Gen. Milley: "nothing that I or anyone else saw that indicated the collapse of...this government"

Afghanistan: Desperate women throw babies over razor wire, asking British soldiers to take them

...

Day and night families - often with tiny children - have risked their lives, ducking past gunfire at the gates of the civilian side of the airport; passing aggressive Taliban fighters, who occasionally beat and harass them. In the night, the paratroopers blockaded the road with cars and razor wire.

A senior officer told me they had no choice because the situation was out of control, but said the blockade will live with some of his soldiers for the rest of their lives.

"It was terrible, women were throwing their babies over the razor wire, asking the soldiers to take them, some got caught in the wire," he told me.

"I'm worried for my men, I'm counselling some, everyone cried last night."

https://news.sky.com/story/afghanistan-desperate-women-throw-babies-over-razor-wire-at-compound-asking-british-soldiers-to-take-them-12384646?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter

Taliban fire into crowd, beat protesters: reports

Taliban fighters reportedly fired into a crowd and beat protesters in cities throughout Afghanistan on Wednesday, just days after the insurgent group took control of the country. Al Jazeera reported that at least two people were killed and 12 others injured after shots were fired during a protest in Jalalabad. Dozens of Afghans gathered in the city to raise the national flag before the country’s Independence Day, according to The Associated Press.

As Afghans tried to lower the Taliban flag, which was raised after the insurgent group took over the region, fighters started firing shots in the air and attacking the Afghans with batons in an effort to disperse the crowd, the AP reported, citing video footage. A television cameraman who tried to document the violence was also reportedly beaten by the insurgent group's fighters. Fighters with the insurgent group have been patrolling the streets in Kabul, at times coming into contact with hundreds of Afghan protesters, The New York Times noted.

Despite the risks involved with demonstrating, protesters have been whistling, shouting and waving large Afghan flags in the streets, prompting Taliban forces to try to dissolve the crowd by firing shots into the air, according to the Times, which cited video aired by local news media outlets. When those tactics reportedly did not work, however, the fighters reportedly resorted to force.

That violence was also seen at checkpoints in Kabul and near the local airport as the U.S. and other countries were operating evacuation flights from the region, according to The Washington Post. The Post reported that some Afghans who sought to leave the country on evacuation flights were unable to do so because they came into contact with the Taliban at checkpoints.

https://thehill.com/policy/international/568332-taliban-fire-into-crowd-beat-protesters

Is there any explanation why Covid doesn't affect some people at all?

It seems to have no effect at all on some people while being utterly devastating on others, this seems to be the root cause of why so many people still don't take it seriously. How can a virus be so selective?

51yo man attacked by man wielding hatchet in Manhattan ATM

Disturbing new surveillance video shows the moment a 51-year-old man was brutally attacked by a hatchet-wielding maniac while at a Lower Manhattan ATM.

The footage, obtained by The Post on Tuesday, shows the victim at one of the ATMs inside a Chase Bank vestibule on Broadway near Beaver Street in the Financial District shortly before 5:30 p.m. Sunday when his attacker walks in, removes a hatchet from a dark bag, sneaks up behind him and begins slashing him.

The frightened and bloodied victim tries to fend off the brutal assault, falling to the floor several times as he futilely attempts to grab his crazed assailant’s weapon, the footage shows.

When the unidentified suspect is finished beating his victim, he smashes the screens of the cash-dispensing machines before walking away — and leaving the hatchet and his backpack behind, according to police. The wounded man was hospitalized in stable condition, police said. Cops hope the surveillance video helps them catch the maniac, sources said.

https://nypost.com/2021/08/17/shocking-video-shows-bloody-hatchet-attack-at-nyc-atm/

Afghan man dies after getting caught in landing gear of C-17 plane out of Kabul

A horrifying video footage has emerged that shows an Afghan caught in the landing gear of a C-17 after clambering on to the plane as he is crushed to death between the wheels. The chilling incident happened amid the chaos of evacuation flights in Kabul as guns and body armor are being dumped at the airport.

