Civil war looms as 12 die in panicked rush for evacuation
DESPERATE parents pass their babies through barbed wire barricades to distraught US soldiers as the race to evacuate Brits and loyalists from Afghanistan continues.
More distressing images emerged of the chaos at Kabul airport as terrified Afghans try to flee the Taliban regime.
US fighter jets were on standby to intervene as the Taliban blocked Westerners fleeing to the airport and troops fired shots in the air to disperse panicking locals.
As many as 12 people were killed in chaotic crushes, while former national youth footballer Zaki Anwari, 19, was named as one of those who died trying to cling to the outside of a US plane.
As many as 300 evacuees arrived in the UK yesterday as the RAF operation continued. Afghan pop star Aryana Sayeed, who lives in Turkey, was one of those evacuated on a US Air Force plane, as was a young Afghan child shown sleeping on the floor, kept warm by a US uniform.
Civil war fears loomed as Ahmad Massoud, son of General Ahmad Shah Massoud, who led resistance against the Soviets and Taliban, vowed he would “follow in my father’s footsteps with mujahideen fighters”. He wrote in the Washington Post: “We have stores of ammunition and arms that we have patiently collected since my father’s time because we knew this day might come.” Despite the ‘new-look’ Taliban claiming moderacy, gunmen were reported to have shot dead a woman for not wearing a burka and burned down a children’s amusement park for “idolatrous” images.
failure of judgment? If Dominic Raab doesn’t have the decency to resign, the Prime Minister must show a shred of leadership and sack him.”
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “He couldn’t even make one call? Why is he still in the job?”
Amid continuing chaos on the ground Mercer called the UK’s withdrawal from Afghanistan a “total betrayal” and said it was a “copout” to blame US president Joe Biden.
Mercer, who served three tours in Afghanistan, resigned as a defence minister earlier this year over the
Government’s treatment of soldiers who served in Northern Ireland.
He told the Evening Standard: “The way ministers have carried on over the last week, without any real direction or leadership or
PRECIOUS CARGO responsibility, it just makes it 10 times worse. Constantly blaming the Americans devalues our service even further.”
On Wednesday, Johnson said the UK had secured the “safe return” of 306 UK nationals and 2052 Afghan nationals as part of its resettlement programme – with a further 2000 Afghan applications completed and more in process.
But amid claims some planes are leaving Afghanistan almost empty, Wallace said the UK was using “every space possible” on its evacuation flights amid a “very difficult situation on the ground”. He added UK that troops would stay in Afghanistan “as long as United States forces are
running the airport”.
Who wouldn’t make a phone call if they were told it could save someone’s life? KEIR STARMER LABOUR LEADER ON RAAB