Fingers crossed for Pen Farthing and Nowzad

The drivers of two vehicles (his Staff) weren't allowed through the Taliban checkpoints so Soldiers had to take those vehicles through

that is a very important point LondonMzFitz: it was a Taliban checkpoint, they were in charge.

What?

Perfectly reasonable suggestion that those who worked directly for NATO Allies would be prioritised.
That does not mean that the staff who worked for NATO allies could not have been got out over months instead of the chaos that ensued and that they should have known this would happen.

Barmeyoldbat

Well he and his animals are out at last at the the cost of human lives. It would seem from what I read, The Guardian, that it took a lot of man power to get the animals to the airfield and then on board, manpower that’s was diverted from helping totters. Also there are now claims of his bullying, foul mouth rants to staff to get help. I despise him and see him him as an arrogant bully.

Huh?
It's been stated over and over and over and over again that the animals did not take priority over any human lives.

The processing centre at the Hotel was closed after the bombs on Thursday.
*Source - Reuters - www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/uk-says-it-is-last-stages-kabul-evacuations-processing-ended-2021-08-27/

From what I've read - the whole party - Pen, his Staff and families (including women and young children) and the animals were told they had to leave their place in the queue into the airport, where they had been for 36 hours, on Thursday after the bombings.

Pen alone was summoned to the airport with his animals on Friday - of course, the animals won't need to be processed in the same way as the people. The drivers of two vehicles (his Staff) weren't allowed through the Taliban checkpoints so Soldiers had to take those vehicles through - reminder again that there were no people being processed so not queue jumping.

The plans Pen had in place for himself and his staff to load the animals on the aircraft couldn't happen because he didn't have his staff, so Soldiers helped load them onto the plane. The privately funded plane, animals in the hold.

There were no more people to be checked through to get on flights because the clearing station had been closed the day before.

The recording of Pen giving hell to Ben Wallace MP's staff member was from early last week when it became clear there were only days left and he was desperate, desperate, to get a call sign to give the aircraft to land in Kabul. To get his Staff out, to get himself out, and those animals that he could. This had been given the green light by Boris Johnson himself, you couldn't get higher authority.

He'd reported a few days earlier that his Norwegian wife and a female US staff member, heavily pregnant (33 weeks) and with a young child, had tried to get to the airport the previous Thursday in the chaos, both summoned by their respective Governments, they were groped and manhandled; they gave up and went somewhere locally overnight and went to the airport again in the early hours of the next day, and were taken out of Afghanistan. The US woman has reportedly been held in Germany in appalling conditions with other Afghans, 9,000 of them with "not enough food and few toilets".

This is - my opinion - a man on the edge trying desperately to salvage an appalling situation, to help his Staff that he's worked with for years. They were ready to go on Sunday - delays, delays for days, from Ministers who weren't answering his calls. I have absolutely no doubt he did a lot of swearing on that call. Peoples lives on the line - wouldn't you? Wouldn't I?

You, Barmeyoldbat, are entitled to your opinion but the disregard for the truth, and for facts, are regrettable.

What?

What in earth has that got to do with the government scapegoating the guy?

Why are people left behind Minister? "Well we could have got more out if it wasn't for that foul mouthed bloke and his dogs"

See how it works?

I've started wondering to myself what possible benefit there is to the Government in scapegoating Farthing and telling us he prevented people getting out, he hindered the execution of the plan etc?

I thought that the paperwork wasn't in order because the people were working for a charity not for any Government organisation and that anyone working for an allied NATO government would be given priority?

Cross posts Zoejory. We're on the same page.

And I think Pen's probably no angel and a nightmare to deal with because he used to be a Marine. All the ex-Marines I know are pretty hard men. (Yes Call, surprisingly I do know some!). Doesn't make him the root of all evil though.

Galaxy

Its quite possible that the government are spinning this to distract from their own failings, it's also possible that Pen is not a angel, in my experience there are very few heroes and they are often than not deeply flawed.

It's definitely a spin, Galaxy And of course Pen's not an angel. He wouldn't claim to be on either.

Alegrias1

Zoejory

He's besmirched the honour of the Marines - nothing to say there, really, is there?

That has to be one of the most absurd comments on here.

You should all get on the Sunday Mail. You'll find lots of like minded types.

Just to be clear Zoejory - I don't think this is true at all, but its what people are saying. I'm sure you understood that but I wanted to be clear what my position is.

I've started wondering to myself what possible benefit there is to the Government in scapegoating Farthing and telling us he prevented people getting out, he hindered the execution of the plan etc? But its obvious, isn't it? When we all start to realise how many people have been left behind, they can blame it on the diversion about "pets".

Sorry Alegrias, I included your input on the quote unintentionally. I'm not seeing straight at the moment.

