Afghanistan, emails confirm: ‘Johnson authorized the evacuation of animals from Kabul’

Boris Johnson authorized the evacuation of animals from Afghanistan during the agitated phases following the fall of Kabul into the hands of the Taliban and as the West sought to rescue as many people as possible in increasingly dramatic conditions. This is what emerges from some emails published by the British government’s foreign affairs commission, which is conducting an investigation into the government’s handling of the crisis in Afghanistan. The emails, reports the BBC, suggest that Johnson personally authorized the rescue for dogs and cats. The prime minister had previously dismissed claims of his alleged role in organizing a charter flight to save animals for a charity called Nowzad, a center that housed stray animals founded in Kabul by the former Royal Marine, as “nonsense”. , Pen Farthing. The former marine, as reported in recent months by the British press, had launched ‘Operation Ark’ with the aim of bringing his collaborators with their families, but also the 140 dogs and 60 cats of his shelter to Great Britain. An email from Environment Minister’s office official, Zac Goldsmith, reinforces the contention of those who claim Johnson was personally involved. The official wrote to a colleague of his at the Foreign Office in August 2020: “The Nowzad foundation, run by a former Royal Marine, has received a lot of publicity and the prime minister has just authorized the evacuation of personnel and animals. “When asked in December if he had prioritized animals over the Afghan people in evacuation of Kabul, Johnson replied: “This is total nonsense.” And the prime minister’s official spokesman had added: “it remains the case that the prime minister has not instructed officials to undertake any particular plan”.