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Military aircraft over Kabul (symbol image)
Photo: STRINGER / EPA
A heated dispute has broken out in the UK over the rescue of more than 150 cats and dogs from Afghanistan.
The former soldier Paul (Pen) Farthing, who ran an animal shelter in the capital Kabul, landed with the animals in London on Sunday, according to media reports.
Previously, according to a report in the Times newspaper, he had put the British government under massive and ultimately successful pressure to help him in what was known as Operation Ark.
The Nowzad organization was behind the action.
However, many of Farthing's local supporters and their families did not manage to leave the country.
The flight was preceded by a day-long campaign
According to the Times, Farthing threatened an adviser to Defense Secretary Ben Wallace that he would "destroy" him on social media if he did not allow him to leave the country. "Get me, my people and my animals out of Afghanistan," quoted the paper from an audio message from Farthing to the adviser. “I served in the army for 22 years. [...] You have time until tomorrow morning. I'm on the air on Sky News at 7.45am and your name will be the only one people are talking about. "
The British ex-soldier had previously campaigned for the evacuation of the animals from the animal shelter he founded in Kabul in a day-long campaign. After initial hesitation, he received the support of the British government, which, despite the difficult circumstances, promised a time window for his sponsored charter flight and issued visas. In the end, however, he had to travel without the staff. They were denied access to the airport for unknown reasons.
The animals traveled in the hold of the aircraft and did not take up any space, stressed Farthing.
However, according to media reports, he and the animals have apparently received special treatment in the airport.
By contrast, translators who had served in the British Army in Afghanistan, for example, would have had to get by on their own.
"It's a shame the translators didn't get the same VIP treatment," the Times quoted an ex-soldier as saying.
Many British outraged
Defense Secretary Wallace had complained in interviews that the discussion had taken too long and he accused Nowzad supporters of having put his staff under pressure.
Farthing is a "tyrant," the Times quoted an unnamed source from the Department of Defense.
Wallace later justified himself on Twitter in the face of criticism from animal rights activists.
At no point did he want to prevent the flight.
But it was important to him that farthing and the animals in the queue in front of the airport were not allowed.
In the British rescue operation from Afghanistan, which ended at the weekend, more than 15,000 people were evacuated, according to government information.
However, with up to 1,000 local workers left behind because of the shortage of time, many British were indignant about the evacuation of pets.
According to a survey by the polling institute YouGov on Friday, however, only just under half of Britons (49 percent) believe that human life is more important than animal life.
Almost as many (40 percent) consider the lives of humans and animals to be equally valuable.
However, it is uncertain whether dogs and cats will have a good future in Great Britain.
Should they be infected with diseases, they would have to be killed, wrote the "Times".
nis / dpa