Randall Flagg wrote:

Axl S wrote:

Two explosions reported. Reports of US service members caught in the blasts and British citizens who still haven't managed to get into the airport.

What is the take in the UK?  Do British citizens or media place any blame on Johnson for not getting UK citizens out in the past 4 months?  The fact the US, Germany, the UK and France are all scrambling to evacuate people tells me something is completely amiss here.  I know Biden just refused the G7's request to extend the withdrawal, did NATO not think Biden would pull out when he said he would?

People very upset at our Foreign Sec (Dominic Rabb) being AWOL on holiday during the fall of Kabul. He came out yesterday with the excuse that he could not leave his holiday in Crete because “The sea was closed”.

Also generally unimpressed with US readiness but there is a general feeling that at the end of the day the USA has been calling the shots on this the whole time and that the current admin fucked this up. Folk are finally reassessing the U.K./US relationship. The US Defense Secretary even spoke about that yesterday

https://twitter.com/paulwaugh/status/1430068585053966347?s=21

Can’t be stated enough how this shambles has damaged the perception of America and the trust NATO allies can put in it as a partner. Seems to be sense that NATO allies have been sidelined throughout all this, recent evidence of that includes taking a day and a half to return a phone call from U.K. Prime Minister. Obviously from US side there is the perception that most NATO allies don’t pay their way.

Agreed with you that at the end of the day there are soldiers, citizens of western nations and Afghan citizens who are now dead due to the poor planning of the withdrawal and evacuation. It’s the tragic consequences of the poor planning.