Sir, – A letter writer on August 27th chose to compare the Kabul evacuations to the Berlin Airlift of 1948. These efforts are difficult, at best, to compare due to the stark differences in the applicable circumstances. The Berlin Airlift involved transporting supplies over relatively short distances. For instance, Rhein-Main airport in then West Germany is about 230 miles from Tempelhof Airport in the then East Berlin. The evacuation flights from Kabul involves aiding up to 600 people onto each flight of a transport aircraft. This requires the US military personnel aiding many who are elderly, or who are injured or disabled, or families with young children. Aiding such individuals and groups onto and off such aircraft takes far longer than moving roll-on, roll-off crates of supplies.
Kabul Airport is over 1,200 miles from such destinations as Qatar, a flight time of nearly four hours.
Threats and acts of terror by the Taliban and Isis-K make a difficult task all the more dangerous. – Yours, etc,
DAN DONOVAN,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford.