Roy Dowling: I will I’m currently drinking bacardi and coke on the beach earning 20% laughing at ya in rainy old Ireland ! Hehe
@Marko: Good for you. But as your hiding behind a fake name it’s just as likely your sitting in your childhood bedroom with one hand down your jocks eating a donor kebab and beer beside you.
@Marko: Either way keep on topic and answer the question please.
@Roy Dowling: haha whatever you’re into there ! Mr I have 0 followers on Twitter! Faker than a pair of Katie Prices boobies
@James Godson: The US did it. The Vietnamese did it. French did it. We did it.
@Roy Dowling: Roy owning it on here! It’s far too easy to blame the US for this. They undoubtedly are bullies who only look after themselves. But it’s hard to argue with Roys point here
@Marko: You can’t comment on here without a Facebook or Twitter account I don’t use either so I set up a twitter account in my name that my parents gave me unlike you who made up a name to hide behind. Not sure about Twitter as you can tell by the fact I’ve never tweeted but is the 11 followers you have really impressive. And how many of those 11 follower are accounts you also made up?
@Roy Dowling: haha bye Roy I’m off to enjoy my moijto:)
@Marko: slan.
@James Godson: You need to read his comment again. They’ve been trained with TRILLIONS of $ for DECADES by the greatest military on Earth to fight these warmongers and here you are portraying them as Biden does blacks on the US: incapable of getting an ID or understanding how to use a computer. There must be a label for that kind if racism.
@Roy Dowling: You should be asking that question to the regimes who invaded the country….. The fact of the matter is normal afghan people want out, regardless of what you or anyone else thinks…. They lived the nightmare, im assuming you didnt….
@Roy Dowling: you’re more than entitled to your opinion. However, you’ve condemned people for not taking up arms and fighting themselves when you’ve zero experience of the situation and I’d guess you’ve never even seen anything remotely close to war let alone anything like the Taliban. As mentioned, you can have an opinion but that’s all it is, your opinion just like mine. None of us know the truth until staring at it, and probably even then won’t realised what it is!
@Roy Dowling: Did you ever consider why the Afgan Army did not fight? A corrupt government, and for all their training by the U.S./British they were led my a corrupt system they had no loyalty to. Afghanistan did not have 20 years of peace, constant air attacks , drones, and civil war in the country side. Yes there was improvements in education, but like in Vietnam U.S. policy was flawed. Once they invaded.. No plan of what to do….Again like Vietnam they had no plan on how to get out. Now people point the finger at the Afgans…Victim blaming at it’s best .
We must remember the Tailiban were once the Mujahideen who defeated the Russians in Afghanistan with weapons supplied by the Americans. I remember in 1984 they were praised by the British and Irish as heroes in their guerrilla war that defeated the might of the Russian army.
@Fred Fender: the media is as always full of absolute shllt
@Fred Fender: you’re absolutely right but Irish people cheers for hamas too and Cuba. But you will find if you scratch the surface it’s only a small vocal minority
@Fred Fender: I believe the current Taliban are the orphans from that way. They grew up in the Pakistan as refugees with no parents
@Tom Ripley: The Taliban were never the Mujaheddin, they were created by the Pakistani ISI in 1994 from child refugees residing in Pakistan who were indoctrinated into extremist ideology by Saudi funded madrasas and trained in ISI run military training camps.
That said, they did emerge from the general chaos of the Soviet–Afghan War that the US was deeply involved in, though at it’s periphery. If the US was never involved, who know, may be the ISI would not have created the Taliban.
This explains Pakistan’s founding and early support Of The Taliban:
Pakistan’s Support of the Taliban – https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/afghan2/Afghan0701-02.htm
And this paper explores the recent (up to 10 years ago) relationship between the Pakistani security services and the Taliban, drawing on over a dozen interviews with Taliban fighters and commanders as well as government officials and diplomats:
The Sun in the Sky: the relationship between Pakistan’s ISI and Afghan insurgents – https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/117472/DP%2018.pdf
That’s a nice American humvee.
@ben: was thinking same… Guns are what? I bet alot of the tools they are using is mainly made in the USA..
