Of course my planning outline was flippant, But...

How about maybe, just spitballing here, we move our people whilst we are still in control? Cos sure as sh1t your questions hold good right now!

CG

Edit...

Hat tip to tdracer

On the subject of this thread... ;)

Despite the current sense of "never again", I think we must consider that we are in very volatile times. For that reason, I would suggest there is potential for "The West" to re-engage in conflict in Afghanistan if circumstances arise that cause "line in the sand" decisions to be made. Predicting what those circumstances or events might be is difficult, but the human world does seem to be lurching toward some sort of cataclysm. One possible (I'm not saying probable) example would be the regrowth of one or more terrorist organizations based in Afghanistan. If such an organization began conducting attacks on a large enough scale on "Western" targets, all bets are off re staying out of Afghanistan.

Apparently CDS has stated that the Taliban want an Afghanistan that is inclusive for all.

I look forward to seeing the Rainbow Flag fly above Kabul.

​​​​​​….or maybe a little honesty / less naivety from the UK MOD high paid help might be appropriate.

The President of the United States gave a 25 minute press conference this evening. He didn’t mention Afghanistan, he didn’t take questions… and then he left.

The difference between the reaction of the US and UK political establishments and their ability to allow their representatives to both question their executives and to make their views plain is stark.

Fully agree with SLXOwft on both counts, and it is also worth recalling that Admiral Key is an aviator.

Jack

I listened to that farce - and I wouldn't call it a press conference - it was simply a speech. A poor speech at that.
We have a 'leader' who's forgotten how to lead.
China must be laughing...

I have planned many a NEO and executed quite a few of them in all sorts of places. I also happened to be amongst the first in AFG in the autumn of 2001 and enjoyed Christmas dinner that year at Bagram, when it was basically nothing but mines and Soviet scrap.

Whilst some of my planning involved some out-of-the-box thinking I must confess that none of my plans started with the sudden evacuation of all military assets first, before finally turning my attention to all those pesky non-combatants left behind.

The US has in recent days managed to fly in a few thousand troops, some of whom had only just left, yet are still vastly outnumbered by the US citizens still stuck places various around Afghanistan. This is way beyond leaving your house and carelessly forgetting your wallet. This could be the prelude to the biggest loss of US citizens since, or even exceeding, the terrible events of 9/11.

Thank you. About as good as it gets in a dire situation.

I fear the run up to the Taliban deadline [sheesh! imagine that!] will be more dreadful by the day. Stone age fanatics versus a nation concerned by micro-aggressions , cultural misappropriations. and self-identification as a green wheelybin.

You actually have never have been in an Arab country.Say you have?

It does look like a deliberate show of incompetence, at a very senior level. Deliberate to what end?

Satellite images of the Afghan aircraft that fled.

Dozens Of U.S.-Bought Afghan Air Force Aircraft Are Now Orphaned At An Uzbek Airfield – Indian Defence Research Wing (idrw.org)

Dozens Of U.S.-Bought Afghan Air Force Aircraft Are Now Orphaned At An Uzbek Airfield (thedrive.com)

The intelligence agencies side of the story. Worth reading in full for the explanations of the Taliban finances and PR network.

https://www.justsecurity.org/77801/c...ng-much-worse/

CIA’s Former Counterterrorism Chief for the Region: Afghanistan, Not An Intelligence Failure — Something Much Worse

While it’s certainly convenient to depict the shock and miscalculation U.S. officials claim over Afghanistan’s tragic, rapid fall to the Taliban as an intelligence failure, the reality is far worse. It’s a convenient deflection of responsibility for decisions taken owing to political and ideological considerations and provides a scapegoat for a policy decision that’s otherwise unable to offer a persuasive defense.….

…Operating in the shadows and “supporting the White House” will prevent the intelligence community from publicly defending itself. But the failure was not due to any lack of warning, but rather the hubris and political risk calculus of decision makers whose choices are too often made in their personal and political interest or with pre-committed policy choices, rather than influenced by (sometimes inconvenient) intelligence assessments and the full interests of the country.

