Sitting on reserved seats, US military dogs return home as chaos reigns at Kabul airport

By Ateet Sharma

After securing the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, the United States has not only ensured a smooth withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan but also their Military Working Dogs (MWD). Among the smartest canines in the world, these specialized dogs have played a crucial role in combat missions in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Many of these Belgian Malinois, German Shepherds and German Shorthaired Pointers have received medals along with their handlers for finding weapons, explosives, ammunition and also narcotics in the trouble-torn region.

The photographs and videos of the combat canines being evacuated from Kabul have gone viral on social media even as chaos reigned at the Kabul airport with thousands of Afghans making desperate attempts to flee Afghanistan in order to escape a possible persecution by the Taliban. The dogs were seen boarding the plane along with officials and sitting on seats specially reserved for them.

The pictures have enraged many as outside, the Afghans were chasing the US Air Force C-17 Globemaster on the tarmac, scrambling to get on to aircraft's landing gear and even losing their lives in an attempt to flee the besieged country.

As the pandemonium raged, the lucky 640-odd Afghans, including women and children, who managed to board an American military transport jet leaving for Qatar, were pictured sitting packed on the floor of the plane, totally unaware where they were heading towards.

It is not just the US which is evacuating animals. India on Tuesday brought back three sniffer dogs who were part of the ITBP security team at the Indian embassy in Kabul.

Paul 'Pen' Farthing, a former Royal Marine commando who has served in Helmand, is working hard not just to fly out the dogs, cats and other animals from his animal sanctuary in Kabul but also his wife and a 34-week pregnant country manager.

Seeking "urgent" help from the Boris Johnson government, Farthing had been trying to raise ?200K to enable Nowzad - his animal welfare NGO in Afghanistan - to evacuate the staff and rescue animals from the "desperate situation" in Kabul.

Now, he finds his wife and the pregnant manager getting nearly "crushed" in the stampede at the North gate of Kabul airport.

"Finally they are in a safe house in Kabul. Distraught, upset & frightened & as of yet no-one from the @USEmbassyKabul or @NorwayinAfgh has asked them where they are because they missed their flight... @JoeBiden @NorwayGovRBX #SaigonJoe #kabulairport," tweeted Farthing a few hours ago.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

--indianarrative

( 436 Words)

2021-08-18-22:00:04
Source: IANS