Fingers crossed for Pen Farthing and Nowzad

Whatdayisit

Callistemon

We've heard about the frustration of those trying to get interpreters and their families to safety for months if not longer.
It is a disgrace and perhaps explains why some are so very upset and their anger has become focussed on these animals.

And months ago they started discussing whether they could come and were still discussing it just before this chaos ensued.
Interpreters not getting through is the British Government's fault only for not acting sooner.

Yes, whatdayisit
Nero syndrome

The world is in a dangerous situation. And it's nothing to do with Pen Farthing

Can’t argue with that.

if the animals had been euthanised a week or two ago, then the man and all his staff and their families could have got safely out.
obviously saving the animals as well is the ideal situation, but it look to me that the insistence on getting them out has in effect meant that the staff could not get out.
nobody wants animals to suffer or be lost, but humans must come first.
sometimes the best is the enemy of the good.

Bit of diverting there Zoejory

Not hugely, tickingbird

I thought it quite valid seeing as there is so much comment about this

The comments I've read in the Mail have been quite horrifying. Not a regular reader so am unsure if this is the norm.

However I did read an excellent article by Tobias Ellwood

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-9937261/TOBIAS-ELLWOOD-Bidens-geo-strategic-blunder-Afghanistan.html

The world is in a dangerous situation. And it's nothing to do with Pen Farthing

So sorry Londonmxfitz I didn’t realise it was only ok for you to speculate and that everything you read or hear is the truth.

Visgir1

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/4a851406-082a-11ec-ab20-2ce30c912e38?shareToken=53beb9ade388d3fcb94aa1f5a6ec969d

Gosh, I wonder if the (checks) three people on this Report are looking at a little extra in their banks this month for this smear.

Whichever one put Pen's age as 57 needs to fact check.

Bit of diverting there Zoejory

As for this:-

Just awful that people can't see they are falling for propaganda put out by the government to divert attention from the real problems.

People on all sides of the political spectrum fall for propaganda all the time. That’s what politicians do.

I thought The Guardian was the temple of all truth. It’s quoted so often on here and always as some kind of clincher in any debate as in “here’s the link” followed by a direct line to the article.

I apologise for being flippant but sometimes I despair……

Callistemon

We've heard about the frustration of those trying to get interpreters and their families to safety for months if not longer.
It is a disgrace and perhaps explains why some are so very upset and their anger has become focussed on these animals.

And months ago they started discussing whether they could come and were still discussing it just before this chaos ensued.
Interpreters not getting through is the British Government's fault only for not acting sooner.

It's not a case of believing or disbelieving the media.

What it is how the powers that be decided to release what one would assume to be a private phone call and release it to the media

So now people are up in arms about Pen Farthing instead of being up in arms about the fiasco the West has caused.

Bush, Trump, Biden, Johnson. And what about Raab? There's an article about him that states he hadn't bothered with any phone calls to Afghanistan for 6 months. The man who couldn't be bothered to leave his sun lounger.

But now all the wrath is falling on a man who has served in war torn countries. A man who has risked his life. A man who was given a Hero of the Year award. A man who loves animals.

Just awful that people can't see they are falling for propaganda put out by the government to divert attention from the real problems.

I don't believe the Guardian after I thought Labour were going to win in 2019 !

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/4a851406-082a-11ec-ab20-2ce30c912e38?shareToken=53beb9ade388d3fcb94aa1f5a6ec969d

Callistemon

Not the Daoly Mail or the Mail on Sunday:

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/aug/28/animal-rescuer-threatened-mod-aide-for-blocking-kabul-evacuation

Although visas were granted for his 24 staff and their dependents, Farthing refused to leave without his pets and aimed to get 200 dogs and cats out of the country.

On Friday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that the ex-marine and his animals were at Kabul airport and clearance for their charter flight had been sponsored by the UK government.

Perhaps we are not to believe The Guardian either then.

First paragraph was quoted on Sky News last night. Boris Johnson gave the green light for the staff and their families to leave, I don't know if that equates to "Visa's". There was also the process of being vetted to ensure the right people are travelling on the right paperwork. The interviews I've seen directly from Pen on Facebook (live interviews) he's said "my staff and hopefully my animals". Maybe he was pushing to get the animals out too which is translated as "refused".

