Meanwhile, Diplomatic Security is preparing for a crisis, calling on volunteers with "High Threat, High Risk" experience for "24/7 operations supporting U.S. Embassy Kabul," per an internal memo I obtained. The subject line: "Afghanistan Task Force Volunteers Needed Immediately" pic.twitter.com/eWAJ4jem7H
— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) August 13, 2021
The Hill: US Embassy in Kabul urges staff to destroy sensitive material
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Friday ordered staff to destroy classified and other sensitive materials as the office prepares to reduce its number of diplomats amid growing territorial gains by the Taliban, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to The Hill.
The Washington Post and CNN first reported that an internal memo from embassy leadership told staff to use incinerators, disintegrators and “burn bins” within the compound to destroy “sensitive material.”
The memo also reportedly said to destroy “embassy or agency logos, American flags, or items which could be misused in propaganda efforts.”
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Update: US Embassy in Afghanistan tells staff to destroy sensitive materials (CNN)
WNU Editor: When I was trained to be foreign diplomat I was told that if I should ever receive such an order, it meant that I was to drop everything and destroy all information and material immediately. It meant that the diplomatic compound I was staying in was at imminent risk of being seized within 24 hours or sooner. I could be wrong in this case, but it looks like the decision has been made by the US State Department to evacuate the US embassy and relocate to the airport by this weekend.
9 comments:
The Taliban seem to be moving fast!! The embassy staff may not have the weekend to relocate to the airport. Obviously there wouldn't be enough time to demolish the building.
It looks like as a lot of panic time. But, don't worry, Biden can have his sleeping time.
What make me uncomfortable is how China is analyzing our ability to take decisions pro-actively for avoiding military problem. Also, if I was Taiwanese I would worry a lot. Same for Ukraine, after all.
demolish the building?
no fool people shred or burn documents smash electronics after using a powerful magnet on it and so forth
go forth and sin no more
By letting THEM (the US government) again and again abandon their partners, YOU allow the downfall of your country's standing internationally.
You spent 1 Trillion USD, and counting, as tens of thousands of Vets will still need medical treatment for decades to come, and all you get is BAD PR and people hating you
As if the people in charge wanted to destroy the image of the US and demoralise troops
Troop morale must be soooooo low after 20 years of TREASONOUS, PATHETIC AND INCOMPETENT leadership. And just while China rises.. and their morale is great. They joke still about the dirt they have on the Biden's. And we go along. We allow a pedophile senile corrupt creep to govern us. The humiliation of the West is complete.
Brought to you by the demonic left that destroys everything
Anon (8:00PM),
Of course what you suggested will or should be done. Obviously the Taliban will storm the abandoned building and hoist their flag over it. Had we had time to actually destroy the building perhaps that might have mitigated the messaging the Taliban will try and gain from this. As pretty much all of our "allies" know the fault for this is almost exclusively at the feet of the Afghans themselves, they may not get the benefit they're expecting. I'm not expecting this to change our policy in any meaningful way.
Yet another scenario apparently not anticipated, though that is just a guess. With the speed the Taliban are moving, it was clear at least a week ago that the fall of Kabul was more than just an unlikely theoretical possibility. It was at that point that at least 1 or 2 practice runs at the embassy and other valuable targets should have taken place, to make hasty exits run as smoothly as possible. Maybe that was done, but it sure sounds like the US was caught flat footed once again. At this rate, there may literally not be time to evacuate anything after this weekend. PPPPPPP = Piss Poor Planning Promotes Piss Poor Performance. As another adage goes, train as you fight, fight as you train.
How many American hostages can the Taliban capture?
Looks like the race has started.
Anon 10:12
That's an other big worry too.
If the Taliban are as reported thirty miles away from Kabul I’m surprised they haven’t tried some spectacular suicide attack against the Embassy. Success probability would be near zero but the worldwide news splash would be a victory in itself.
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