Taliban takeover of Afghanistan

The countries that took part in the Afghanistan intervention have a responsibility to take in the Afghans they worked with, promoted to whatever position in politics or society, and to members of the ruling party
It's not a question of being woke - being woke is what pertains to taking immigrants from the whole world and setting up a 'global society' in your own countries.
But here it's more a matter of being a serious country and one that doesn't betray the people who tied their fates to it, and when the whole thing collapses - taking people fleeing for their lives in.

Over the course of the 90s some 200,000-300,000 Afghans ended up in Russia. At first mostly members of Afghanistan's socialist party and military officers + families. Then even ordinary people fleeing from Taliban rule.

Most of them ended up moving to Europe later on; out of all the Afghan socialist upper leaders I think only 1 still lives in Russia.

And this time Russia will end up with a lot of Afghan refugees again; it's pretty much unavoidable. Already they're preparing to evacuate Russian citizens out of Afghanistan and mixed families. Afghan students of Russian universities who have been stuck in Afghanistan over COVID have now penned a letter requesting their own flights to the country. Afghan students and workers inside Russia want to bring their families in. Long-time Afghan communities in Russia - are now requesting the same thing and claiming they will ensure responsibility over hosting refugees. A lot of them don't have citizenship - I think Russia is wary of granting them citizenship due to the typically large Afghan families, which can then all be invited to the country as well.
There was an Afghan teacher of Russian who wrote to the Russian embassy asking them to help her get to Russia. She lived in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan but neither of those countries are accepting anymore refugees.

I don't doubt that a lot of those people will be disappointed, but one way or the other a lot will get here. Also from Tajikistan which already has a large Afghan refugee population.

Personally I don't mind taking in Afghans fleeing the country. Just on one condition. Misbehave or break the law and you'll be deported and handed over to the new authorities in Afghanistan. That ought to do it.

Defense Secretary Austin contradicts Biden, says Americans beaten by Taliban trying to reach airport
Biden denied that the Taliban was blocking some Americans from reaching the Kabul airport
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin contradicted President Biden on Friday, telling House lawmakers on a phone call that multiple Americans trying to reach the Kabul airport have been beaten by Taliban fighters, two lawmakers told Fox News.

Austin called the beatings "unacceptable," a person on the phone call told Fox News. Austin's remarks starkly contrasted with what Biden told reporters after his speech on Friday.

When asked about reports that some Americans were being blocked from reaching Hamid Karzai International Airport for evacuation, Biden denied that any Americans were having such trouble.
Austin's comments, which were first reported by Politico, marked the second time that the Biden administration contradicted what Biden told the public in his speech Friday.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby conceded that al Qaeda does have a "presence" in Afghanistan, even though Biden said that the terrorist group is "done" in Afghanistan.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/defense-secretary-austin-contradicts-biden-americans-beaten-taliban-airport




Don Bolduc calls Afghanistan exit a 'geopolitical disaster of unparalleled proportions'
Bolduc believes the military needs to 'go back' into the country to restabilize things
Retired Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc, who served 10 tours in Afghanistan and was one of the first Special Forces officers in the country after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, called the Biden administration's decision to withdraw the U.S. military from Afghanistan a "geopolitical disaster of unparalleled proportions."

The Taliban has gained control of the majority of Afghanistan territory amid the U.S. military's withdrawal from the country after 20 years, prompting thousands of citizens to flee their homes and seek refuge in the U.S. and elsewhere.

"I am very familiar with American history, and I have never seen a withdrawal or an action by the United States military that put so many people in peril and danger and was so … irresponsible towards our national security, both inside America and outside America," Bolduc told Fox News.

He continued: "And the damage that it does to our reputation — the damage that it does to the faith and confidence that people would have in us — and the doors that it opens for potential enemies like China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. I mean, this is a geopolitical disaster of unparalleled proportions. I believe I could have given this mission to a lieutenant and he would have planned it better."

Bolduc, who has been awarded two Purple Hearts and five Bronze Star medals over his military career, served in the 5th Special Forces Group in 2001 in an effort to boot the Taliban and al Qaeda out of Afghanistan. Now, he's running for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire, but he says he keeps his "kit" packed and "ready to go" since he retired.

