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Kabul evacuation was hindered by pleas from Jill Biden and the Pope

The Arab News reported, US operation’s commander said, the American-led evacuation of NATO allies from Afghanistan was hindered by appeals from First Lady Jill Biden and the Pope.
It said that rear Admiral Peter Vasely said calls, emails and texts — which also flooded in from veterans and the media — were a “distraction” that “created competition for already stressed resources.”
He said that social media further exacerbated some difficulties — including campaigns for the military to save certain dogs.
Vasely said that the priority was to evacuate American citizens first, followed by permanent residents and then Afghans who had assisted the US throughout 20 years of occupation and counter-terror operations.
“But you had everyone from the White House down with a new flavor of the day for prioritization,” he told army investigators in a declassified report obtained by The Washington Post through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Asked by the army’s lead investigator whether it was true that the Pope and the first lady requested help on behalf of specific people, Vasely said: “That’s accurate. I was being contacted by representatives from the Holy See to assist the Italian military contingent.
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“I cannot stress enough how these high-profile requests ate up bandwidth.”
So many appeals flooded in during the 17-day evacuation that Vasely had to divert personnel into a “co-ordination cell” to process the pleas.
Vasely was speaking in a sworn testimony for the US army investigation of a suicide bombing that killed an estimated 170 Afghan civilians and 13 US service members outside Kabul’s international airport on Aug. 26.
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The White House said information was sent to the airport that might help to identify those in need of assistance, with operational control left to Vasely.
An official said: “That was people in good faith trying to facilitate the evacuation of people they were concerned about."
Source: arabnews
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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