On Sunday, the Afghan capital of Kabul fell to Taliban forces as U.S. soldiers withdrew from the area, leaving thousands of people in a dangerous position. Though Taliban leaders have supposedly said that anyone who wishes to leave will be allowed to do peacefully, HuffPost reports that chaos has erupted, particularly around the city’s airport, which is still be held by Western forces.
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A video recently went viral in which a man can be seen lifting an infant over his head into the arms of a soldier, who grabs the baby and picks him up over the fence’s barbed wire.
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The soldier is reportedly with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and the baby was taken to a “medical treatment facility on site” to be treated for any issues and reunited with their father.
“I can confirm the baby was reunited with their father and is safe at the airport. This is a true example of the professionalism of the Marines on site, who are making quick decisions in a dynamic situation in support of evacuation operations,” U.S. Marines spokesperson Maj. Jim Stenger told HuffPost.
Another video emerged, also showing desperate parents trying to send their children to the soldiers over the crowds:
“It was terrible, women were throwing their babies over the razor wire, asking the soldiers to take them — some got caught in the wire,” one officer told a Sky News reporter. “I’m worried for my men, I’m counseling some, everyone cried last night.”
A State Department spokesperson has said that there has been every effort made to reunite minors and their parents, and that they are trying to ramp up efforts to evacuate people faster. The New York Post says over 6,000 people have left since Saturday. The Pentagon estimated that 5,000 to 9,000 people could be flown out daily if things were “running smoothly,” but it seems to be less than 2,000 a day at the moment.
*First Published: August 21, 2021, 7:24 am
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