@Roman Walczak-Sadlowski: Suppled to the Afghan army and in all likelihood, captured by the Taliban.
@ben: I wonder was there a phone number left inside by a nice American business man who is willing to supply spare parts and other military accessories?
@ben: Biden did this. Not the Americans. Make him own it.
@Shea Fitzgerald: Thanks, Uncle Biden!
@Contrary Mary: How is it Joe bidens fault the Afghan army didn’t fight. Also like how you ignore the fact Trump made a deal with the Taliban so he could begin the pulling us troops out.
@Roy Dowling: How is it the Americans? Lol See how stoopid this argument is?
@Contrary Mary: Never claimed it was. But your blaming Biden. First off all the American military has been selling weapons to Afghanistan since Bush, so how is it bidens fault? Secondly Biden didn’t start the process of taking us forces from Afghanistan Trump did. He also made a deal with the Taliban so us forces wouldn’t be targeted as they pulled out.
So they are asking for help … again. For 20 years the hard earned money of taxpayers was sent to Afghanistan. The figures of the whole amount are between 2 and 3 trillion US dollars. Roads and schools were built, teachers hired and trained. We trained them an army of 180000 soldiers and gave modern equipment to them. In addition 120000 policemen were trained and equipped. Within 10 days 80000 Taliban caught the whole country with barely any shot being fired. No resistance against this occupation as probably the majority of the Afghan people welcomed the Taliban.
But yes, of course, it is the fault of us, the people of the Western countries.
@Claudia Varell: The Taliban is using social media to extend hate and hysteria in the West. By the looks of the usual comments here, many of us are weak enough to give them what they want.
Catch 22
People want to leave Afghanistan because they’re afraid the Taliban will kill them for working for the Americans.
But In order to get through the checkpoint to the Airport to leave they must first show the Taliban their green card that shows they worked for the Americans.
if 50 thousand rebels can take over a country with 30 million, surely 1,000 could take over ireland with 4 million, estimating guys…. i see rte they getting very angry on 9pm news. let them in here. bring 20,000.
Oh,look , a big tough guy with a heavy machine gun , so brave. but take it away from him and he is just a nobody.
I always wondered how they could tell who was with them and who was against them when they fought as they have no uniforms or badges. Maybe it encourages the civil enemy to join without prejudice . Not sure but seems crazy.
@Euro McPúnty:
As a daughter whose parents grew up during the Spanish civil war I can tell you that there will be no problem identifying who supported who, they will be pointed out by their neighbours!
They will be humiliated and massacred!
@Apixikin: even in Ireland neighbours hated neighbours for decades because 9f the civil war, given the right situation and opportunity for revenge etc neighbours will often willingly name people
@Barry Somers: Sadly true. There’s almost nothing worse than a civil war. Any young republic that has endured one still remembers how grim it was.
Isn’t it interesting to see that the Taliban in the picture are using American military equipment to impose their check points.
The arms industry worldwide has made billions supplying weapons into Afghanistan. Now this source of income has ended we should watch closely for where the next international crisis develops. The arms industry can’t survive without a conflict somewhere. My bet is on somewhere that China has an interest. What out Mongolia!
@John Vectravi: That’s possibly a Humvee gifted to the Taliban by the Afghan army.
@Claudia Varell: yes and gifted to the Afghani army by the Americans. How ironic.
@John Vectravi: Stop blaming the US for everything here. The Afghan army was given these items and decades of training to fight against the Taliban. They, and the people, obviously don’t mind being under their rule. They are not all subsistence farmers. Some even now how to use computers.
Fight back the Afghan Army totally collapsed did not put up any fight and that is what was missing in all this now we have a refugee crisis all because the army refused to fight.
Kabul Catch 22
People want to leave Afghanistan because they’re afraid the Taliban will kill them for working for the Americans.
But In order to get through the checkpoint to the Airport to leave they must first show the Taliban their green card that shows they worked for the Americans.
so what happens now to the war machine of industry, if they can’t wash money through Afghanistan. the Pentagon gona need a new conflict, especially now that Joe ent so popular. A good auld war will help him get votes. …
have your say