Scandal Deepens: Act 2 in Afghanistan's Evacuation Controversy
In the aftermath of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, a question has been raised about the number of people evacuated during the operation. Joe Biden and the US government claimed that over 120,000 people were evacuated, a figure that has been consistently reported by various sources.
According to the Pentagon and US officials, the evacuation operation from Kabul's airport successfully airlifted more than 120,000 Americans, Afghans, and US allies within a few weeks amid the Taliban takeover. The Pentagon review confirmed this number as part of the chaotic but large-scale withdrawal process that took place in August 2021, which saw the US military airlift thousands daily to safety.
Biden himself described the extraction as "an extraordinary success," highlighting that the 120,000 figure includes both US citizens and Afghan allies. However, the statistics from the un-manipulated individual datasets suggest that the USG's published numbers regarding the number of Americans evacuated are incorrect, raising questions about the accuracy of the data.
Furthermore, concerns have been raised about the national security classification requirement attached to the data, preventing it from being accessible to reporters or the public. This has led to speculation about the actual number of people evacuated, with some sources claiming that the number could be closer to 30,000.
The individual datasets used in the airlift activity from Kabul show a nine-to-one breakdown, with about nine Afghan nationals in the databases for every one credentialed evacuee (AMCIT or SIV). This raises questions about the origin of these individuals and allegations of human laundering of up to 90,000 people, where their nationality, race, gender, and other identifying characteristics are being manipulated to make it appear they are immigrants from Afghanistan.
The Taliban has made public commitments on safe passage for anyone to leave Afghanistan, including those who worked alongside Americans. However, the consolidation of the databases used during the airlift activity by various government entities, and the potential for a new storyteller to control the majority of the data entries and potentially manipulate the data, adds another layer of complexity to the situation.
In conclusion, while the 120,000 evacuees figure claimed by the US Government is accurate and aligns with the actual data recorded during the withdrawal operation, the accuracy of the individual datasets and the potential for manipulation of the data remains a concern. As more information becomes available, it is crucial to maintain a transparent and factual approach to understanding the events that took place during the evacuation from Afghanistan.
[1] Department of Defense Twitter, Aug 31, 2021, "As of 3:30pm, 123,100 people have departed Hamid Karzai International Airport since Aug 14." [2] White House Press Briefing, Aug 31, 2021, Biden: "We've now flown out over 120,000 people in the last 18 days." [3] CNN, Aug 31, 2021, Biden: "We have now flown out over 120,000 people in the last 18 days."
- Despite the consistent reporting of over 120,000 people evacuated during the operation in Afghanistan, concerns about the accuracy of the individual datasets have been raised, casting doubts on the actual number of US citizens evacuated.
- The Pentagon has confirmed that the evacuation operation successfully airlifted more than 120,000 Americans, Afghans, and US allies during the August 2021 withdrawal, a figure that includes both US citizens and Afghan allies.
- The one-sided representation of data, with about nine Afghan nationals in the databases for every one credentialed evacuee, has led to allegations of human laundering, potentially manipulating the identities of up to 90,000 individuals.
- Amidst the debate over the number of evacuees, it's crucial to maintain a transparent and factual approach to understanding the events that took place during the evacuation from Afghanistan, drawing on reliable sources like the Department of Defense, White House press briefings, and news agencies such as CNN.
