Tag: afghanistan

‘Fact-Checkers’ Rush to ‘Correct’ Grieving Parents

America’s leading “fact-checkers” describe themselves as “independent.” But watching their energetic defenses of President Joe Biden’s politically damaging behavior reveals they are taking a side. In the first 100 days, I found PolitiFact evaluated Biden’s critics eight times more often than they “fact-checked” the president.

It was truly shocking when Biden was caught on video checking his watch at Dover Air Force Base on Aug. 29 as the caskets of American soldiers were unloaded into vans. Both Snopes and USA Today felt the urgent, throbbing need to claim that the grieving family members who complained were wrong.

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Biden Administration Erased Afghan Weapons Reports From Federal Websites

The War in Afghanistan has always been a black box, but the Biden administration just made matters worse.

According to an admission obtained from the State Department, Biden officials recently directed federal agencies to scrub their websites of official reports detailing the $82.9 billion in military equipment and training provided to the Afghan security forces since 2001.

The scrubbed audits and reports included detailed accounting of what the U.S. had provided to Afghan forces, down to the number of night vision devices, hand grenades, Black Hawk helicopters, and armored vehicles.

Reports further quantified 208 aircraft and helicopters; 75,000 war vehicles – including 22 Humvees, 50,000 tactical vehicles and nearly 1,000 mine resistant vehicles; and 600,000 weapons – including 350,000 M4 and M16 rifles, 60,000 machine guns, and 25,000 grenade launchers.

The State Department admitted to removing the reports but justified the move as a way to protect Afghan allies. According to a spokesperson:

“The safety of our Afghan contacts is of utmost importance to us. The State Department advised other federal agencies of to [sic] review their web properties for content that highlights cooperation/participation between an Afghan citizen and the USG or a USG partner and remove from public view if it poses a security risk.”

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According To Classified Documents: Biden Pentagon Knew Of Mass Casualty Event Plot Before Afghan Airport Bombing

According to classified documents obtained by Politico, senior Pentagon leaders discussed plans for a “mass casualty event” at a video meeting the day before nearly 200 died in a Kabul suicide attack, including 13 US Marines.

The outlet described the document as a transcript of high-level military meetings.

Politico claimed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin instructed top leaders in over a dozen departments to prepare for such an event in a meeting on Wednesday, citing the documents.

It also quoted Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley claiming to have “significant” information about a “complex attack” by a terrorist organization.

Commanders frequently identified the Abbey Gate, where the suicide bombing occurred and Americans were gathering, to be the “highest risk.”

“I don’t believe people get the incredible amount of risk on the ground,” Politico quoted Austin as saying.

Politico did not publish the document itself but claimed to have verified its authenticity through an anonymous defense official. The Pentagon itself has neither confirmed nor denied the report at press time.

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Taliban Ban Music and Then Execute Leading Afghan Folk Singer

Roughly 50 years ago, Don McLean released his son song, “American Pie” with its famous line about “The Day the Music Died.” It was a reference to when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson died along with pilot Roger Peterson in an airplane crash. For Afghans, the day the music died coincided with the Taliban takeover of their country. Nothing drove home that fact than the horrific killing of Afghan folk singer Fawad Andarabi, who was executed by the Taliban for playing music.

The singer’s son said that the Taliban came to their farm and shot his father in the head. They targeted him because of his fame for playing the ghichak (above), a bowed lute, and preserving the traditional songs about his country.

While the Taliban told the media it would investigate, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid emphasized that “Music is forbidden in Islam.” Just days before, he announced to the media that music was banned. It was one of the first things the Taliban did after retaking power.  Music was also banned under Taliban rule from 1996 until 2001.

You can see one of the last folk sons of Andarabi here as he sings of “our beautiful valley.”

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‘Death Sentence’: Animal Rights Group Blasts Biden For Allegedly Leaving Contract Dogs Behind In Afghanistan

Animal rights group American Humane has blasted the Biden administration for allegedly leaving U.S. Military contract dogs in Afghanistan, effectively handing down a “death sentence” to the animals.

Dr. Robin R. Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane, released a statement Monday condemning the apparent decision to leave the animals behind.

“I am devastated by reports that the American government is pulling out of Kabul and leaving behind brave U.S. military contract working dogs to be tortured and killed at the hand of our enemies,” Ganzert said. “These brave dogs do the same dangerous, lifesaving work as our military working dogs, and deserved a far better fate than the one to which they have been condemned.”

The CEO said the organization is ready to help these animals escape their fate of death.

“This senseless fate is made all the more tragic, as American Humane stands ready to not only help transport these contract K-9 soldiers to U.S. soil but also to provide for their lifetime medical care,” American Humane said.

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US Drone Attack Kills at Least 10 Afghan Civilians—Including 6 Children

A U.S. drone strike purportedly targeting a suspected ISIS-K vehicle in a residential neighborhood of Kabul, Afghanistan killed at least 10 members of a single family—including six children—as they were getting out of their car on Sunday.

Relatives of the victims told the Washington Post that the strike—which was the second attack the U.S. carried out in Kabul over the weekend—”hit a nearby vehicle” that the Pentagon claims was an “imminent” threat.

The civilian victims of the U.S. strike were all “from a single extended family,” the Post reported.

Samim Shahyad, a 25-year-old journalism student, told the New York Times that the U.S. attack killed his father, his two brothers, four of his young cousins, his niece, and his sister’s fiancé. Shahyad added that three of the victims were girls who were just two years old or younger.

“The American aircraft targeted us,” said Shahyad. “I do not know what to say, they just cut my arms and broke my back, I cannot say anything more.”

One neighbor at the scene of the attack said in an interview with CNN that “not much is left of their house and nothing can be recognized, they are in pieces.” The person estimated that as many as 20 people may have been killed in the U.S. drone strike.

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General Reportedly Cancels Troop Evacuation, Demands Soldiers ‘Clean The Base For The Taliban’ Before Leaving

A viral Instagram post highlights a text message exchange in which a U.S. military servicemember states that the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit is being forced to clean a military base for the Taliban in Afghanistan. The report claims that a troop evacuation flight was cancelled by Brigadier General Farrell J. Sullivan so that Marines could sweep up trash in preparation for the Taliban takeover.

The RaidTeamCo Instagram account posted screenshots of the text message exchange on Sunday, accompanied by the caption “Meanwhile on the 24 MEU! 🤡s This was sent to us from one of the homies his wife is currently deployed and they are being told they have to clean before they can leave! WTF SHARE!”

In the messages, the claim is made that “We were supposed to leave last night,” “The general canceled our flight because the base was dirty.” After receiving the response, “What the f**k,” the Marine continues, “Yea I’m not joking,” “We had to clean the base for the Taliban.” The general being referred to is then identified as Brig. Gen. Farrell J. Sullivan of the Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

In another text exchange, a service member states, “Came from higher we had to police call the terminal where the civilians were processed. We didn’t even get rooms to stay in like a lot of the other units. We slept in a gym, then had to clean the gym. We picked up water bottles and mre trash and shit paper. Reflip vehicles to the upright positions.”

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