“In the case of Afghanistan, we will make exceptions, of course we will”
Following todays developments, Louise Byrne asks @simoncoveney what will be done to help the Irish citizens left behind | #rtept pic.twitter.com/bj5pDkhp7C
— RTÉ Prime Time (@RTE_PrimeTime) August 26, 2021
“We don’t have an answer to that just yet”
Minister for Foreign Affairs @simoncoveney tells @LouiseByrneNews when asked how remaining Irish citizens in #Afghanistan seeking to evacuate are going to get out #rtept
— RTÉ Prime Time (@RTE_PrimeTime) August 26, 2021
Last night.
RTE One’s Prime Time.
Meanwhile…
….via Irish Examiner
Despite the initial 36 Irish citizens all being evacuated, a further 60 citizens have made contact with Irish authorities along with 15 Afghan citizens with Irish residency.
That 75 are being told to stay where they are for now, Mr Coveney said.
However, Mr Coveney told RTÉ Morning Ireland that it would not have been possible to have boots on the ground sooner.
“That is one of the answers we don’t have.
“All I can say is that we made decisions on the basis of the evidence we had and the advice that we had at any given time over the last 10 days was very clear that the arrangements we had in place in terms of partnerships on the ground with other countries were working on just getting people out.
“The situation is everything that I’ve seen in the media became much more complicated. In the last three or four days in particular, and much more dangerous, and it was about time that I decided that we needed to get people on the ground.
“And we managed to put in place the capacity to do that, because we thought it would add value in terms of taking the opportunities that will present themselves to get people out.
“And so we sent 11 people into a very dangerous situation.
“The most difficult task was to get people from the streets of Kabul into the airport, and we had then fantastic supports to get them onto planes, whether that was France, whether it was Finland in recent days, Germany, the Netherlands, UK have also been really really supportive in terms of everything we’ve been trying to do.”
Simon Coveney defends decision not to send Irish troops to Kabul airport sooner (Irish Examiner)
Irish citizens abandoned by Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Defence, both posts occupied by Coveney.
What a useless man, more interested in showboating in Ukraine than helping Irish citizens.
Posting the government jet in middle east to help the evacuation, what rubbish. He flew on it to Ukraine, not a single evacuee used or needed it
Remember his sponsorship of Juan Guaido as president of Venezuela.
Idiot.
I honestly can’t believe that our Government has left citizens in grave peril because the Army Rangers had to leave.
It’s beyond shameful.
Coveney’s have had some serious luck all the same. Imagine changing your will leaving all your assets to your wife, and then falling from a cliff the next day
Imagine closing your Ansbacher account before you are elected as a TD.
Imagine having €175,000 in illegal offshore account in 1979
They came from nothing, the Coveneys.
it was a dreadful dreadful interview to watch
as he tippeytoed and spun his way thru with the diplo-tradecraft lingo
puke TV
He’s the lowest of the low.
And most likely the next FG Leader, at which point he’ll be revealed for the complete dud that he is.
And amid the appalling situation in Kabul all we get is is spin and PR. It’s shameful.
https://www.independent.ie/world-news/middle-east/irish-army-ranger-wing-release-behind-the-scenes-pictures-of-afghanistan-rescue-mission-as-soldiers-arrive-home-40795218.html