Cone of Silence

It looks as if with the official departure of the US military from Kabul, a media cone of silence perpetuated by the National Establishment Media has descended over the whole ghastly mess, leaving a good many of us who have been following the chaotic and bloody disaster that it was with unanswered questions. Like – exactly how many Americans were left behind in Afghanistan? American citizens and employees of international and US-sponsored NGOs, or dual nationals home visiting relatives in the “Old Country” over the summer vay-cay? A couple of hundred? Or thousands? Independent military reporter Michael Yon and others across the indy blogosphere reported that American citizens – with their passports in hand – were turned away from entering the Kabul Airport by the US Army, and it is those people who are stranded in Afghanistan now. Well, maybe. Between the proverbial fog of war and the cone of silence – a great many questions remain.

Where, for instance – are the tearful and ecstatic airport reunions with their families, of Americans who did manage to get out of Kabul? You’d think that regional news stations would have a bumper crop of stories about local people who are coming home and have breathless tales of their escape to tell. Of course, according to Peter Grant, who posted a couple of days ago, escape lines are still being run, and a lot of people who got out of Afghanistan alive have damned good reason to keep quiet about who guided, sheltered, and assisted them. There are at least as many stories of American military and diplomatic staff sabotaging such efforts, which certainly would prove embarrassing to them, if names and offices are specifically mentioned.

No coverage of the troops – the Army, Air Force and Marines who deployed to Kabul – returning home, for the joyful reunion with their families and friends? No joyous reunions of spouses and children at the falling-out formation on the flight line or the parade deck. Military media lives for that stuff, as I would know from personal experience. But nothing since the last American aircraft officially departed on the 30th. Gee, that’s … curious. It’s as if they are all returning without any notice being taken at all, officially, or media-wise.

Where are the heart-rending stories of the Afghani refugees themselves – their hairbreadth escapes, their hopes and dreams and reasons for departing? They’re at military bases scattered here and there, including at Fort Mccoy. There are some pictures of the various camps and facilities in local media … but not much else. The cone of silence is well clamped down. It’s as if the Biden Administration just wants the whole debacle to go away.

Of course they do – it’s not as if any of those at the top who bear responsibility for the disaster want to hear another word, especially from interested veterans. The FICUS himself probably got an unavoidable earful from the families of the thirteen killed in the suicide bombing at the Abbey gate. I myself hope that Milley and Sec Def Austin are spat upon so often that they spend the rest of their lives treading water. Discuss as you wish.

37 thoughts on “Cone of Silence”

  1. There was a time when if the Lame Stream Media did not report something, then it might as well never have happened. But the Media sold their souls to the Fascist take-over of the US — and lost the confidence of all except the sheep. The number of people who actually watch CNN or read the NYT is rather small.

    US citizens who rightly no longer trust the Democrat Establishment mouthpieces are going to alternatives — UK Daily Mail, Russia Today, Al Jazzera, Asia Times, etc. We know that those are not necessarily reliable sources either, but they are largely exempt from Democrat Establishment censorship and will cover the stories the Deep State wishes would go away. The number of people getting information from non-Democrat-controlled sources is still small, but enough that even if a tree falls in the forest, there is a sound.

    This loss of control over information is a problem for the Deep State Democrats. It is interesting to contemplate how they will try to respond.

  2. And there are 6 airplanes with Amcits and green card holders aboard being held in Mazar I Sharif air base. They are being held hostage right now.

    We have yet to see a single video of a rescued American Citizen reunited with their family in the United States. No crowds or families greeting the extracted American residents; no human interest stories and local broadcasted news coverage of relieved Americans, husbands, wives, daughters or sons arriving back in their hometown…. nothing.

    Five, six or seven thousand Americans reported as saved from the clutches of the Taliban, and not a single human interest story of those Americans arriving home to the waiting arms of their loving family. Not one.

  3. I don’t know much about the whole ridiculous situation but I do know this. Those Afghans up at Fort McCoy are going to need some coats because they have never experienced anything like a Winter in the Upper Midwest.

