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23 Aug, 68 tweets, 17 min read
1) 🇦🇫 thread highlights Aug 23;
A) No extension to Aug 31 foreign troop withdrawal deadline;
B) Germany looking at evacs after Kabul airport closes;
C) Qatar an ‘impartial mediator’ amid Afghanistan evacuations: FM;
D) Taliban name Haji Mohammad Idris Acting Head of Central Bank;
E) Iran resumes fuel exports to Afghanistan after Taliban request;
F) UK not set on hard deadline for evacuation: PM’s spokesperson;
G) US military evacs 10.4K over 24 hours Sunday. Since Aug 14, US evacs 37K people out of Afghanistan, or helped with their evac;
H) French Mins to travel to UAE to discuss Afghanistan;
I) Putin says vital to prevent spillover of ‘radical Islam’ from Afghanistan;
J) Taliban forces recapture 3 districts in northern Afghanistan that fell to local militia groups last week, according to a Taliban spokesman;
K) Swiss airlift ~ 100 people out of 🇦🇫, including first local staff working for Swiss Development Agency;
L) WHO says cannot fly medical supplies into Afghanistan;
M) Hungary airlifts 173 out of Afghanistan;
N) Afghans struggle with jobs gone, banks shut, prices on the rise;
O) Taliban fighters “are stationed near Panjshir”, Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted, saying they had the area surrounded on three sides, but seek talks;
P) Qatar has evacuated 1000s from 🇦🇫 and is hosting them before they are moved to other countries;
Q) A firefight broke out betw Afghan security forces & unknown assailants at north gate of HKIA, 🇩🇪 military said. 1 Afghan security force member killed, 3 injured in battle, which also involved US & German forces. All German soldiers remained uninjured, 🇩🇪 military said;
R) Russia warned of the risk of a civil war in Afghanistan but said that it does not intend to intervene. Russia is watching Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan with concern. Among other things, it fears that fighters in Central Asia could penetrate into former Soviet territory;
2) By Monday, Taliban forces had cleared the districts taken by resistance fighters and were established in Badakhshan, Takhar and Andarab near the Panjshir valley, according to the Twitter account of spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
3) “It has been decided that the formation of government and cabinet will not be announced as long as a single US soldier is present in Afghanistan,” a Taliban source said, and this was confirmed by a second insider.
4) Japan evacuations update.
5) Taliban announce cut to fuel imports.
6) Kuwait evacuation news.
7) Full Pfizer approval by the FDA opens door to mandatory vaccination for active duty service members.
8) Details on evacuees to US.
9) Germany’s top military commander says he believes that about 5,000 people are waiting at the Kabul airport to be flown out. General Eberhard Zorn said Monday the figure has declined from about 7,000 at the weekend;
10) Update from France on evacuation processing today.
11) Taliban rule effects, pov of women rights activist in Kabul.
12) US evacuation update.
13) The prior week in review.
14) UK's evac effort in 🇦🇫 is "down to hours now, not weeks", Defence Secretary said. Ben Wallace said UK's role will end when the 🇺🇸 leaves 🇦🇫, expected Aug 31. “PM is, obviously at G7( Tues), going to try & raise prospect of seeing if 🇺🇸 will extend," he added.
15) Asked if withdrawal date could change, Pentagon Press Sec Kirby said goal is "to get as many people out as fast as possible". He says number evac’d Sun, was impressive but "we're not going to rest on any laurels".  TL cld be discussed, but "we're just not at that point now”;
16) Evac update.
17) Further details on evacs.
18) From Finland today.
19) Resistance update.
20) Dutch update.
21) DoD Press Secretary discusses ops outside HKIA.
22) Regarding COVID-19 surveillance at HKIA and upon arrival in US.
23) A tricky problem has presented itself. And the decision likely will be determined, based on how evacuations proceed over the next week.
24) Yeah, that’s vague for sure. So, something like 2,500-3,000 Americans evac’d, taking into account
the Saturday and Monday updates. Perhaps.
25) Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on the EU to help countries neighboring Afghanistan to stop a new influx of migrants into Europe from the Taliban-controlled country;
26) Pakistan‘s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urged Taliban & other leaders in Afghanistan reach an inclusive political settlement as soon as possible. Qureshi said it was a good sign Taliban already talking to some other Afghan leaders, including former President Karzai;
27) Al Jazeera reporter in Kabul Rob McBride on deadlines (DL). This DL is something of a moveable feast. Originally it was set for May 1…Biden extended DL to Sept 11th.
Since then, Biden in July brought DL forward to August 31, so he set that DL; in theory, he can now unset it;
28) French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that Paris believed it necessary to continue Afghan evacuations beyond Washington’s August 31 deadline following the Taliban takeover;
29) Italy update.
30) Perceived empathy deficit. Perceptions can fly in the face of the actual facts.
31) Humanitarian concerns in Afghanistan being obscured amid evacuations – WHO director
32) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau left the door open to sanctions on the Taliban, noting that the group that now controls Afghanistan remains a “terrorist entity”;
33) “We are talking with US, Turkey & other partners w/the aim of facilitating a civil operation of Kabul Airport to enable the evacuation of people (beyond Aug 31),” Maas said. “We will also have to continue to talk with the Taliban about this issue, & that’s what we are doing.”
34) Biden and Johnson talk ahead of Tuesday’s G-7.
35) FT- "Due to a deteriorating security environment we are asking all others not to come to (HKIA) at this time-the gates remain closed."
FT- “This is the current policy, but Nick is told they hope to return to allowing SIVs and the embassy’s local Afghan staff in soon.”
36) FT
"Ultimately, it will be the president's decision how this proceeds. No one else's," Jake Sullivan says when asked about extending the exit deadline. A Taliban spokesman has said it will be "a clear violation" of their agreement if US troops stay longer.
37) Canada SFs working outside the wire apparently.
38) Evac totals….
39) This needs to get fixed quickly.
40) US National Security Adviser: We believe we can finish evacuations by August 31 #العربية_عاجل
41) Interesting.
42) Follow up to 40.