Extender alert
 

Went for stroll on Tuesday muggy Suffolk to see the alert birds (7 from Golden Gate and 1 from Bon Jovi Land )


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....05a2df772.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....24d9c4f99.jpeg

Speaking to one enthusiast, reckoned the crews were kipping inside since arriving and getting fed and watered from base, hence alert.

Rumor mill reckons they be supporting Fairfords finest as opposed to any AT support (30 x C-17A in/out of Ramstein).

cheers

D Tel today

Amid the widespread panic, chaos, and looting of Afghanistan’s capital by murderous Taliban thugs, 900 British military personnel are undertaking a desperate airlift mission. The urgent evacuation of as many as 4,000 British citizens, as well as thousands of entitled Afghan civilians who were employed by the British over the last twenty years, is well underway.

The soldiers, primarily drawn from Colchester-based 16 Air Assault Brigade, have been supporting efforts to secure Hamid Karzai International Airport, with patrols in its dusty surroundings, and helping to pick-up an estimated and pre-identified 6,000 British and Afghan civilians to evacuate.

Approximately 1,200 people have now been evacuated since Sunday. Whilst other nation’s flights out of Kabul may appear (one German plane carried just seven evacuees, while an Australian Hercules aircraft departed with 26) the British effort is on track to successfully evacuate roughly 1,000 people per day over the coming weeks.

These figures are doubly impressive given that this week saw only 600 British troops deployed in the first wave, the bulk from the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment.

In the guts of the airport, the troops, with remnants of the diplomatic staff, headed by the steadfast British ambassador Sir Laurie Bristow, are also assisting with the processing of visa documents, biometric details, and the administrative paperwork for the evacuating Afghans.

Infantry soldiers, trained to conduct high intensity land warfare operations in complex terrain, are coming off mentally exhausting operations - including the extraction of civilians from the streets of Kabul - to help with this processing effort, before the air crew fly the civilians out under the cover of darkness due to the Taliban artillery now in Kabul.

Whilst the military and remaining diplomatic effort are working incredibly hard, they have been let down by the hurried nature of this airlift deployment. In following America’s lead on this, Westminster has turned what should have been a simple operation into a fraught quagmire.

Of all the singular events which will come to define Britain’s twenty year Afghan campaign, none will be remembered as much as the unnecessary and rushed US-led troop withdrawal. As was noted in The Telegraph yesterday, its consequences will live on for decades to come.

But our men and women on the ground, making sure those at risk of Taliban vengeance are ushered to safety, are reminding us why Britain’s military is so well regarded around the world. They are acting with courage, humility and a quiet strength - and showing up the military leadership of countries which should be contributing more to the effort. May they return home safe in the knowledge that they’ve made us proud.

Amen to the last sentiment

We are watching a movie. Comment from a friend who has film industry experience..... " why bother getting a green screen and chroma keying the plane and people. Seems a hell of a lot of effort for what reason? " Anyone doubting this, I suggest a game of 'spot the difference' between the widely circulated still image from that video and decent online images of C17 02-1109.

So Tragic, :( finally free and a bright future ahead.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-58269533

They have named one of the men that fell from the c17, he was an Afghan youth team football player.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-58272740

USA charging for evacuation flights.

From today’s Politico London Playbook.

An absolute shocker of a story from my U.S. colleagues on POLITICO’s National Security Daily newsletter.

They report: “Even though U.S. officials tell NatSec Daily and others that evacuation flights from Kabul will be free, people trying to catch a plane in the Afghan capital say differently. One person said State Department staff were seeking large payments — up to $2,000 — from American passengers and even more from non-U.S. citizens.

When we relayed what this person told us to the State Department, a spokesperson didn’t deny that this is happening.

“U.S. law requires that evacuation assistance to private U.S. citizens or third country nationals be provided ‘on a reimbursable basis to the maximum extent practicable.’ The situation is extremely fluid, and we are working to overcome obstacles as they arise”, the spokesperson said.

Ah yes, and a U.S. citizen won't get his passeport renewed as long as he didn't pay his "evacuation flight's bill" That was the case last year, it's probably still the same now.