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In mid-August 2021, the Taliban took over most major cities in Afghanistan, including Kabul, resulting in a mass evacuation effort of Afghan citizens, including those who had worked in some capacity with the U.S. government and military. As uniformed members of the U.S. military held back at Kabul airport with strict instructions to not move beyond the perimeter to help people, an informal group of volunteers led by American veterans of the war coordinated an operation to evacuate their allies, consisting of Afghan elite-forces members and their families. The operation was dubbed Pineapple Express because pictures of pineapples were used by team members as rescue codes on cell phones. Right-wing conspiracy theory site Gateway Pundit claimed that the entire process took place behind the Biden State Department’s back. The article stated, Furious over the terrible situation in they had already sacrificed so much to prevent when they served, the team of retired specialists, including Green Berets and Navy SEALS, risked their lives. They volunteered to travel to Kabul because they were afraid that Joe Biden was abandoning at-risk Afghan elite forces, leaving them to die at the hands of terrorists. But members of the operation spoke to ABC News, and although they expressed frustration at the administration’s handling of the evacuation, they worked informally in coordination with the U.S. Embassy and military. The week-long effort was also observed by ABC News. Task Force Pineapple was an ad hoc group of retired special operators, aid workers, intelligence officials, and more with experience in Afghanistan. A staffer for Florida Republican Rep. Mike Waltz — also a retired Green Beret — coordinated with a U.S. Embassy officer, and uniformed military in the airport perimeters provided overwatch and awaited the movements of the volunteers on the ground. Col. Scott Mann, a retired Green Beret commander, who led the effort, spoke to ABC News about the process during which more than 500 Afghan allies including assets, special operators, and their families, were smuggled into Kabul airport where they were evacuated. We are collating, learning and adapting — and moving faster than the hamstrung U.S. bureaucracy, he said. The process was harrowing, according to ABC News, beginning with an effort around mid-August, after the Taliban takeover, to get one Afghan commando out who was being hunted by the Taliban. ABC News reported on his arrival at the airport and how he was aided by the U.S. military: The operation continued with more evacuees: This Herculean effort couldn't have been done without the unofficial heroes inside the airfield who defied their orders to not help beyond the airport perimeter, by wading into sewage canals and pulling in these targeted people who were flashing pineapples on their phones, Mann added. Lois told Fox News: We have developed kind of an underground railroad, we have shepherds that guide flocks... its special operations personnel coaching, teaching, guiding and advising in most cases our brothers that we served with. The U.S. government is sending us people as well that need help getting out, so we are in coordination and we are working with the U.S. government. We should note that none of the members of the task force travelled to Afghanistan themselves to complete the rescue mission, everything was coordinated through an encrypted messaging platform, according to their spokesperson who reached out to us. Another operation called Task Force Dunkirk also worked on getting Afghans out. Retired Marine Lt. Col. Russell Worth Parker, who was a spokesperson for the group, told ABC News their mission statement: To just get one more Afghan out. And after we get him or her out, we want to get just one more. That's the best that we can do right now, and we don't want to get at cross purposes with any broader effort. Lois told Fox News the Pineapple Express aims to continue, even as the U.S. military departed on Aug. 31: We are playing the long game. We plan on being here for a while so that is why any support people can really give to Task Force Pineapple it would be really beneficial moving ahead. Given that members of the task force coordinated with the government, which included military and embassy officers, this could not have taken place without the knowledge of the Biden administration. We thus rate this claim as Mixture.
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