There are reportedly up to 10,000 Americans trapped in Kabul right now with no plan to get them out:
How are thousands of Americans trapped in Kabul supposed to get to the airport? There's no plan for them at all. They all could become hostages. This is a crisis. https://t.co/0DfEcbrPyt https://t.co/GSCMWJPCu6
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) August 17, 2021
Well, maybe saying “no plan” isn’t entirely accurate as the U.S. Embassy does have a plan but it just seems like it’s a really dumb plan:
The US Embassy account just tweeted (and then deleted 14-ish minutes later) this tweet telling Americans still in Kabul to fill out a form and then wait for an email if they want help getting out of Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/xBKv6Ylibb
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) August 17, 2021
They replaced that deleted tweet with this one. Do people in Kabul still have reliable internet access to even put their name on this list? Hopefully, this works better than, say, the rollout of the Obamacare exchange:
And they tweeted a new version. Here’s hoping every American in Kabul has internet where they’re sheltering in place https://t.co/JMnA25rNOd
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) August 17, 2021
This . . . does not seem ideal. From the link on the form you need to fill out to escape:
“Do not call the U.S. Embassy in Kabul for details or updates about the flight. This form is the only way to communicate interest in flight options. We will notify you directly by email based on your registration as soon as departure options become available.”
This is the alert the tweet linked to: “You must complete this form even if you’ve previously submitted your information to the U.S Embassy in Kabul by other means… This form is the only way to communicate interest in flight options.” pic.twitter.com/xkZtvfkvqX
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) August 17, 2021
And “Please do NOT come to the airport” sounds a lot like VP Kamala Harris’ message to migrants:
BORDER: This week in Guatemala, VP Kamala Harris said, "I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come… I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back." pic.twitter.com/B2lgWsIXkY
— Forbes (@Forbes) June 13, 2021
And, as for Americans stuck in Kabul, “Please take a number and have a seat in the lobby. Someone will call you to a window shortly. Wait times may vary”:
"Please take a number and have a seat in the lobby. Someone will call you to a window shortly. Wait times may vary." https://t.co/blaleauMA5
— Aldous Huxley's Ghost™ (@AF632) August 17, 2021
It’s like the DMV:
It’s like the DMV but for evacuating a terrorist-held country that the president said wouldn’t become a terrorist-held country
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) August 17, 2021
But worse:
The absolute state of the Dept. of State.
You want to know why for <checks calendar> decades many have wanted civil service reform…any reform for DOS?
This is why.
As others have stated, it is like the DMV, but without the proper procedures.
We'd be better off with Vogons https://t.co/a80y9XJ8YU pic.twitter.com/aV6dl4R4OK
— cdrsalamander (@cdrsalamander) August 17, 2021
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