The Times - August 26, 2021 {BooksHash}



Not everyone is going to get out,’ Wallace admits



Thousands of Afghans entitled to come to Britain are at risk of being left behind after the Foreign Office advised against travelling to Kabul airport and the defence secretary recommended that they head for the border.



Ben Wallace said “not everyone is going to get out” and told those who had not been called to the airport to consider fleeing to Iran or Pakistan.



The new guidance warns of a terrorist threat and advises people near the airport to “move away to a safe location”. The out-of-bounds area includes the Baron Hotel, where officials have been processing Afghans and Britons before they board RAF flights. New arrivals are likely to be turned away as the government focuses on trying to process those already in the hotel compound.



It means that thousands will miss the evacuation. They are likely to include some Afghan interpreters although most will be from civil society, including politicians and humanitarian workers. Today is expected to be the final day for evacuating civilians.



A government source said: “We’ve worked round the clock and will continue to strive to get as many people out as possible, but this makes the situation much tougher.”



The move is a marked change of tone from ministers’ previous pronouncements. As recently as the weekend, Boris Johnson was saying that the situation at the airport was “stabilising”. Sources had also appeared confident that they could evacuate all British citizens as well as those on the Afghan relocation programme (known as Arap), which helps interpreters and other support staff.

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