The Air Force apologized Thursday for a tweet that appeared to make light of bombing the Taliban in Afghanistan by comparing it to an audio file that went viral over the past week with the hashtag #YannyLaurel.
The audio file had spread across the internet, but some couldn't agree on whether it was saying the word "Yanny" or "Laurel," which led to vociferous debate. The U.S. military later used the hashtag to call attention to an operation targeting Taliban militants in the city of Farah, western Afghanistan.
"The Taliban Forces in Farah city #Afghanistan would much rather have heard #Yanny or #Laurel than the deafening #BRRRT they got courtesy of our #A10," the U.S. Air Force tweeted early Wednesday morning.
But someone in the Air Force leadership realized they were going to get a backlash for what appeared to be a flippant comment about a military operation. A few hours later, the tweet disappeared, and the Air Force issued an apology.
"We apologize for the earlier tweet regarding the A-10. It was made in poor taste and we are addressing it internally. It has since been removed," the Air Force tweeted.
We apologize for the earlier tweet regarding the A-10. It was made in poor taste and we are addressing it internally. It has since been removed.
— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) May 17, 2018
This week, the Taliban launched numerous attacks against Farah and issued statements claiming it had seized control of the territory. In response, U.S. bombers were called out to defend the city. Afghan officials announced Thursday that the Taliban had given up its efforts, but clashes left at least five civilians and 25 members of the Afghan security forces dead.
On Thursday, the Taliban issued a stark warning to U.S. forces.
"The invaders and their slaves must understand the fact that dozens of Afghans will join the battlefield to take revenge for every single brother that is killed. They will not give up fighting, nor will return back to their homes until they take the revenge of their loved ones," the group posted on its website.
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Cristina Maza is an award-winning journalist who has reported from countries such as Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, India, Lithuania, Serbia, and Turkey. ... Read more
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