Documents identifying Afghan workers and job applicants have been found on the ground at the British diplomatic mission in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul.

The documents were found by a journalist with The Times newspaper on Tuesday during a tour of the city’s abandoned diplomatic quarter, accompanied by a Taliban patrol.

It comes amid fears that the Taliban will take revenge against any Afghans thought to have helped the Western allies during the 20-year war in the country.

The documents included the name and address of a senior embassy staff member, other staff members and their details, according to the newspaper.

It also included the CVs and addresses of Afghans who had applied for jobs as interpreters, some of whom listed work experience with other Western nations.

The Times said it called the contact numbers and found some of the people had already been taken to the UK but some had been left behind.

Three Afghan staff and eight family members – including five children – had been caught in the crowds outside Kabul’s airport, unable to reach the British-controlled section.

Eventually they were found and rescued.

It is not clear what has happened to at least two job applicants.

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said staff had tried to destroy sensitive material before leaving the embassy.

“We have worked tirelessly to secure the safety of those who worked for us in Afghanistan and continue to do so.

“Crucially we have now been able to get these three families to safety,” a spokesperson said.

“The drawdown of our embassy was done at pace as the situation in Kabul deteriorated.

“Every effort was made to destroy sensitive material.”

Meanwhile, it has also emerged that US officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders, and Afghan allies.

The list was intended to help the group gain entry to the airport, as the US and allies are relying on the Taliban for the facility’s security.

A defence official was quoted in Politico, which first reported the story, as saying: “Basically they just put all those Afghans on a kill list.

“It’s just appalling and shocking and makes you feel unclean.”

When asked about the report on Thursday night, US President Joe Biden said: “There have been occasions when our military has contacted their military counterparts in the Taliban and said this.

“For example: ‘This bus is coming through with X number of people on it, made up of the following group of people. We want you to let that bus or that group through’.

“So, yes there have been occasions like that. To the best of my knowledge, in those cases, the bulk of that has occurred and they have been let through.”

Source: Read Full Article