Acting US Ambassador Ross Wilson Did Not Flee Afghanistan After Taliban Takeover

A tweet liked more than 23,000 times claims that Ross Wilson, the acting US ambassador to Afghanistan, fled as Taliban insurgents seized control of the country. But Wilson denied the accusation and the US Department of State says he remains in Afghanistan.

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"The acting US Ambassador to Afghanistan fled the country last weekend," says the August 16, 2021 tweet, which has been retweeted more than 7,000 times.

Screenshot of a tweet, taken on August 17, 2021

The tweet was also shared as a screenshot on Facebook here and here.

But Wilson rejected the claim on Twitter, saying: "Contrary to false reports, @USEmbassyKabul staff & I remain in #Kabul working hard to help 1000s of U.S. citizens and vulnerable Afghans & continuing engagement here. Our commitment to the Afghan people endures."

And State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters on August 16 that Wilson was still in the country, something he reiterated the following day.

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The Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan, with president Ashraf Ghani fleeing the country and conceding the insurgents had won the 20-year war.

AFP has debunked other claims about the Taliban takeover here and here.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by BOOM staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)