The 33-year Army veteran detailed 20 years of shifts in leadership and military missions in Afghanistan through four presidents and said he has "less confidence in our senior levels" to handle an effective withdrawal by Sept. 1 and believes the military needs to "go back" into the country to restabilize things.

"We have a regional area that we should be very concerned with," Bolduc explained. "We've got Pakistan with nuclear weapons. We don't want that to destabilize. We have a very unstable north with Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and so on. We have an unstable border with Iran in the west. China and Russia are going to come in and take advantage of this situation. The Taliban are going to go back to their old ways of ruling."



https://www.foxnews.com/politics/don-bolduc-afghanistan-exit-geopolitical-disaster

The U.S has left behind biometric data of millions of ordinary Afghan civilians. Shout out to those who were saying that Taliban considers the U.S to be an adversary.

British Parliament Holds Biden in Contempt for Unilateral Decision & Botched WithdrawalPosted on 8/19/21 at 3:37 pm
quote:
President Trump previously agitated NATO allies by demanding they keep their pledges and pay for NATO defense security. However, President Trump never drew the level of criticism on display yesterday from the U.K. Parliament, who angrily aligned from across the political aisles to hold Joe Biden in contempt for his unilateral withdrawal from Afghanistan without discussing the issues with NATO.

According to British media, Joe Biden would not take the calls from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson for 36 hours as the crisis unfolded. The British and allied forces were scrambling to secure their own troops and diplomats with no guidance or contact from the White House.

Labour and Conservative parties expressed a united anger and frustration toward a failed and inept U.S. administration during their session to challenge Boris Johnson on the events and crisis.

According to the U.K . Telegraph (paywall)– “Joe Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal was condemned as “catastrophic” and “shameful” on Wednesday as the Houses of Parliament delivered an unprecedented rebuke to a US president.

MPs and peers from across the political spectrum, including Boris Johnson, put some blame for the Taliban’s takeover and the chaos that followed on Britain’s closest ally.

Mr Biden was accused of “throwing us and everybody else to the fire” by pulling out US troops, and was called “dishonourable” for criticising Afghan forces for not having the will to fight.

Former defence chiefs who led British troops in the Middle East were among those to speak out, while there were warnings that the West’s withdrawal would embolden Russia and China.
[…] Labour MP Chris Bryant called Mr Biden’s remarks about Afghan soldiers “some of the most shameful comments ever from an American president”.

Khalid Mahmood, a Labour MP and former defence minister, said: “The Biden government have just come in and, without looking at what is happening on the ground, have taken a unilateral decision, throwing us and everybody else to the fire.” (read more – paywall)

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2021/08/19/british-parliament-holds-joe-biden-in-contempt-for-unilateral-decisionmaking-and-botched-afghan-withdrawal/


Zoya Police cars revolving light
@Zoya_nafidi
·
9h
Eight Taliban fighters including a commander were captured alive by the resistance forces in the Andarab district of Baghlan province yesterday.









Taliban fighter Umair Zazai was killed in Andarab last night. From what I am hearing, it sounds like the Taliban was decimated in an ambush as well as in insider attacks in Baghlan yesterday




Zoya Police cars revolving light
@Zoya_nafidi
·
Aug 20
Humvee (in the pic below) was also captured from the Taliban. Clashes are currently going on in Andarab district.






@Zoya_nafidi
·
Aug 20
Anti-Taliban militia forces have recaptured Pul-e-Hesar and Banu districts of Baghlan province from Taliban. There are heavy causalities among Taliban ranks.

As Afghan government collapses, Christians work to help volunteers leave

John and Jan Bradley have spent years building schools and trying to improve life in the war-torn country.
or 13 years, John and Jan Bradley have focused on building schools and hospitals in Afghanistan.
“A lot of people are contacting us. … We’re trying to help as many as we can.”
They’ve educated girls and provided state-of-the-art prosthetic legs for children who lost theirs in the decades-long war that has devastated the beautiful country the Bradleys love.
On Sunday afternoon, while John spoke with The Christian Chronicle, Jan was on the phone with contacts in the southern Asian nation, trying to help volunteers and colleagues leave the country.
“We’re trying to get out 50 — including family members — people who work with us and their families,” John Bradley said. “That number might grow. A lot of people are contacting us. … We’re trying to help as many as we can.”

