Afghanistan – Chilling Reports, Growing Debacle

America’s allies in Afghanistan, left by Biden to die, are being exterminated systematically – and not coincidentally, as the world focuses on Ukraine. Western media reporting the slaughter is minimal. Daily, I get updates from Americans with family and friends left in Afghanistan. Those left are in trouble.

This past week, as the world pivots – almost mechanically – to Ukraine, our enemies see the green light, not least the Taliban. Afghanistan, after Biden’s reckless, indefensible, shoddy pullout, is on fire. 

Biden knows capitulation to the Taliban – a complete sellout, leaving literally 100,000 US-allied Afghans and hundreds of Americans to fend for themselves – is now turning into a bloodbath.

According to eyewitness reports, conveyed in real-time from those aware of what is happening on the ground, the hunt for those who collaborated with Americans is going from warm to hot, from scrutinized to forgotten, and thus from escapable to gradually inescapable. 

Very obviously, compounding of Biden’s initial failures in both Afghanistan and Ukraine, the Taliban is using global distraction with the Ukraine disaster to ramp up pressure on anyone who helped the Americans, methodically hunting them. In short, Biden left them, and now kills them by ignoring them.

The firsthand accounts from last week – are chilling. A few excerpts will make the point. These are young and old Afghans, those educated by Americans, taught to believe we were true to our word, our ideals mattered, our promises would be kept, and that the future was bright. All is now dark.

Writes one, from near Kabul: “The situation in Afghanistan is changing … much worse. House to house searches have begun in Kabul… northern area.”  Specific areas districts are named. “The Taliban are ruthlessly encroaching … They plunder the people with all their might … And young children and former government employees are imprisoned, tortured … killed.”

The on-the-ground reports continue from last week. “This situation has happened in Afghanistan in recent days …”  They explain that the Taliban lured people into making admissions with promises of amnesty for helping Americans, then pounced. They are “now in revenge … and have taken all the people by surprise.” They conduct “house to house searches, and people are imprisoned and killed.”

The accompanying video and photos are graphic and make the point clear. Writes another observer, himself hunted, “the Taliban are carrying out ethnic cleansing,” against both those who helped the Americans and against the Tajik people.”

Some words are hard to read. Comes this line: “I do not know why the world, especially the United States, is silent? Why it ignores the genocide in Afghanistan? Why has the United States remained silent in the face of the Taliban’s inhumane treatment?” 

Such a profound observation and question, from those wrestling extinction, a quiet a good soul. The answer is that no one is paying attention or that those who are, could, and should, are afraid to report what is happening. Exceptions exist, but the vast majority of reporting on this human tragedy – execution of those left to die by Biden – is none at all.

Another source, an American writing about what they hear from those on the ground, adds: “The Taliban are making door to door searches and looking for any connection to the previous government or with foreigners. They are destroying homes in their searches, terrorizing the families, and sometimes taking away individuals and children.”  Where is the reporting?

Citing another source within the country, a well-connected former American service member notes: “They are opening up pillows and mattresses in their searches … looking at every detail to find a connection such as belts with a certain buckle or military boots. They are searching phones for any connections to foreigners that ‘makes them a spy.’” Terror is again the watchword.

Searches occur without notification or warning, making “all fearful because the Taliban are unpredictable and brutal.”  Clandestine videos showing searches make the point poignantly.

The searches are conducted with the aim of finding links to America, now that Biden’s America has fled. “They take everything that belonged to the Americans, even … food packages prepared for American soldiers.” “Inspections” are unremitting, although they ebb at night. They also take all “weapons.”

As brutal days in Afghanistan go unreported, the world aghast at Ukraine, the trauma continues. A day after the foregoing, another report: “Today, in Charikar, the Taliban killed children and women during the search.” Meantime, they dig in yards for signs of American collaboration, bar students from the university.

The next day, another question, an extraordinary understatement from those hunted. Ignoring the plight of those in Afghanistan “is annoying,” observing that “the world has forgotten about forty million people,” including those who helped the Americans, “especially non-Taliban ethnic groups such as Uzbeks, Hazaras, and Tajiks.” 

Poignantly, the last direct message forwarded reads: “The world has left us in the hands of executioners.” Then the string from which I am reading is quiet.

The real questions are – when will the world’s media report on this “genocide,” including so many of whom helped America on promises of safety, protection, visa grants, and safe passage? When will the US national media finally say – this blood is on Biden’s hands because this did not need to happen? And when will we redouble efforts to help these desperate American allies, who write, hide, and hope?

Answers to those questions are not forthcoming. I have no answers. I can only pose the questions – as so many there continue to do, in slowly dwindling numbers. Why are we not saying and doing more? Afghanistan is a forgotten debacle, but the debacle continues – reported or not.