With reports that the Taliban are going house-to-house in Kabul hunting down those who worked with the U.S. Army and hanging them, many are arguing that it’s time for President Biden to start making actual decisions. While the airport’s interior certainly seems secure, the chaos just outside the gates worsens by the hour. Numerous reports indicate that the Taliban are blocking people from gaining access to safety and discouraging crowds from gathering by wielding sticks, whips, and gunfire.
A retired Marine sergeant, Ryan Rogers, spoke to Fox News about communication he had had with an interpreter friend on the ground in Kabul. He said:
“He told me yesterday they hung three [Afghan National Army] commanders that they had found. And that close to the place that he’s hiding, they’re going house-to-house and that they sent a transmission out saying they had plans for the people that operated with America.”
(Photo by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
This stunning revelation ties in with earlier reports that indicated the Taliban had laid waste to other towns where there had been a strong military presence. It was these reports that many now say should have given fair warning to President Biden and his administration that the militant group was likely to make a final play for Kabul.
Rogers related a call he had made with his friend:
“I said, hey, did you see any of this stuff with your eyes? He said yes. They’re not showing this stuff because the people are cheering, but they’re scared to death, and they’re hanging these people. And he said they’re going house to house and their priorities are Afghan National Army Special Forces, the police special forces and the interpreters.”
Questions are being asked of the administration as to why troops are not being sent out to bring in Americans and Afghan allies. It wasn’t until Thursday, August 19, that the State Department admitted it was being made difficult for people to enter the Kabul Airport. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the government had received several reports of American citizens being unable to break through the Taliban blockade. “I’m just not in a position to confirm those details,” he said. “Every time we see a detail like this, we take it extraordinarily seriously, and we do what we can.”
Around 900 British paratroopers based out of the airport are running regular missions to go and collect British nationals and Afghan allies. Reports confirm the troops have little or no problem re-entering the airport. U.S. defense officials have declined to say that U.S. forces should leave the base.