“Jan and I have traveled to Afghanistan seven times since I retired, between 2009 and 2013, and would stay about a month at a time,” he said. “But it got so dangerous for us to go and dangerous for the Afghans working with us to be seen with us.”
Rather than put their lives at greater risk, they began just sending money, which he hopes they can continue doing.
“I want to keep doing it,” the retired general said. “We used to wire money for building of schools, but for the last several years, I can go through Western Union and send $500, $1,000, $5,000 at a time. I have been doing that for years now at the grocery store, and it works perfectly well.”
The banks they used to use to send wire transfers are now saying they don’t have money.
“I hope things will settle down, and we can send money to help,” Bradley said. “If that’s not possible, I’ll have to stop and return money or get permission to give to a worthy cause in another place or do something to take care of Afghans.”

https://christianchronicle.org/bradleys-afghanistan/?fbclid=IwAR2O1LimJFF6UbLmWT0DHG6QbHDmJbX4niBWdOQcEYgJb6rZkSaKxl2E--E

If Britain wants to stay in Afghanistan it's free to make it's own demands to the Taliban

Afghanistan Evacuees Arrive In Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
Four Turkish military planes carrying troops evacuated from the country's operations in Afghanistan have landed in Tajikistan, as neighboring Uzbekistan welcomed hundreds of Afghan refugees and put them up in temporary housing on August 21.

The aircraft that landed at an airport 200 kilometers south of Dushanbe on August 20 were carrying an unknown number of troops.

A high-ranking official who spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity said the Turkish troops were in transit and were not expected to remain in the country for long.

The source said that the troops were members of NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.

Turkish officials have previously said that a 500-troop contingent was involved in noncombat missions in Afghanistan.

Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are among countries that have “already begun or will soon begin transiting Americans, or in some circumstances others, through their territories,” the U.S. State Department said on August 20.
Other transit countries include Bahrain, Britain, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

In Uzbekistan, 400 refugees were accepted and given accommodation on August 21, according to a source who spoke with the Russian state news agency TASS.

It is unclear how many Afghans have crossed into Uzbekistan since Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and Taliban militants arrived in Kabul on August 15.
https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-evacuees-tajikistan-uzbekistan/31421633.html

No co-education in universities, first FATWA by Taliban
By Najibullah Lalzoy / in Afghanistan / on Saturday, 21 Aug 2021 09:13 AM / 0 Comment /
Taliban officials in western Herat province have ordered the government and private universities that girls will no longer be allowed to sit in the same classes with boys.

In a three-hour meeting between university lecturers, owners of private institutions, and the Taliban officials, the latter said that there is no alternative and justification for continuing co-education and must be ended.
Lecturers in Herat province said, since private institutions cannot afford separate classes, thousands of girls may remain deprived of higher education.

https://www.khaama.com/no-co-education-in-universities-first-fatwa-by-taliban-54645/




Prices soaring in Kabul, no banking services available
By Najibullah Lalzoy / in Afghanistan / on Saturday, 21 Aug 2021 05:26 PM / 0 Comment /
It has been seven days since the Taliban fighters entered the Afghan capital but the banks are still closed which has created grave concerns.

People are facing the gravest problems right after the closure of banks and the biggest money-changing market-Sarai Shahzada- in Kabul.

People have their money in bank accounts but do not have access to them which has doubled their daily problems.

Another problem is the payment of salaries to the employees of private organizations and government officials.

Owners of private organizations have money in their accounts but due to the closure of banks, they cannot pay their employees which has left thousands of people in limbo.

https://www.khaama.com/prices-soaring-in-kabul-no-banking-services-available-74575/





Curfew imposed, life in Kabul under Taliban’s control
By Najibullah Lalzoy / in Afghanistan / on Thursday, 19 Aug 2021 04:18 PM / 0 Comment /
As the Taliban have taken control over the metropolis, life in the busiest and most populated city of Afghanistan thoroughly changed and the residents are not living a life they used to do just until August 14.

The Taliban have imposed a curfew and no one is allowed to go out of home after 9 pm but in cases of emergencies.

https://www.khaama.com/curfew-imposed-life-in-kabul-under-talibans-control-465456/





Current Time freelance reporter Liza Karimi describes the situation at Kabul airport on August 19. Amid the sound of gunfire, the Russian-speaking reporter says people are afraid, and that some have been waiting for days for a way to leave the country.

https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/the-situation-is-deterorating-by-the-minute-reporter-in-kabul-describes-scenes-of-desperation-in-kabul/31420509.html

I wonder, really, how many persons have gotten out, and how many are left.

