On the runway of Kabul Airport, scenes of chaos and despair

On the runway of Kabul Airport, scenes of chaos and despair

And the American authorities, who took control of the site now reserved only for the military, decided, late Monday morning, to suspend flights, it was time to restore order.

An image of a large Chinook helicopter flying over the US Embassy in Kabul had already illustrated the parallels between Kabul 2021 and Saigon 1975. The scenes of chaos at Hamid Karzai Airport roughly correspond to those at the big Vietnamese port there. A century ago. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken can confirm to CNN that “This is not Saigon.”, nothing works. “If it’s not Saigon 2.0, I don’t know what is”British Conservative MP, Tobias Ellwood.

On TVs and social networks, videos follow one another, with a massive mass wandering on the tarmac, looking for a way out. The airport is the last island to escape the control of the Taliban, who took full control of the capital on Sunday evening after almost all of Afghanistan. All means look good. A small crowd, mostly young men, run like this, clinging to the gray spaces of a huge US Air Force C-17 Taxi before takeoff, with a strange gait, as if it were a simple truck on its way to the canal. tunnel. Subsequently, Apache attack helicopters hovered low over the runways in a vain attempt to frighten the crowds, as for simple birds, and to let large aircraft carriers fly. Passengers were also shown a storm lane access, battle to slide into the hold of an already saturated C-130, exchanging blows to close the door of an Airbus Cam on departure. This despair led to tragedies. Five people are believed to have died, including two in a fall while hiding in the undercarriage of the aircraft.

READ  The BBC is encouraging employees to remove TikTok from work phones

To control the situation, the US military, 6,000 of whom were deployed over the weekend to help evacuate the massive embassy, ​​fired into the air. In a panic with frightened children, families tried to escape with their heavy luggage.

And US authorities are urging passengers not to go “for a moment” to the airport. Traffic is set to resume soon, according to a US officer

Many of them do not have airline tickets or visas, not to mention a previous relationship with the US military, so there is almost no chance of leaving. “We are afraid to live in this city and we are trying to escape from Kabul.”Another witness, AFP. Like many others, this young man was drawn to the scene by rumors, which are absolutely unfounded, when launching apps. They say Canada welcomes all asylum seekers. “While I was in the army, I lost my job and it’s dangerous to live here because the Taliban will definitely target me.”, explains one of the candidates.

Faced with this chaos, the American authorities who took control of the site now reserved for the military decided, late Monday morning, to suspend flights, it was time to restore order. They also urged passengers not to give up “At this moment” at the Air port. Traffic was due to resume shortly after, according to a US officer. Diplomats, especially from the US, French and British embassies, were also transferred to the airport on Sunday. This delicate start to the evacuations risks prolonging an already-promised long process. Washington estimates that 30,000 citizens or Afghans who have worked with the United States will be deported. Berlin, which has sent planes, expects 10,000 Afghans to be smuggled. France announced the arrival of two military planes to return home “A few dozen” French.

READ  DONALD TRUMP: Prosecutors are running out of time with tax investigations

see also – While escaping from Kabul, they seem to fall from the planes they were stuck on

Calculated time. The Taliban, the new masters of the country, could increase the pressure to speed up the departure. Militiamen were seen patrolling near the airport walls. According to the Pentagon, on Monday, US forces killed two militants who had entered. Middle East Eyes confirms that contacts, the first of their kind, took place between the US military and the Taliban in Qatar to prevent dangerous friction from increasing.

The Taliban are victorious, setting up checkpoints at crossroads and going from house to house, especially in business, to collect weapons or what they consider government property.

Away from airport tensions, the capital appeared relatively calm. The Taliban are victorious, setting up checkpoints at crossroads and going from house to house, especially in business, to collect weapons or what they consider government property. They also took control of police stations and restored radio communication. Taliban leaders, who are clearly eager to monitor their reputation, have repeatedly posted messages that they intend to “The Mujahideen” From “Respect life, property and honor citizens. Several NGOs, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders, have announced their intention to stay in Afghanistan, although the spokesperson has promised them on Twitter. “Safe environment”. There have been reports of looting, but the Taliban say it was carried out by thieves. On the streets, traffic was unnaturally volatile and businesses were often closed.

READ  After the huge train case, Renfe's boss resigned

But power remains vacant since President Ghani quickly fled without the slightest farewell. If the presidential palace is seized, the chair remains officially empty. The follow-up the Taliban intends to provide remains a mystery, while the movement appears to want to take its time. On Al Jazeera, a spokesperson for the political wing promised to be the new executive ‘Quickly detected’. On the contrary, a senior Taliban official interviewed by Reuters said that no government will be formed “As long as foreign forces remain in Afghanistan.”. Intense negotiations are underway, in Doha as well as in Kabul, to chart the contours of the future force.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *