Afghan government collapse.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Its pretty funny that all the Taliban fighters seems to each have their own separate smartphones.  This is not the Taliban of mid 1990s.

Yeah, there weren't any smartphones in the mid-90s.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Watching the blame game is actually pretty funny.

Biden is blaming Trump and the now defunct Afghanistan government
Trump is blaming Biden
Defunct Afghanistan Prez Ghani is blaming both Biden and Trump
Members of the defunct government are blaming Ghani
And various USA allies are blaming USA

Everybody is to blame.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Angel Merkel has announced that she wants to airlift 10,000 people out of Afghanistan now. The first planes are on their way. Mostly these are people who had worked for the German Armed Forces and other German government agencies during the past 20 years.

Nevertheless, her government currently faces a similar kind of criticism Biden does in America... that the Taliban caught Germany with its pants down etc.

[Middle-aged Europe]

"Safehouses just dissolved. Taliban are going from door to door. If rescue is coming it will be too late. It's over." - Marcus Grotian, German Army captain & chair of the Partnerschaftsnetzwerk Afghanische Ortskräfte ("Partnership network Afghan local employees"), as quoted by news media.

[Middle-aged Europe]

German planes are reported to have trouble landing in Kabul because the runways aren't cleared (of people).

CDU Chancellor-candidate Armin Laschet has called the current situation "the greatest debacle in the history of NATO". German parliament is expected to vote on the authorization of the use of military force for the purposes of the evacuation mission soon, a legal formality to give soldiers the proper clearance to protect the mission and evacuees if necessary.

[Middle-aged Europe]

At the moment it seems that two German military transport planes are in the region with rotating tasks. One of them is always circling over Kabul waiting for the runway to be cleared, while the other returns to a neighboring country for refueling.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Macron says EU setting up initiative to thwart arrival of Afghan refugees

French president Emmanuel Macron said the European Union would be setting up an initiative to thwart the expected arrivals of refugees from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.

“We must anticipate and protect ourselves against significant irregular migratory flows that would endanger the migrants and risk encouraging trafficking of all kinds,” he said in a televised statement.

He said the response from France, Germany and other EU countries would be “robust, coordinated and united” and would target smuggling rings.

There is something just, intensely morally despicable about this being his reaction. That his priority in a humanitarian crisis is how to stop them from coming over here. It’s just sick. I mean, I have pretty liberal opinions on asylum from the outset, but we as the west collectively have a huge moral failing here and a huge degree of moral responsibility to people who are actively suffering. We should be offering safety to absolutely every Afghan who asks for it, and of course we have the resources between us.

Apart from that, I have nothing to say beyond a sense of horror at what is going on, and can only echo what the likes of Al have said that reading a lot of what people on here have had to say about this makes me want to scream.

"2015 must not repeat itself" was probably the most commonly uttered phrase by CDU politicians in Germany today. Well, that and hanging the blame for the debacle around the neck of foreign minister Heiko Maas (SPD).

Meanwhile in Afghanistan... the first German military transport plane was finally able to land in Kabul. It deployed a unit of paratroopers to further secure the airport and is now on its way back to a base in Uzbekistan with the first batch of evacuees.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Macron says EU setting up initiative to thwart arrival of Afghan refugees

French president Emmanuel Macron said the European Union would be setting up an initiative to thwart the expected arrivals of refugees from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.

“We must anticipate and protect ourselves against significant irregular migratory flows that would endanger the migrants and risk encouraging trafficking of all kinds,” he said in a televised statement.

He said the response from France, Germany and other EU countries would be “robust, coordinated and united” and would target smuggling rings.

There is something just, intensely morally despicable about this being his reaction. That his priority in a humanitarian crisis is how to stop them from coming over here. It’s just sick. I mean, I have pretty liberal opinions on asylum from the outset, but we as the west collectively have a huge moral failing here and a huge degree of moral responsibility to people who are actively suffering. We should be offering safety to absolutely every Afghan who asks for it, and of course we have the resources between us.

Apart from that, I have nothing to say beyond a sense of horror at what is going on, and can only echo what the likes of Al have said that reading a lot of what people on here have had to say about this makes me want to scream.

"2015 must not repeat itself" was probably the most commonly uttered phrase by CDU politicians in Germany today. Well, that and hanging the blame for the debacle around the neck of foreign minister Heiko Maas (SPD).

Meanwhile in Afghanistan... the first German military transport plane was finally able to land in Kabul. It deployed a unit of paratroopers to further secure the airport and is now on its way back to a base in Uzbekistan with the first batch of evacuees.

Good to hear.

How's this all playing in Germany with elections coming up within the next Month?

I know Germany backed down on it's planned deportation of a number of existing Afghan refugees in response to the recently unfolding humanitarian crisis, after having been one of the most generous countries in Europe during the Afghan Civil War of the early '90s, but obviously the political climate has changed considerably since then.

Greens, FDP, and Left are criticizing the CDU/SPD government for not having seen the success of the Taliban insurgence earlier, despite the fact that there apparently had been warnings from the German Embassy in Kabul to that effect for a couple of weeks now.

Greens and Left in particular have also blasted the government for having stalled the evacuation of locally recruited Afghan staff in past months... something these two parties had advocated for for quite a while now, while CDU and SPD had so far worked on the assumption that a Taliban takeover would be months away at worst.

Like I said before, the CDU is blaming the SPD because the social democrats are running the Foreign Ministry. And the CDU is also afraid of the prospect of another refugee crisis, something that might lead to them losing votes to the AfD.

Speaking of the AfD... I suspect they're at least secretly quite happy about the whole situation for the same reasons the CDU is worried. The voters that are most worried about chaos, uncertainty, and loss of control usually go for the AfD.

Electorally, I'd say both the Greens and the AfD have profited from the refugee issue in the past though, while it is a somewhat delicate topic for CDU and SPD. This is because the latter parties' bases are somewhat divided on refugees and whatever they're doing they stand to lose something.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I also thought it interesting that the first (?) German civilian flight only went to Uzbekistan versus direct to Germany.

Was that just a temporary logistical thing to maintain "in theater" resources, or was it more, "let's just move refugees there while the political situation in Germany is sorted out regarding more permanent asylum?

The official reasoning is that there might be only a very short window of opportunity where you even can get people out, before the Taliban shut down the airport for good or have caught/killed all former Western employees. The flight time to Uzbekistan is much shorter than to Germany and it is the idea that the planes can get out as many people as possble in a short period of time, if they're just circling back and forth between Kabul and Tashkent.

That being said, the first flight out of Kabul must be considered a failure in that regard, since it contained only seven (!) German staffers from the embassy in Kabul. (EDIT: Correction, the first German flight out of Kabul consisted of five German nationals, a Dutch, and an Afghan.) This was apparently a result of the plane only having been granted a slot of 30 minutes at the airport after it had been very uncertain whether it could land at all throughout the day. It is the hope that this can be improved with the next flight(s), with the Defence Ministry also arguing that it had been the main objective of the first flight to deploy the paratroopers at the airport.

Are these civilians who worked for the German effort in Afghanistan including NGOs, regardless of German Nationals or Afghan employees, etc Huh

Do we know more about the background of these Flüchtlinge?

No, I don't really much of a clue how this is prioritized... and maybe neither does the German government, given the circumstances.

Yesterday I read a report about the plight of the Afghan employees of the local branch of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (the think tank of the SPD), implying those are also among the ones waiting to be evacuated.

[Middle-aged Europe]

One major obstacle in getting the locally recruited Afghan personnel out: In order to be airlifted out of there they need to carry documentation with them that they had indeed worked for a Western government. The Taliban are (probably) checking people who are trying to get to the Kabul airport for the very same documentation, but with the intent of arresting them then. I don't really see how a large-scale evacuation of former Western employees is supposed to work unless the West is directly negotiating their release with the new Taliban rulers (or they're flying every Afghan out who happens to make it to the airport, irrespective of documentation...).

[Middle-aged Europe]

US evacuated 640 people on a single plane. Germany evacuated 7.

Apples and oranges.

In the case of the US plane the Afghan civilians had stormed the plane and the US military personnel didn't want to forcefully remove them (= didn't know how to practically do that without shooting the civilians). So, they just accepting the situation and flying them out seemed to be the best way to deal with the problem.

Nobody had stormed the German plane and this probably didn't happen because at that point the US forces had already brought the situation at the airport under control again. And as I had indicated above, the German plane had only been allowed to remain on the runway for 30 minutes.

[Middle-aged Europe]

A second German plane has started from Kabul, this time with 125 people on board (described as mix of German, Afghan, and other nationals by the Foreign Ministry).

[Middle-aged Europe]

The Taliban kind of caught up with me at work today. First of all, I've got an e-mail from Afghanistan from three ex-employees of the German international development aid agency GIZ. Given the amount and specificity of personal information contained in the mail it appeared authentic. So I forwarded to a contact in the Bundestag who then forwarded it to a contact in the foreign ministry. In the end it may do jacksh**t, but I guess this was my good deed for the day.

Secondly, I've got a small mass mailing consisting of about fifteen messages from Afghans living in Germany who still had relatives back in the home country. I send them an e-mail adress for the crisis reaction center of the German foreign ministry. In addition I had been advised to also send the number for a corresponding hotline of the foreign ministry of India. Given the sh**tshow Heiko Maas is running down at Werderscher Markt someone must have thought that it is good to provide some redundancies here.

[Middle-aged Europe]

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/17/taliban-pledged-safe-passage-of-civilians-to-kabul-airport-white-house-says.html

Newly empowered Taliban militants have informed the U.S. that they are prepared to provide safe passage for civilians attempting to flee Afghanistan through Kabul’s international airport, the White House said Tuesday.

“We intend to hold them to that commitment,” national security advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters amid a barrage of questions about the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was plunged into chaos as the Islamist insurgents quickly ousted its Western-backed government.

Sullivan also said the “chaotic” situation in the Afghan capital makes it premature to speculate about whether the Taliban could form a government the U.S. would recognize.

Nothing would make me happier, but I believe it when I see it. At the moment the Taliban have still cordoned off the airport. They're only letting foreigners in, while sending away all Afghan nationals who want to enter it. And so far I have a hard time imagining the Taliban letting an umlimited number of people freely travel from, let's say, Kandahar to Kabul so that they can use the airport there. To quote a German MP who just happened to be on TV: "Even if they agree to this, we'll be relying on the goodwill of the Taliban then."

[Middle-aged Europe]

Anyone else find the Taliban media conference with commentary about the treatment of women super-cringeworthy.

They were out of their depth on the PR front.

To quote Commander Fred from The Handmaid's Tale:

"We only wanted to make the world better. Better never means better for everyone. It always means worse for some."

[Middle-aged Europe]

From the BBC liveblog:

Taliban flags 'replaced during protest'

The eastern city of Jalalabad has been the site of demonstrations today.

The city, in Nangarhar province, was taken over by the Taliban early on Sunday morning without fighting. Its capture meant the group secured key roads connecting Afghanistan with Pakistan.

But on Wednesday people in the area were filmed marching in support of the old Afghan flag, before gunshots were reportedly fired nearby to disperse crowds.

Video footage from the city appears to show protesters replacing a Taliban flag with that of Afghanistan as cheering crowds look on.

The Taliban's newly declared Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has so far been using a white flag with a black Shahada (statement of faith) on it. The black, red and green tricolour flag used by protesters today is seen to represent the ousted government.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has said that discussions are taking place on the future national flag, with a decision to be made by the upcoming government.

[Middle-aged Europe]

https://twitter.com/aahmady/status/1427883011207467009

The new regime will struggle to access money and assets.

Kind of hilarious that the Taliban expected to find an Afghan version of Fort Knox somewhere in Kabul.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Update from the BBC liveblog

Afghan cities see anti-Taliban protests

The BBC's Pashto Service reports that anti-Taliban protests are taking place in the cities of Jalalabad, Kunar and Khost, with demonstrators waving Afghan flags.

It is too early to say if it will spread nationally, but things are changing fast and the Taliban are tense, our journalists say.

In the Panjshir Valley there are unverified videos of a huge caravan of motorbikes with flags of the former Northern Alliance. They are being called the “resistance army” of former Vice-President Amrullah Saleh, who has proclaimed himself acting president.

Officials at the Afghan embassy in Tajikistan have already put up pictures of Mr Saleh, naming him as their president.

The Taliban have not yet commented on any of these developments.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I have now received an e-mail from someone from Afghanistan who used to work for the U.S. Army as a security guard more than ten years ago. Documentation looks legit. I have referred him to the U.S. State Department in addition to the usual contact information for the German and Indian foreign ministries. Jesus Christ, what a mess.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Per BBC liveblog:

Afghanistan will not be a democracy under the Taliban, a senior member of the militant movement has told the Reuters news agency.

Waheedullah Hashimi, who has access to the group's decision-making, said: "There will be no democratic system at all because it does not have any base in our country.

"We will not discuss what type of political system should we apply in Afghanistan because it is clear. It is sharia law and that is it."

The movement's supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, would likely remain in overall charge of the country, Hashimi said.

The Taliban would also reach out to former pilots and soldiers from the Afghan armed forces to join its ranks, he added.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Contrary to the previous announcements made by the Biden administration, the German government has said earlier today that a first round of negotiations with the Taliban to allow Afghan citizens formerly employed by Germany to the Kabul airport have produced no results.

[Middle-aged Europe]

A council of Islamic scholars will decide on the future role of women in Afghanistan, including what they will wear and whether they will be allowed to work and study, a Taliban leader has said.

Waheedullah Hashimi told Reuters that the extremist group’s ulema (theological scholars) will decide whether or not women must have their faces covered in public and if they will have access to employment and education.

His remarks seemingly contradict spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid’s assurance at a news conference shortly after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul that women can work and study and will be “very active in society”.

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/taliban-womens-rights-hijab-afghanistan-b1904781.html

[Middle-aged Europe]

No sh**t.

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Wednesday said the U.S. is aware of reports that the Taliban are blocking Afghans from reaching the Kabul international airport, and that it contradicts public promises made by the group to allow safe passage for those wishing to leave the country.

“We have seen reports that the Taliban, contrary to their public statements and their commitments to our government, are blocking Afghans who wish to leave the country from reaching the airport,” Sherman, the second ranking diplomat at the State Department, told reporters in the briefing room.

“Our team in Doha, and our military partners on the ground in Kabul, are engaging directly with the Taliban to make clear that we expect them to allow all American citizens, all third country nationals and all Afghans who wish to leave, to do so safely and without harassment,” she said.

https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/568446-us-official-acknowledges-harassment-at-taliban-checkpoints-on-road

[Middle-aged Europe]

Meanwhile in Afghanistan (source: BBC liveblog)

National flag-waving Afghans have been seen protesting in several cities on Thursday, which marks the 102nd anniversary of Afghanistan's independence and falls at a time of great uncertainty and upheaval for the country.

One clip shared on social media appears to show a crowd in Kabul chanting "our flag, our identity" about the black, red and green tricolour national flag.

The Reuters news agency, citing witnesses, reports that several people may have been killed at a similar protest on Thursday in Asadabad - either by gunfire or in stampedes the firing triggered.

The reports of casualties come a day after several deaths were also reported at flag-related demonstrations in the eastern city of Jalalabad.

Videos on social media have shown some protesters appearing to remove and replace Taliban flags in places - pocket displays of defiance against the group's swift rise to power.

A UN document says the Taliban are intensifying their hunt for people who worked for and collaborated with Nato and US forces.

The confidential paper was produced by the Norwegian Centre for Global Analyses, which provides the UN with intelligence information.

“The Taliban are arresting and/or threatening to kill or arrest family members of target individuals unless they surrender themselves to the Taliban,” the document, seen by the BBC said.

It said that those at particular risk were people with positions in the military, police and investigative units.

“The Taliban have been conducting advance mapping of individuals prior to take take-over of all major cities,” it said.

It added that the militants were screening for individuals while permitting some evacuation of foreign personnel from Kabul airport but the situation there remained “chaotic”.

According to the report, the Taliban are recruiting new informer networks to collaborate with the new regime.

[Middle-aged Europe]

A bit of a fun story from Afghanistan at last:

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/afghanistan-deutscher-kommt-mit-spd-parteibuch-durch-taliban-kontrolle-a-2dd804cb-9330-4f74-94c2-1612bac6db0e

A German citizen of Afghan descent sucessfully bluffed his way through Taliban checkpoints at the Kabul airport by passing off his SPD membership book as a passport.