Key words seem to be “…any American who wants to
get out…”

A few thousand Americans evac’d to date.
43) On that Aug 31 withdrawal date.
44) 4,000 Americans evac’d to date since fall of Afghanistan.
45)(A) Speaking to MPs from Kabul, Sir Laurie Bristow (British Ambassador to Afghanistan), said trying to hold Kabul’s airport any longer ( than Aug 31) would be fraught with risk.
His remarks appear to put him at odds w/PM Johnson, who is due to lobby President Joe Biden…
45)(B) at Tuesday’s G7 summit about the possibility of extending the evacuation beyond the end of the month;
46) Back and forth today.
47) Ireland evac news update.
48) Interesting signals before the virtual G-7 meeting.
49) I suspect the crowds will grow, as the week goes on.
50) Observations.
51) State of play.
52) SK talks apparently didn’t progress to an understanding.
53)
FT
NEW from @barbarastarrcnn: “The military is advising the White House a decision must be made on Tuesday about extending the August 31 deadline, in order to have enough time to withdraw the 5,800 troops currently on the ground in Kabul and their equipment and weapons.”
54) A reiteration.
55) 4 thousand Americans evacuated to date.

56) Source - SIGAR.
57)( A) On August 24, G7 leaders will discuss ongoing crisis in Afghanistan by video conf. UK PM Johnson called this meeting to urgently discuss the situation in Afghanistan and to coordinate international action.
57)(B) EU represented by Charles Michel (President of EUCO), Ursula von der Leyen (EUC head). The meeting will start at 15:30. Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen will hold a press conference at 17:00;
58) Gotta know when the actual withdrawal date is first, I reckon.
59) A successful mission, but there’s a lot of Americans to pick up (as far as one can tell ) and time is running out ( not knowing when the US will actually withdraw).
60) FT - Of course I'll do what i can to help. That is what morality requires. But that's where we are-Afghans reaching out 8,000 miles, to someone they've sat with once for a friendly conversation a couple of years ago. He's in hiding with his wife in Kabul, like so many others.

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fred walton Profile picture
24 Aug
1) Coronavirus live news: Hawaii governor wants to curb travel; Israel boosters ‘beating Delta’ theguardian.com/world/live/202…
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fred walton Profile picture
24 Aug
1) Afghanistan thread for Tuesday August 24.

It is unlikely that there will be an extension to the evacuation window from Kabul airport beyond August 31, according to the UK’s Defense Minister.
2) All hands on deck, US evacuations “could” be in the home stretch.
3) Leaders of the Group of Seven countries were set to discuss on Tuesday whether to seek an extension to a Aug. 31 deadline for the evacuation of thousands of people trying to flee Afghanistan and whether to recognize or sanction a Taliban government.

But note point 1 ☝🏾
Read 54 tweets
fred walton Profile picture
23 Aug
1) Coronavirus live news: WHO chief criticises booster campaigns; China says it has zero new cases theguardian.com/world/live/202…
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fred walton Profile picture
23 Aug
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via @YouTube
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fred walton Profile picture
22 Aug
1) Afghanistan thread for Sunday ;
A) Pentagon says formally seeking airlift help from commercial airlines, to relocate 🇦🇫 evacuees once they’re out of 🇦🇫;
B) Def Sec Austin activated initial stage of Civil Reserve Air Fleet program Sunday;
C) Def Sec asking for 18 aircraft: 3 each from American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines and Omni Air; 2 from Hawaiian Airlines; and 4 from United Airlines;
D) Pentagon Press Sec Kirby said those aircraft won’t directly fly into HKIA in Kabul;
E) This comes as US Embassy has issued a new security warning, telling citizens not to travel to Kabul airport unless instructed by US gov’t rep & as President Joe Biden warned he could not predict the outcome of one of the “most difficult airlifts in history”;
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fred walton Profile picture
22 Aug
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Read 33 tweets

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