  4. we have given them a small army and airforce, enough uniforms to infiltrate any of a dozen bases from the gulf to the states, ‘none dare call it treason if treason doth prosper’ I don’t think they would hit al udeid, because that’s qatari turf, but most everywhere else is probably fair game, remember that kerfluffle over one jumbo jet, hold my qat

  5. If you cover the troops coming home, you have to talk to the troops, and you risk talking to guys who ain’t happy with what happened, best not to go there…

  6. Gavin…”US citizens who rightly no longer trust the Democrat Establishment mouthpieces are going to alternatives — UK Daily Mail, Russia Today, Al Jazzera, Asia Times, etc. We know that those are not necessarily reliable sources either, but they are largely exempt from Democrat Establishment censorship and will cover the stories the Deep State wishes would go away.” True, and there are alsomany Internet sources, ranging from Michael Yon on military affairs to Dr Judith Curry on climate.

    But on the other hand…a lot of conversations that once (not back in the mists of time, but only 10 years ago) would have been verbal conversations or emails among friends are now mediated by social media companies.

  7. Once they blow their credibility, where do they go to get it back?

    I don’t think the idiotarian class really grasps how much damage they’re doing to the commons, and what that means for the future. The old fable about the “Boy who Cried Wolf” comes to mind, and I have to wonder what they think the benefit is going to be, having control of a mass media that nobody bothers to pay attention to or put the slightest amount of belief into?

    Although, the credulous are still trusting enough to take it all at face value, but there are fewer and fewer of those, every day. You can only pull off the “Emperor’s New Clothes” so many times before you’re automatically ignored by everyone.

  8. Curious indeed! Other than some scattered stories about the fall of the last province to the Taliban, the German media has gone silent about Afghanistan as well. Usually they harp on tirelessly about anything that can be given an anti-American spin. The Left controls the establishment media there as well, so unease among the comrades about Afghanistan appears to be a global phenomenon. Apparently they fear that the absurd level of incompetence of the leftist regime in the US will reflect badly on them all. Collateral damage if you will. No need to blow things out of proportion, though. I’m informed by a friend that there was an excellent article about Afghanistan in the Cambodian media today.

  9. As far as I can tell, “we” built a facade of a government that was designed to require perpetual US assistance from the military, and from contractors and NGOs, then withdrew all support precipitously, gave the Taliban a vast amount of equipment and cash, gave Pakistan the green light to help the Taliban crush all their domestic opposition, and didn’t even ensure all Americans got out, or that the Taliban wouldn’t cozy up to China. Great job, CIA and Deep State, basically par for the course for your pathetic track record.

  10. There was a story this morning regarding 10th Mt. Division soldiers returning to Fort Drum from Afghanistan deployment … but now I can’t find it in a search of the DM website. Some pictures of families and soldiers reuniting … but all that turns up is a Public Affairs release about it all. Only the one story, though.
    Looking at the shenanigans that the State Department is playing with those American citizens trying to leave Afghanistan now, one wonders if they are trying deliberately to provide the Taliban with American hostages. There is a point where absolute incompetency tips over into deliberate malice.

  11. “one wonders if they are trying deliberately to provide the Taliban with American hostages”
    The troops at Kabul airport were all hostages for the last couple weeks of the evacuation. I have no idea what “deal” our supergenius elite cut with the Taliban, but it sure wasn’t for America’s benefit. It would be nice if some GOPe folks were yelling and screaming and demanding immediate hearings, but that’s not the world we are living in…

  12. My other question is what the heck the supergeniuses in DC think is going to happen to their approval ratings when on 9/11 the Taliban throw a big party, and there are still plenty of Americans stuck there, unable to get out…

  13. Sgt Mom: “There was a story this morning … but now I can’t find it in a search of the DM website.”

    That implies that some editor got a call from his old school chum Biffy. Really, the Best & Brightest are trying too hard. If they were smart — and we (& the Russians & the Chinese & the Taliban) know they are not — they would be allowing minor text reports; no photos, to respect the privacy of the returning troops & their families. By squashing the story completely, they are actually drawing attention to it. As Lefties used to say — It is not the crime that gets you; it is the cover-up.