To be very clear. The animals couldn't stay without the Staff, I think from numbers quoted that I've seen only 3 or 4 of the Nowzad staff were going to stay at the Sanctuary to look after the donkeys they have their and to continue to look after any injured animals that come to them. They couldn't possibly care for this number of animals and - again - the Afghan banks are frozen so although there is money in the Nowzad bank account in Kabul they can't access it, there wouldn't be money for food for the animals. Those 160+ animals would have had to be euthanised. That would, for an animal sanctuary, be the absolute last resort. It's also my understanding that many of these animals already have homes in place - rehoming was put on hold because of Covid and some other legislation in the US (can't place the source now).

A lot of the above is me speculating, but it seems pretty likely.

MayBee70

Wonder if Johnson will have a photo shoot with the rescued animals. Or whether he’ll realise it’s a rather contentious issue?

I had wondered if he might adopt one to go with his other!

Not the Daoly Mail or the Mail on Sunday:

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/aug/28/animal-rescuer-threatened-mod-aide-for-blocking-kabul-evacuation

Although visas were granted for his 24 staff and their dependents, Farthing refused to leave without his pets and aimed to get 200 dogs and cats out of the country.

On Friday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that the ex-marine and his animals were at Kabul airport and clearance for their charter flight had been sponsored by the UK government.

Perhaps we are not to believe The Guardian either then.

15,000 people evacuated by British troops, an estimated 1,000 unable to get through to the airport.
There are hopes they can be helped to leave overland.

Reuters

Barmeyoldbat

LondonmzFitz, it seems you got your information from the news papers/agency, same as me, As for the child asking the question, it was in the Sunday Mail and it’s not a paper I buy or usually read, so I must apologise for getting that wrong as I just glanced at it but at the same time the question was still asked by a child and it does make you think. Still hold onto my beliefs it was totally wrong to remove those animals.

But you "glanced at it" and quoted it as fact when it's a statement given by a Tory MP ... And it's been shown several times that it is Tory MP's and their staff that are trying to deflect attention from their mismanagement of this situation onto a bloke with a bit of earthy language trying to save his staff. You've only got the word of someone trying to smear Pen as saying a child asked his Dad who asked me ... Wouldn't stand in a Court of Justice, won't stand with me.

If I'd not pointed out that you've given incorrect information would you have been spouting this on to friends and family?

Honestly - I've used the same language as Pen reading through some of these posts ...

Wonder if Johnson will have a photo shoot with the rescued animals. Or whether he’ll realise it’s a rather contentious issue?

We've heard about the frustration of those trying to get interpreters and their families to safety for months if not longer.
It is a disgrace and perhaps explains why some are so very upset and their anger has become focussed on these animals.

Dinahmo

This backlash against Pen Farthing is deflecting from the news that the Foreign Office ignored thousands of emails.

From the Observer today " Thousands of emails to the Foreign Office from MPs and charities detailing urgent cases of Afghans trying to escape from Kabul have not been read, including cases flagged by government ministers, the Observer has been told."

It's a dead cat, Dinahmo

(I'll get my coat...)

Reported he's landed at Heathrow, animals will be looked after by a "team of vets" and Nowzad (UK) Staff.

Interesting point made by Dominic Dyer who's been the media voice in this, why was this recorded voicemail made public? Do GDPR rules not apply if you are calling from Afghanistan?

The Government have leaked a private call.

Will questions be asked, will there be an investigation along the lines of the CCTV of Matt Hancock kissing in the corridors of power? Don't hold your breath.

LondonmzFitz, it seems you got your information from the news papers/agency, same as me, As for the child asking the question, it was in the Sunday Mail and it’s not a paper I buy or usually read, so I must apologise for getting that wrong as I just glanced at it but at the same time the question was still asked by a child and it does make you think. Still hold onto my beliefs it was totally wrong to remove those animals.

This backlash against Pen Farthing is deflecting from the news that the Foreign Office ignored thousands of emails.

From the Observer today " Thousands of emails to the Foreign Office from MPs and charities detailing urgent cases of Afghans trying to escape from Kabul have not been read, including cases flagged by government ministers, the Observer has been told."

Serious comprehension problems on this thread....

Barmeyoldbat

I am not knocking the work he has done, nor am I an animal hater but when a child asked him Why are your animals lives worth more than mine, it would seem he had no answer.

WRONG. I presume you are quoting the Mail on Sunday. The quote is -

(Senior Tory MP) Mr Tugendhat, who served in Afghanistan, revealed how his former interpreter, who is now stuck in Kabul, asked him: ‘Why is my five-year-old worth less than your dog?

‘I didn’t have an answer,’ he says.

In the name of all that is Holy if you are going to spread information please make sure it's right information, eh?