I totally agree about the scapegoating. They're on a smear campaign and Pen's animals are the cause of all the misery left behind.

Far better to blame him and his dogs than the government

I would think the Marines would be very proud of him, he served for 22 years.

What child was that 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.

Its quite possible that the government are spinning this to distract from their own failings, it's also possible that Pen is not a angel, in my experience there are very few heroes and they are often than not deeply flawed.

Zoejory

*He's besmirched the honour of the Marines - nothing to say there, really, is there?*

That has to be one of the most absurd comments on here.

You should all get on the Sunday Mail. You'll find lots of like minded types.

Just to be clear Zoejory - I don't think this is true at all, but its what people are saying. I'm sure you understood that but I wanted to be clear what my position is.

I've started wondering to myself what possible benefit there is to the Government in scapegoating Farthing and telling us he prevented people getting out, he hindered the execution of the plan etc? But its obvious, isn't it? When we all start to realise how many people have been left behind, they can blame it on the diversion about "pets".

Galaxy

I meant the Sunday mail comments. Like minded types, no tribalism there.

Very helpful. It's filled with comments similar to these. Like minded. Nothing unhelpful there.

I meant the Sunday mail comments. Like minded types, no tribalism there.

He's besmirched the honour of the Marines was the quote I meant to use. I didn't mean to include Alegrias1 good response.

I am rather angry at the moment and there's smoke coming from my keyboard

Well that's helpful isnt it.

09:43Callistemon. Not the Taliban or ISIS then?

Of course the Taliban and ISIS.

The haters on here are making out Pen Farthing has blood on his hands which is ridiculous.

He's besmirched the honour of the Marines - nothing to say there, really, is there?

That has to be one of the most absurd comments on here.

You should all get on the Sunday Mail. You'll find lots of like minded types.

Lucca, dogs are not allowed to be pets by the Taliban. They are deemed unclean. They'd be shot.clubbed to death/burned etc etc

I've just had the misfortune to read an article in the Sunday Mail where Pen is being ripped to shreds by their angry readers. Bit like this thread actually.

This website informs of what they have done over the years

www.nowzad.com/our-work/our-shelter

They have also rehomed over 1000 dogs to their soldiers all over the world. The soldiers have taken great comfort in these dogs. 10 years ago the family of a young soldier managed to save his dog who had survived. Their son had told them about this lovely dog who had been his friend and support in that hell hole.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-15990370

As *Alegrias! has pointed out, he didn't jump the queue. He was sat for 13 hours in scorching temperatures and didn't jump the queue. He didn't put dogs before people.

Just do a spot of research rather then taking snippets from the media

www.facebook.com/nowzadrescue/

Perhaps the haters on here might like to read Nowzad back story.

The person who has blood on his hands is Biden for the chaotic withdrawal.

Not the Taliban or ISIS then?

Baggs

^He's besmirched the honour of the Marines - nothing to say there, really, is there?^

If the report that he threatened to destroy Wallace and his deputy via social media if he, Farthing, did not get what he wanted re permissions, then yes he has besmirched the honour of the Marines. And of himself.

And there you go....

If...if....

Don't be mouthy in this world, don't be angry. Be meek and mild and do what the nice politician in his comfy office tells you. Is that how ex-Marines behave?

Lucca

Callistemon

BlueBelle

Callistemon I m with you 100% I don’t know him I don’t have any feelings for him, but I don’t understand how anyone can put an animals life ahead of a humans and I think he has done a big disservice to his staff, like the captain of a boat he should have been the last to leave.
I hope to God the staff can get out but now it looks less likely What a mess

Bluebelle I was very upset at the thought of what would happen to the staff left behind and the thoughts that it is not part of the ethos and integrity of an ex-Royal Marine Commando to do anything like this, but, as I posted above,
an ex-servicemen said:
Listening to the voice of reason, an ex-servicemen who said:

"We were not there, we cannot judge. We don't know if he was bundled on to the plane by service personnel. He will probably have to live with the guilt and remorse of having to leave his staff behind to face such peril for the rest of his life."

I do feel, however, that a cat will survive as best it can; were the staff able to leave if the paperwork had been processed, they would live to rescue another thousand+ animals in need.

Those animals might well have died, yes, but they wouldn’t have been hunted down, tortured, raped and killed in a barbaric way.

No, they wouldn't. I do agree.

How anyone can feel more compassion for a cat, which will quickly turn feral if left to it's own devices, than they do for terrified children, young girls and young women who will be taken as sex slaves, boys who may be tortured is beyond my understanding.

Well he and his animals are out at last at the the cost of human lives. It would seem from what I read, The Guardian, that it took a lot of man power to get the animals to the airfield and then on board, manpower that’s was diverted from helping totters. Also there are now claims of his bullying, foul mouth rants to staff to get help. I despise him and see him him as an arrogant bully.