    Malice? Could be. That is undeniable. But I would put my money on over-credentialed over-promoted over-paid bureaucrats trying to cover up their gross incompetence & abysmal failure.

    As Brian notes, it would be helpful if our elected representatives were providing some oversight of the Deep State. But unless those guys get a big check from the CCP, the Chamber of Commerce, or the Unions, they are not going to do a damn thing.

  14. I’m not gonna give the WaPo a link, but this discussion via althouse has some amazing quotes from parents of the 13 killed:
    https://althouse.blogspot.com/2021/09/it-was-just-very-cordial-very.html

    The media’s not going to be able to suppress the anger that’s raging beneath the surface, no matter how much they try.
    “And here’s a quote from another of the Gold Star parents, the father of Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole Gee: “[Biden is] not invited to the funeral. If he comes, I won’t let him in the door. I don’t even really want to talk to anyone in his administration. There’s blood on his hands. I’m trying to keep it not political, but I can’t. You can’t not do that. It’s what got my daughter killed.””

  15. they did this same carp with the veterans of mogadishu, (it is said the attempts to fight al queda in somalia, led to al shabaab) and khobar towers, that may been a joint hezbollah/al queda effort,

  16. Back in ’96 when my father died, as a veteran we got the flag and a letter robosigned by Clinton. I can’t help thinking of how much he detested Clinton. Biden has taken it to a new level. 9/11 is Saturday, I wonder if he’ll even try to rationalize handing Afghanistan back to Al-Qaeda. Such a nice gesture for the 20th anniversary. Actually I wonder if he’ll see his shadow.

  17. MCS: You see the news today that he’s not going to give any sort of speech on Saturday, but might have a recorded one available? All that work for a big moment and he’s not even capable of being pushed out in public to drool over a microphone. Poor Joe…

  18. I am leaning toward the theory that most of the people in Afghanistan were 1) military; 2) CIA/other intelligence agencies; 3) the White House/Administration/State Department, and finally 4) Idiots that thought it was safe to go into a war zone and visit families and friends. I also subscribe that 1-3 were at war (backstabbing, embarassing, having some other guy taking the blame) with each other. So Group 4 are the ones making the headlines, Groups 2 & 3 are the ones doing the dirty work that they don’t want anyone to know about, God forbid, and Group 1 – the military to take the fall for their stupidity even as they (2 & 3) left their “assets” to hide in the ditches as they left them behind. Heads of the military sort of belong in Group 2 or 3. This leaves the idiots to be the “news heartbreak/bleeding shots”, the lower ranking military to be the “idiots” and the rest to run around in the darkness going all stabby on each other.

  19. well the nazarene fund is trying to exfil Christians, I imagine some of the second group, looking back many of the hostages in Beirut were journalists like terry anderson (whose moonbat daughter trusts his hezbollah kidnappers, over the israelis,) academics like Malcolm Dodge, folks of that nature, but lets remember Qatar and Turkey are in the cats seat, Pakistan is the most proximate figure, through the boys from aapbara, (ISI) and the special security group (which are often the instruments of the former, sometimes future al queda operators,

  20. The media is as silent, as that airport concourse at the end of We Were Soldiers.

    It is Vietnam 2.0 for them, complete with helicopter evacuations followed by … silence.

    Killing Fields 2.0: Arid Version is coming next.

  21. This kind of reminds me of Benghazi. There were plenty of people evacuated/rescued and we have heard nothing from any of them. It as if they disappeared when the returned from Libya.
    I think it has to be more than just the media enforcing the cone of silence I would not be surprised if they made people sign a non disclosure agreement to get on the plane.

  22. I’m thinking we were very (VERY) lucky to have only lost 13 servicemen in the great Harmid Karzai International Airport skedaddle. Cut off, isolated, and well outside of their logistics and effective firepower support ranges, American forces on the ground around the airfield were facing a disaster.

    Had only a few things gone wrong, we might now be talking about how to deal with another Corregidor surrender, or maybe something akin to the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu. The thought of 5000 American troops being paraded through the streets of Kabul as POWs is almost too much to even imagine.

