Aussie beaten trying to flee
Taliban fighters beat an Australian man bloody and fired gunshots at a checkpoint near Kabul’s airport in a new video that gives a dramatic glimpse into the desperate struggle to pass militant roadblocks.
The footage was published a week before President Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw US troops, which has triggered a mad dash to the airport by Western citizens and Afghans who aided them.
“I’m an Australian citizen. They hit me,” said the man with blood streaming down his face. Bearded fighters mena- cingly brandished semiautomatic rifles nearby and one appeared to object to being filmed.
Five of the man’s Afghancitizen family members were with him, but a member of the group said the relatives were split up, with some feared abducted, according to the Daily Mail.
Taliban leaders said Tuesday they will no longer allow Afghans to enter the airport after thousands mobbed the country’s gateway exit when the radical group swept into Kabul last week — adding uncertainty for dual citizens and Afghans who helped US and allied forces in the 20-year conflict.
The Australian man visited the war-torn country in June to see an ailing relative and ended up trapped by the rapid fall of the US-backed government, the Mail reported.
The footage was posted as the Pentagon revealed that US helicopters made additional rescue missions into Kabul to help stranded Americans reach the airport, which is encircled by a sea of would-be refugees and ringed by Islamic fundamentalists checking IDs.
Army Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor said Wednesday at a press conference that “last night, during the period of darkness, there was an operation to be able to go out and safely evacuate evacuees back into Kabul [airport].”
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that “less than 20” Americans were airlifted in three helicopter rescues. He declined to elaborate, but the missions happened after US citizens said they were trapped.
On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki offered to personally plug any gaps in the evacuation process by soliciting journalists to give her the contact information of US citizens who cannot reach the airport.
Although the UK, French and other allied militaries have been staging rescue missions near the Kabul airport, American leaders have not disclosed many missions.
During a Tuesday interview with Fox News, retired Marine Corps Sgt. Ryan Rogers revealed that as Special Immigrant Visa applicants have been blocked by Taliban checkpoints, non-government organizations are trying different options.
“Everyone is pissed about this even being necessary,” he said. “But if the president doesn’t want to step up and lead, someone else will.”
Since Aug. 14, the US has helped evacuate 82,300 people including Americans and Afghan allies. In a 24-hour period ending Wednesday morning, 19,000 people were evacuated from Kabul, according to the White House.