Pen Farthing: Col Richard Kemp says animal airlift ‘extraordinary decision’

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Colonel Richard Kemp has savaged the effort and military resources given over to rescue Pen Farthing’s animal from Kabul, Afghanistan. He warned that the “extraordinary decision” to help evacuate the Animals rights worker along with almost 200 cats and dogs will “reflect very badly on the UK.” Colonel Kemp told TalkRADIO the rescue mission will lead Afghans to question “are these animals more important than us?”

Colonel Kemp told TalkRADIO: “Well I wonder what kind of man would organise and get funds to carry out such an airlift of animals, knowing that there were thousands of people who wanted to get out.

“I am just rather surprised to find that out, and secondly I am quite surprised that the Government would allow it to happen.

“They should simply have said this is not happening, if a plane is coming in here people will go on it not animals.

“To me it is just an extraordinary decision taken.”

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“Not only is it a plane that could have been full of people, but also the amount of time and effort that very busy military commanders put in having to deal with that problem.

“When they should have been actually focusing on what they were doing getting the people out.

“So I think it was a terrible situation which will also look bad and it is bad but will reflect very badly on the UK.

“Afghans will be saying ‘are these animals more important than us?’ and the answer appears to be ‘yes they are’.”

Kabul: Pen Farthing recalls staff being turned away at airport

It comes as Pen Farthing apologised on Good Morning Britain over the language used in a voicemail he left for an aide to the UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. 

Mr Farthing told GMB: “I am going to have to say now so everybody knows,  I’m incredibly embarrassed about my language.

“I do apologise to everyone who listened to that.

“You know I was at the lowest point I could possibly be.

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“I understand how the world works but emotion go the better of me.”

In the recorded message, believed to have been left on Monday, he blasted: “I just found out that is you blocking me getting this flight out of Afghanistan for my staff and the animals.

“So here’s the deal buddy. You either get me that f****** Isaf number and you get me permission to get on to that f****** airfield, or tomorrow morning I’m going to turn on you and the whole f****** country, and everybody else who’s invested in this rescue, is going to know it’s you, you, blocking this f****** move. Alright?”.

Mr Farthing continued: “I will get my staff out of here and I’ll get so many other people out of here on this flight and then the dogs and cats are going in the cargo hold.Nobody can sit in the cargo hold, only the animals.”

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