In the footage, the man can be seen hanging from the side of the plane and it was reported that the crew later found his body in the landing gear after making an emergency landing. Some 640 Afghans were seen crammed into a C-17 jet fitted to carry only 150 soldiers on Monday, with several seen falling from hundreds of feet and dying as the plane took off.

The video appears to have been taken from a porthole in the rear door of a C-17 military plane. The gory footage shows the man's legs protruding from the wheel arch and failing against the side of the plane as it cuts through the air.

Initially no one noticed the man, at least not the crew. The man till then had been struggling and after a few minutes he was crushed to death. The discovery was made when the crew struggled to close the landing gear. The flight, which was US bound, then made an emergency landing in a third country, according to the Washington Post. However, the man's body was mangled by that time. American officials later confirmed that human remains had been found in the wheel well of a C-17.

https://www.ibtimes.sg/horrifying-video-shows-afghan-man-getting-crushed-death-landing-gear-c-17-flight-out-kabul-59679

Ohio woman sentenced to prison for fatally shooting man who burglarized her home

Aug. 16—Family members of Milton Roberts asked a Lucas County Common Pleas Court judge for the maximum prison term Monday for a Toledo woman who shot the man multiple times as he allegedly burglarized her home. Robert's older sister, Lorena Roberts, asked Judge Ian English on Monday to sentence Laniesha Walls, 25, to a maximum term of 17 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter for fatally shooting the man multiple times at her apartment in the 1400 block of Norwood Avenue on June 22, 2020. Roberts later died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Lucas County Coroner's Office.

"An angry, young woman with a gun doesn't think rationally," Ms. Roberts said on Monday. "She had shot him once but her anger wanted him dead. As he lay wounded, Ms. Walls hovered over him and shot him again, multiple times. And then she left the scene, leaving him dead on the sidewalk. No attempt to seek help, no remorse for what she did. "Ms. Walls, in my opinion, is a cold-blooded killer and does not deserve any more breaks," Ms. Roberts added, claiming her brother's life had more meaning than the agreed-upon sentence of six years in prison. The Lucas County Prosecutor's Office consulted with Mr. Roberts' son, Milton Roberts Jr., throughout the case and he previously OK'd the terms of the plea agreement on behalf of the victim's family, assistant county prosecutor Michael Bahner said on Monday.

Both Mr. Bahner and defense attorney Adam Stone agreed to go forward with the hearing and Judge English sentenced Walls on Monday to an indefinite term of 6 to 8 1/2 years in prison. "I just want to apologize to the family," Walls said, hanging her head down throughout the proceedings. Walls was facing murder charges, which could have landed her in prison for life. Last month, Walls pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter with a firearm specification. As part of the agreement, the state recommended a six-year sentencing cap.

The judge said he understood the family's frustration with Walls' sentence. However, updates to Ohio's law now requires prosecutors to prove a defendant did not act in self-defense, which is sometimes leading juries to an acquittal, he said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/toledo-woman-sentenced-prison-fatally-183800156.html

'Our Hearts Are Heavy': Former President George W. Bush Reacts To 'Tragic Events' In Afghanistan

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Former President George W. Bush, whose administration launched the war in Afghanistan following the 911 attacks nearly 20 years ago, released a statement late Monday night, August 16, on the Taliban seizing control of the Afghan government.

In a statement Mr. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush said, “Our hearts are heavy for both the Afghan people who have suffered so much and for the Americans and NATO allies who have sacrificed so much.”

Mr. Bush said the United States has a responsibility to secure safe passage for the Afghans who “have been on the forefront of progress inside their nation.”

Mr. Bush said, “Laura and I, along with the team at the Bush Center, stand ready as Americans to lend our support and assistance in this time of need. Let us all resolve to be united in saving lives and praying for the people of Afghanistan.”

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2021/08/16/hearts-heavy-former-president-george-w-bush-tragic-events-afghanistan/

Josh Rogin: Blame game can wait, thousands of americans still trapped in Kabul

US Air Force crams 800 afghan people onto C-17 jet out of Kabul

Keep in mind that the normal capacity for these planes is only 134