& I wonder how many are going to get left behind.


It doesn't look good.
Time is running out: Four Afghans killed in the crush as they fight to get into Kabul airport after it emerges UK rescue flights may end in THREE DAYS, while US embassy tells Americans to stay away because of security threats at the gates
As thousands tried to rush through gates in 88F temperatures, some at the front of the queue were crushed
Soldiers desperately shouted for medics & stretchers as people were pronounced dead and covered in sheets
Mayhem followed more violence in the capital last night as people in crowds were being beaten with sticks
Taliban co-founder Mullah Baradar arrived in the Afghan capital today for talks with militant commanders
Ministry of Defence confirms UK repatriated 1000 people in the last 24 hours - the most in a single day so far
Taliban making progress in forming a government in Afghanistan and ensuring security across the country

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html


Factbox: Evacuations from Afghanistan by country
two days ago

https://www.reuters.com/world/evacuations-afghanistan-by-country-2021-08-18/

Cowboy's daughter wrote:British Parliament Holds Biden in Contempt for Unilateral Decision & Botched Withdrawal

President Trump previously agitated NATO allies by demanding they keep their pledges and pay for NATO defense security. However, President Trump never drew the level of criticism on display yesterday from the U.K. Parliament, who angrily aligned from across the political aisles to hold Joe Biden in contempt for his unilateral withdrawal from Afghanistan without discussing the issues with NATO.

According to British media, Joe Biden would not take the calls from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson for 36 hours as the crisis unfolded. The British and allied forces were scrambling to secure their own troops and diplomats with no guidance or contact from the White House........

I ain't in the rush to defend Saigon Joe but in this case if NATO wants to go balls deep they are free to do it solo


And if they don't like USA's attitude then:

Connect the dots..

Zoya Police cars revolving light
@Zoya_nafidi
·
6h
Second Resistance scouters on the outskirts of Panjshir.

Meanwhile the Pakistan think-tank is in a meltdown everyday to explain about how the Panshir valley rebellion is doomed and is being contained


@ForumStrategic
For those who are asking for Panjshir

Well "Green color", in the map is Panjshir while "Red", is IEA controlled Afghanistan. Panjshir is surrounded from all sides & there is absolutely no chance of "Counter Offense".

IEA has dispatched some unit to take control of Panjshir.
Image
11:15 AM · Aug 17, 2021



@ForumStrategic
In parallel world "Amrullah Saleh" has declared himself as President of Afghanistan ‍�
10:45 PM · Aug 17, 2021



@ForumStrategic
¶ Ashraf Ghani as Ambassador to US, Qatar, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan etc.

But the reality is the fighting against IEA is impossible as no one is going to support Amrullah Saleh, he has no choice but to surrender to IEA.
Image
10:58 AM · Aug 18, 2021



@ForumStrategic
He is in Panjshir Valley, waiting for some miracle to happen.....
Quote Tweet
Sana Jamal
@Sana_Jamal
· Aug 18
Where's Saleh, the former spy and self-declared president of Afghanistan?
7:55 PM · Aug 18, 2021



@ForumStrategic
Update on Panjshir

It's highly unlikely that there will be any sort of "Armed Resistance" against IEA from Panjshir.

Multiple reports coming out of "Panjshir" suggest that "Negotiations" are being carried out by both parties & soon they will reach a peaceful solution.
3:57 PM · Aug 20, 2021



@ForumStrategic
There is absolutely "NO Chance" from armed resistance from "Panjshir".

¶ Don't believe the reports that say CIA/RAW/Mossad will back them, since such news are only for "Clickbait".

¶ Any location encircled by all sides can't survive for long.

¶ Negotiations are in progress.
11:08 AM · Aug 21, 2021



@ForumStrategic
Update on Panjshir

Told You

Now confirmed: Panjshiri commander Ahmad Masoud, son of Ahmad Shah Masoud pledged allegiance to Taliban Ameer Moulvi Haibatullah Akhundzada. Taliban secured Panjshir without any fighting; a significant and strategic victory. #Copied
4:22 PM · Aug 21, 2021



@ForumStrategic
The last hope for spoilers is now gone forever.

Panjshir is taken without a fight........

