‘Yanny’ Or ‘Laurel’ Tweet Deleted: Air Force Apologies For Afghanistan War Comparison

The Air Force deleted a tweet Thursday that compared a viral internet sensation – the “Yanny and “Laurel” debate – to the sound of its guns thwarting a Taliban attack in 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 department tweeted Thursday. The Air Force deleted the tweet later in the day, replacing it with an apology:

When Pentagon Spokeswoman Dana White was asked about the backlash the Air Force received following the controversial tweet, she said she was not aware of the incident, CNN reported.

“What is important to understand is that this is the Afghans' fight. We are working by, with and through these partners. And they are dying to secure their own future and I think that shouldn't be forgotten in any of this," she added.

According to officials, the Air Force worked with Afghan troops to repel efforts by the insurgent group to gain control over the city of Farah on Tuesday and Wednesday. Not much details about the operation is known except Afghan A-29 attack planes and Mi-17 helicopters conducted airstrikes in order to defend the city from hands of the Taliban.

The Air Force wasn’t the only government department that weighed in on the viral debate of “Yanny” or “Laurel.” The Department of Defense tweeted Wednesday:

Then there was fun video posted on the White House’s official Twitter page, where a number of officials, including President Donald Trump, revealed which word they hear when the clip is played.

In the clip, counselor to president Kellyanne Conway stays true to her image portrayed in the media by saying she heard “Laurel” but she could “deflect and divert to Yanny” if needed.

On the other hand, when White Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to confirm reports she heard “Laurel” when the clip was played, she said, “Clearly you are getting your information from CNN because that’s fake news. All I hear is ‘Yanny.’”

When it was time for Vice President Mike Pence and President Trump to pick a side, they were diplomatic and did not give a definitive answer.

“Who is Yanny?” Pence is heard saying, while Trump said, “All I hear is ‘covfefe’,” alluding to the infamously nonsensical tweet he sent out last year.

After curiosity about the computerized voice in the clip grew, experts from a number of fields tried to decode the reasons behind different people hearing the word differently.

Among them was Professor David Alais from the University of Sydney’s school of psychology who said hearing “Yanny” or “Laurel” depends on “perceptually ambiguous stimulus.”

“They can be seen in two ways, and often the mind flips back and forth between the two interpretations. This happens because the brain can’t decide on a definitive interpretation,” Alais further explained. “If there is little ambiguity, the brain locks on to a single perceptual interpretation.”