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The Washington Post published yesterday, "Surprise, panic and fateful choices: The day America lost its longest war."
The final US flight out of Afghanistan lifted off yesterday at 3:29 pm Eastern Time--- keeping President Biden's promise to the Taliban, but breaking his promise to the Americans, and Afghans who worked for the United States and who were left behind.
The Taliban, whom we went to defeat 20 years ago, are now in control of the country.
Some thoughts on the surprises, panic, and fateful choices.
Be informed, not misled.
Surprise.
An Afghan security official who had spent the previous evening distributing new uniforms to his officers told WAPO, "Everyone was ready to fight against the Taliban... All the security forces were ready."
Within hours, long-haired Taliban fighters had seized the city, the president of the country had fled and the Taliban were physically occupying the Presidential Palace and the president's office.
Several US officials were so certain Afghanistan would stand for a while, they were vacationing on Martha's Vineyard and elsewhere.
They were all surprised that the Afghan president had fled the country---and further surprised that he had fled on the basis of false information his advisers had given him. Sound familiar?
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had become complacent. So had some American leaders.
Soon that leadership's complacency turned into what it was all along: Delusion.
Panic
By mid-August NBC News was reporting, "A new wave of panic has gripped Afghanistan."
"As the Taliban tear through territory, toppling government districts like dominoes, those who can are scrambling to leave provincial cities for the relative safety of the capital Kabul," they said. "Those who can't live with constant anxiety and are struggling to sleep."
NBC reported that the "Taliban is poised to take the city and fighters were looking to find young girls to marry, and young boys to join the fight."
One girl explained the prospect of having to marry a Taliban fighter was beyond her worst nightmare, adding she would rather die than be submitted to such a fate.
The Taliban, who has already begun going door to door looking for Americans, Afghans formerly employed by the US, and boys and girls called the reports "baseless propaganda."
But everyone knew better. Except for leadership, who didn't know or didn't care.
Fateful choices.
The Taliban tweeted: "The last American soldier left Kabul at 9 PM Afghan time tonight and our country gained full independence. Thank god and blessings."
Taliban troops celebrated the withdrawal by firing their guns into the air in "celebratory gunfire."
On August 18, President Biden told ABC's George Stephanopoulos that the "US military objective in Afghanistan was to get 'everyone' out, including Americans and Afghan allies and their families."
He said, "That's what we're gonna do, that's the path we're on. And I think we'll get there. If there's American citizens left, we're gonna stay until we get them all out."
That was then--this is now.
Four US senators and 39 members of the House of Representatives have called for Biden to resign or for him to face the invocation of the 25th Amendment or impeachment. The names of the senators and representatives are listed here.
Biden has kept his promise to the Taliban to get out no matter what by August 31, but has broken his promise to several hundred remaining American citizens and thousands of Afghans who worked with and for the United States during the past 20 years.
When government fails.
Three leaders with different theological beliefs are working together to accomplish what the government could not, or decided not to do.
Franklin Graham, Glenn Beck, and Kenneth Copeland ministries are working to bring Christians out of Afghanistan.
Beck explained that his Nazarene Fund flies Afghan refugees---specifically Christians, to 3 nearby countries that have requested to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation and terrorist attacks.
He says our State Department has been the biggest problem, they "have blocked us every step of the way."
Beck says, "An ambassador was called in Macedonia last night and [was] told not to accept any of these people as we were trying to get them off the tarmac here to keep the airport flowing and getting these Christians out."
Beck told Tucker Carlson at Fox that Copeland Ministries has let me borrow their jet...we're going someplace else to open up two countries, and I don't even want to say who they are because I'm afraid our State Department will call them and threaten them."
He said Christians in Afghanistan with the Taliban in control "are marked not just for death, but to be set on fire alive because they're converted Christians."
.@glennbeck on @TuckerCarlson says the US State Department is blocking his organization's help every step of the way, and is likely directly responsible for the death of a large group of Afghan Christians. https://t.co/RkIwc1N36x pic.twitter.com/dlRTEIG6X8
— ⓘ Your mask is a Prius for your face 🇺🇸 🦅🇵🇱 (@unashamedusa) August 27, 2021
Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse has also joined the evacuation effort, working in partnership with organizations on the ground.
Samaritan's Purse warned in a press release that the Taliban are "Islamic extremists" who are "poised to force Afghanistan back into a dark and brutal state where Christians, anyone who has associated with Americans, women, and others face severe persecution and death."
Franklin says they are working directly with people on the ground in the country and they say, "The Taliban has a hit list of known Christians they are targeting to pursue and kill."
Takeaway
President Biden has made his final flight.
He'll be telling the world today in his press conference how his evacuation is the biggest in history, historic, incredible, memorable, and record-setting---never anything like it.
Perhaps.
But our current events are shaping and conditioning the world for a far greater evacuation. Those things that the prophets spoke of are coming to pass.
Jesus Christ is coming again. He said we would recognize the times, but not know the day or the hour in which He would come.
Our times are looking very familiar.
Be Informed. Be Engaged. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Ready. Be Prayerful. Be Faithful.