Alhumdulillah peace will prevail in Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan ️
4:30 PM · Aug 21, 2021



@ForumStrategic
Update on Panjshir

Some sources close to "Panjshir Resistance" are now claiming that no agreement has been reached between IEA & PR.
6:45 PM · Aug 21, 2021



@ForumStrategic
Update on Panjshir

Sources close to IEA are claiming that agreement has been reached between IEA & "PR" while sources close to "PR" are denying any agreement between IEA & PR.

Seems like we have to wait a little more for things to get clear.
6:49 PM · Aug 21, 2021



@ForumStrategic
Important Note

"Armed Resistance" against IEA from Panjshir is not possible.

Reasons have already been provided in the last tweet.
6:52 PM · Aug 21, 2021




Personally I have no dog in this race, and I suspect Russia and the ex-Soviet countries don't ultimately either. They just want to make sure no Taliban Islamists and their supporters in Pakistani intelligence try any retarded shit, or give Central Asian Islamists any ideas.
If a coalition between the Taliban and their opposition can be hammered out, then that would be an ideal situation. There needs to finally be peace in the country and from everyone on the outside to disengage from the country.

Bill Roggio
@billroggio
·
7h
The remnants of the Afghan National Army and other security forces continue to organize around the Panjshir resistance.
Quote Tweet
Natiq Malikzada
@natiqmalikzada
· Aug 19
Today the forces led by Yar Mohammad Dostum, joined Ahmad Massoud in Resistance Front in Panjshir.

Afghan crisis: Panjshiris remain defiant, claim Uzbek leader Dostum’s support

Saleh-Masood claim control on town near Bagram airbase, hold military parade in Valley
New Delhi, August 18

The Panjshiris, who have remained unconquered by the Taliban, staged a show of military strength in their stronghold and claim to have retaken Charikar in Parwan, which, if true, will put them within striking distance of the massive Bagram airport complex.

The Panjshiris, who are Tajiks by ethnicity, have not forgiven Ashraf Ghani for having abandoned his responsibility and have resolved to resist the Taliban rule by themselves.

Flying the Northern Alliance flag in the Valley which is impregnable due to narrow approaches through the mountain passes, the Panjshir Valley militants are being led by the First Vice President of Afghanistan Amrullah Saleh along with Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi and Ahmad Masood, son of the legendary ‘Lion of the Panjshir Valley’ Ahmad Shah Masood.

The Tajiks also claim that the militia of Uzbek leader Abdul Rashid Dostum will join them in Panjshir Valley from where they plan a joint resistance to roll back the Taliban from northern Afghanistan.

The claim about Saleh and Masoud capturing the town of Charikar, if true, could enable them to land Dostum’s reinforcements from Uzbekistan. A strategically important road passes through Charikar via the Salang Tunnel, which connects Kabul with Mazar-i-Sharif, the largest city in northern Afghanistan and once held by Dostum.

Already, several Afghan Air Force transporters and fighter jets have landed in neighbouring Uzbekistan. Dostum’s camp followers have claimed that they will be in a position to send 10,000 Afghan army personnel to the region to join hands with the Tajiks of Panjshir Valley. India too reportedly has a detachment of helicopters at a Tajik air base which is barely 200 km from Panjshir Valley.

After reaching Panshir following the collapse of the Kabul government on August 15, Saleh declared himself as the President of Afghanistan.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/afghan-crisis-panjshiris-remain-defiant-claim-uzbek-leader-dostums-support-299043

par far wrote:What I said was that I see so many engineers, lawyers, scientists and teachers coming to the west, what I should have said is that I see a lot of rapists, pedophilia's, violent criminals, terrorists and welfare letches coming to the west.

Agreed 100%. Allowing people of color to enter Russia, Europe and North America in such large numbers is an invitation to disaster.

People of color are inherently pre disposed to violence. As we can see most genocides today take place in Africa and Asia.

This Masood is just a CIA minion. His order is to spoil a peace process and the integration of Afghanistan into the SCO and the new silk roads.

American mom trapped by Taliban describes horrific violence, pleads for Biden to solve evacuation crisis
Her brother, a former military translator and contractor, said at least two of his colleagues had been killed by Taliban fighters in the past two days
FIRST ON FOX: An American mom trapped in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is worried she'll never see her kids again and in hiding with family members and Afghan allies – unable to reach Kabul's U.S.-held airport for a chance at an evacuation, she said Saturday.