    Then again, if you have a choice between being good and being lucky, choose lucky every time.

  23. It didn’t have to be that way, the Shamali plain on which Bagram sits, is high ground, no one demanded we pull out, they scored loads of fighters, that they broke out of the ‘salt pit,’ as well as other places like poli charki, (which was infamous even back in the time of the Soviet invasion)

  24. Brian: “W can rot in hell.”

    From W’s speech: “In their determination to defile national symbols they are children of the same foul spirit and it is our continuing duty to confront them.”

    We know that W was not talking about Extreme Left Antifa or [Only Certain] Black Lives Matter when he made that mealy-mouthed remark. He was not talking about the Lefties who remove statues of American figures. We know who he was talking about, but was too spineless to name.

    Sad thing is I voted for W. I am a slow learner, but I have now learned. Never Again! The only Republican candidate I will ever vote for in the future will be someone like President Trump who is unacceptable to the Institutional Republicans. Not that it matters, since the evil Democrats will steal every election from here on in.

  25. Never Again!

    Really? You would vote for Gore or Kerry (or, the same thing, sit out the election) over W? You would vote for Biden over an establishment Republican?

    Almost every election is a choice between bad and worse. Once in a while you get to vote for a candidate you like. Yet conservative voters talk as though an ideal choice is always available, and Never Trump Republicans talk as though any Democrat is preferable to a Trump Republican. Stupid. Vote for the less-bad, and focus your energies on controversies where conservatives have real leverage.

    Biden’s ATF Director nominee just got withdrawn because the Administration can’t get him confirmed. That’s a big deal. The Biden administration may not be able to get some or all of its signal legislation through Congress. But but but. . . they stole the election! Yes, it appears that they did. But that doesn’t mean conservatives have no political leverage, or that the political battle is over. It’s never over, despite what the Left would have us believe.

  26. Jonathan: Sitting out an election is NOT the same thing as voting for a Dem. I refused to vote for Mitt and am more proud of that than most of my votes for GOP candidates in the past 30 years. They have to earn your vote, or else nothing will change.

  27. Jonathan: “Almost every election is a choice between bad and worse.”

    There is a lot of truth in that. So what are we going to do about it?

    On one level, it does not matter. Our Political Class has now sawed almost all the way through the branch on which they sit. Their massive arrogance & stupidity is destroying the real productive economy, which will soon have predictable consequences.

    In the meantime, I henceforth refuse to vote for “bad” to avoid “worse”. I will still go to the polling place on the days when evil Democrats are stealing elections, and I will spoil my ballot. Of course, this will make no difference and will not stop our Best & Brightest from destroying the US. But at this point, nothing can prevent that collapse.

  28. Brian appropriately wrote: “W can rot in hell.”

    Brian, you may appreciate Mark Steyn’s assessment of Bush.
    https://www.steynonline.com/11690/bush-re-enters-the-room

    To my eternal disgrace, I voted for the bum. That may cost me an extra thousand years in Purgatory — but I deserve it!

    What is so disappointing is not just Bush’s craven stupidity, it is the lack of integrity in the entire FedGov workforce. Disgusting!

  29. I haven’t seen mention of any other speeches from Saturday. I know the dementia patient from Pennsylvania Avenue couldn’t give one, what about the others? Was there an agreement that W would trash the deplorables and everyone else would cede him the stage?

  30. my fishwrap (which is full of gannett seed pods) studiously ignored it, then again they looked away from the massacre in orlando five years ago, blaming it on ‘hate’, but not anything that spewed from a guest imam, his father had invited,

  31. Watch closely.

    That is what they will do to you, so you’d better hope that your state/county has a decent emergency response plan. The “Feds” will evacuate and leave you and yours to your fate. Enjoy.

    If you live in a “Blue” state, Leave! Cuomo murdered everyone he could get his hands on. It doesn’t take a genius IQ and years of education to know that it isn’t a good idea to put infected patients in with the “elders”. You are “expensive” and “expendable”. Leave! While you can.

    It isn’t President Trump’s show any more.

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