Under the title "How Does the Taliban 'Hunt' Collaborators with the Afghan Government and America?", Sky News Arabia published a translated report highlighting that a report from the American network "Fox News" revealed the methods the Taliban uses to identify Afghans cooperating with American forces or the previous government against the movement's interests.
The report stated that the Taliban "controlled the identification systems left by the previous government," which means that the movement's militants "have the capability to distinguish who will be pursued." Fox News noted that these systems were specifically designed by the United States for the benefit of the previous Afghan government to ensure its safety and the safety of its collaborators. However, the network did not disclose the nature of these systems or how they are utilized.
In the past few weeks, the Taliban has taken control of most areas of Afghanistan, including the capital, Kabul, raising fears of retaliatory actions the movement might carry out against those working with the government and cooperating with American forces. As the Taliban advanced following the U.S. withdrawal, a significant number of Afghans who had worked with the government or with Americans remained trapped, fearing they would be recognized by the extremist movement.
U.S. President Joe Biden stated that the American administration seeks to evacuate at least 50,000 Afghan allies and their family members from the country, a mission that is not at all easy. Sara Carter, a journalist collaborating with Fox News, described the situation, saying: "They are hunting them like animals," referring to the Taliban's search for Afghans who had worked with the government or Americans. She added, "I spoke to more than 30 people in different groups. Some of my sources are near the embassies and around Kabul Airport as well. They are hiding. They have been beaten. I have one source who was severely beaten and nearly had his leg broken" at the hands of Taliban members.
In recent days, media outlets have broadcasted harsh scenes of thousands of Afghans crowding near Kabul Airport and inside it, hoping to flee the country by any means possible after the Taliban took control. The United States and other Western countries are also seeking to evacuate their nationals, as well as Afghans who collaborated with them, through Kabul Airport, but the mission appears difficult, as acknowledged by the U.S. president.
Biden, in a speech to reporters from the White House on Sunday, said: "We evacuated 12,000 people from Kabul Airport since August 14," but emphasized that "the evacuation operations from the airport are harsh and painful." The U.S. president spoke about the heartbreaking scenes of Afghans crowding the Kabul Airport to escape the country, considering that "there is no way to evacuate such a large number of people without pain and loss." Biden noted that the urgency of U.S. officials to complete the evacuation mission as soon as possible stems from the ongoing threat posed by ISIS in Afghanistan at this time.
A week after the Taliban took power, chaos still prevails outside Kabul Airport, while reports indicated that individuals attempting to leave were beaten by armed militants affiliated with the movement. Thousands of people continued their attempts to flee the country on Sunday, as Biden stated: "We have made a number of changes, including expanding the access area around the airport and the security perimeter."