"I really have given up hope, given up on the hope of going to the airport," the woman, whose identity is being withheld due to concerns for her safety, told Fox News. "It’s just not possible to make it through all those people."

She said there are as many as 20 Taliban checkpoints between her and the airport – and she’s one of an uncertain number of American citizens trapped behind enemy lines.
She was whipped by Taliban fighters on one attempt to get through, she said. A man standing near her was shot in the head on another try, leaving his wife and baby in tears. Since then, she's been in hiding.
"We are devastated," she said. "We're scared for our lives. Every moment that a car passes by, I feel like they are going to pull in and execute us. I don't know if I'm going to see my children again."

She said the situation was dire – even hopeless. She would rather commit suicide than allow the Taliban to capture her. And despite Taliban assurances to the U.S. that Americans would be allowed to pass through the checkpoints surrounding the airport, she said she fears showing her U.S. passport to militants who could be members of other terror groups, including ISIS and al Qaeda.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/american-mom-trapped-afghanistan-taliban-biden



Zoya
@Zoya_nafidi
·
1h
Nashir Kashn Abadi, a former pro-Govt militiaman who had collaborated with the Taliban was shot dead by the Resistance Forces in the Andarab district of Baghlan province last night.



Zoya
@Zoya_nafidi
·
2h
Taliban is also shelling the heavily-populated Andarab and Deh Salah districts with recently captured D-30 Howitzers.




Zoya
@Zoya_nafidi
·
2h
Taliban on the outskirts of Andarab district earlier today. More and more Taliban reinforcements is pouring in from Kabul, Kunduz and Balkh provinces.













Zoya
@Zoya_nafidi
·
2h
Anti-Taliban militia forces from southern Baghlan sent reinforcements towards the Kashnabad valley.





Zoya Police cars revolving light
@Zoya_nafidi
·
3h
The Taliban have taken over 20 children hostage in the Kashnabad valley of Baghlan province and is demanding the surrender of their fathers, who have joined the Second Resistance forces.
Zoya Police cars revolving light
@Zoya_nafidi
·
2h
Andarbians launched a counter-offesive against the Taliban.

Hole wrote:This Masood is just a CIA minion. His order is to spoil a peace process and the integration of Afghanistan into the SCO and the new silk roads.

Obviously, but sore losers will be sore losers.

Taliban seizing Afghan-American’s US passports outside Kabul airport
By Hollie McKay

August 20, 2021 | 3:48pm
KABUL, Afghanistan — Scenes of chaos and calamity continue to unfold in and around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, as thousands of embattled Afghans purport to push through Taliban barricades and escape the country before the Taliban takes full power.

In the latest blow to those running up against the clock, Afghan-Americans on Thursday said that Taliban fighters are now attempting to take their U.S. passports and identification orders in an attempt to stop them from leaving the country.

“I got to the gates and was about to show my passport, but the Taliban got it, and he said you are not allowed to go through and wouldn’t give it back,” one Afghan-American, who served for several years as an interpreter during the war and has his home in the U.S but requested anonymity for safety reasons, said. “I was lucky a U.S. marine was right there and forced him to give it back.”
According to several others, some have not been so lucky — hamstringing their chance to make it home ahead of the Taliban’s officially assuming of the throne.
“U.S. passports, driver’s licenses — they are confiscating those pieces of documentation from American citizens,” said Ephraim Mattos, a former Navy SEAL and founder of the humanitarian organization, Stronghold Rescue and Relief, which is working around the clock to evacuate Afghans interpreters and helpers. “They lose proof of who they are, and this has happened on multiple occasions in multiple places.”

Meanwhile, in Herat, more than a week after the Taliban seized the provincial capital, residents have continued to paint a chilling portrait of intimidation as the waiting game for the U.S. departure draws near.

“Taliban are searching home by home in Herat and asking about me,” one business owner with long-term ties to the United States, who is currently in an undisclosed location outside of Afghanistan, said. “Then others came to the Kabul office and asked about the company and our clients and warned they would search for information.”

https://nypost.com/2021/08/20/taliban-seizing-afghan-americans-us-passports-outside-airport/amp/?utm_source=GeorgiaLogCabin

Taliban spokesman speaks English with a U.K accent

The Taliban is in control of the civilian airport in Kabul, correct?