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Dozens of Westerners board commercial flight from Kabul
The Associated Press ^ | September 9, 2021 | By KATHY GANNON

Posted on 09/09/2021 5:50:44 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

KABUL, Afghanistan — Dozens of foreigners, including Americans, boarded a commercial flight at Kabul airport on Thursday in the first large-scale evacuation since U.S and NATO forces left Afghanistan late last month.

Their departure marked a significant breakthrough in the bumpy coordination between the U.S. and Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers.

The Taliban have said they would let foreigners and Afghans with valid travel documents leave, but a days-long standoff over charter planes at another airport had cast some doubt on Taliban assurances. Thursday’s Qatar Airways flight is heading to Doha.

Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities will allow some 200 Westerners, including Americans, to fly out from Kabul in the coming hours, officials said Thursday, marking the airport’s first such flight since U.S. forces withdrew from the country.

The large group of foreigners would depart Thursday on a Qatar Airways flight that had earlier ferried humanitarian aid to the country, said Qatari special envoy Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani, declaring it a “historic day.”

A senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to brief the media, provided the number of Westerners expected to board the flight and said that two very senior Taliban official helped facilitate the departure. The 200 includes Americans, green card holders and other nationalities, the official said.

(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; biden; hostages; stranded; taliban
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Comment #1 Removed by Moderator

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Why am I getting the idea that we are trading millions of dollars for the equivalent of Bowe Bergdahls?


2 posted on 09/09/2021 5:55:03 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Dozens of foreigners, including Americans, boarded a commercial flight [...]

Blatantly self-contradictory statement in the FIRST SENTENCE of the article!

FAIL!

Regards,

3 posted on 09/09/2021 5:55:28 AM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"Sep 08, 2021 · Taliban officials have little leverage other than seizing hostages to demand the U.S. release frozen assets held at the New York Federal Reserve Bank."

bumblin' biden must have ordered talibanner's financial assets unfrozen.

4 posted on 09/09/2021 5:58:25 AM PDT by chief lee runamok (Anti Socialist Derelict at Large)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Wonder how many $ millions we bribed them with.


5 posted on 09/09/2021 5:59:35 AM PDT by dan on the right ( )
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Hang on tight!

6 posted on 09/09/2021 6:00:36 AM PDT by jerod (Nazi's were essentially Socialist in Hugo Boss uniforms... Get over it!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I wouldn’t call a single flight of 200 people a “large-scale evacuation”.


7 posted on 09/09/2021 6:03:16 AM PDT by Ignatz (Winner of a prestigious 1960 Y-chromosome award!)
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To: dan on the right

“Wonder how many $ millions we bribed them with.”
Don’t think they are wanting for cash. They have USA munitions and vehicles to sell, Iran, Pakistan, China, Russia etc. Something else is in the making. IMO


8 posted on 09/09/2021 6:06:29 AM PDT by duckman ( Not tired of winning!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
The large group of foreigners would depart Thursday on a Qatar Airways flight that had earlier ferried humanitarian aid to the country

Ransom money in, hostages out.

9 posted on 09/09/2021 6:07:17 AM PDT by grobdriver
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
How can this be. One of America's most accomplished liars, Chuck Schumer, said yesterday that all Americans who want to leave the Afghan hell-hole have left.

Schumer lies with such ease, with such dispassion. There is absolutely no question that Chuck Schumer is truly a vile human being.

10 posted on 09/09/2021 6:09:44 AM PDT by glennaro (Dennis Prager: "Until it's safe" means "Never")
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Are these westerners that won’t eat a ham sandwich ABC don’t celebrate Christmas? And were born in Afghanistan? And go to Afghanistan on vacation for extended time? That kind a westerner?


11 posted on 09/09/2021 6:12:48 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up....)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Are The Californians on there?


12 posted on 09/09/2021 6:19:18 AM PDT by spacejunkie2001
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To: Vigilanteman

Not sure any of the American passport holders are the equivalent of Bo Bergdahls, but there’s no doubt we are paying million$ for each person allowed to leave by the Taliban. Someone needs to ask how many pallets of cash each jet arriving in Kabul is carrying. This will make the Iran deal look like chump change.


13 posted on 09/09/2021 6:30:14 AM PDT by ExNewsExSpook
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I smell state department bulls#!t.


14 posted on 09/09/2021 6:51:18 AM PDT by VTenigma (The Democrat party is the party of the mathematically challenged )
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To: alexander_busek

“The Taliban have said they would let foreigners and Afghans with valid travel documents leave,” “The 200 includes Americans, green card holders and other nationalities, “

I don’t see the contradiction.


15 posted on 09/09/2021 6:58:05 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Warning: Accused of being a radical militarist. Approach with caution.)
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To: alexander_busek

Exactly right. Foreigners, green cards holders, and two “Americans” probably. In state department math, that makes the whole flight “American”.


16 posted on 09/09/2021 7:09:54 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up....)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Impossible! I read right here on the Interweb that the airport was MINED! /s


17 posted on 09/09/2021 7:10:09 AM PDT by faucetman (Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts )
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To: DesertRhino

“Are these westerners that won’t eat a ham sandwich ABC don’t celebrate Christmas?”

You mean like Conservative or Orthodox Jews?


18 posted on 09/09/2021 7:12:50 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Warning: Accused of being a radical militarist. Approach with caution.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

These are not the passengers from the planes that were grounded over the weekend - including the planes from The Nazarene Fund. Those passengers are in hiding thanks to the state dept turning over the passenger manifests to the Taliban. At least this report debunks the “less than 100 Americans in Afghanistan”.


19 posted on 09/09/2021 7:28:01 AM PDT by Chickenhawk Warmonger (THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP!)
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To: Chickenhawk Warmonger

“These are not the passengers from the planes that were grounded over the weekend “

You’re right - Unless some managed to get to Kabul.

Notice it says dozens of Americans, so you can’t really tell how many. I think there are Europeans on the flight, also. The Brits & Germans were particularly upset about leaving people behind.
Tomorrow, there’s supposed to be another similar flight out on Qatar Airlines from Kabul.
I hope all the people who worked at the U.S. embassy and VOA/RadioLiberty are getting out.


20 posted on 09/09/2021 7:41:14 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Warning: Accused of being a radical militarist. Approach with caution.)
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