Afghanistan

[KG1]

I don't disagree with this at all! There may(?) have been a better way, but weighing all of the options I don't know.

The issue is what did we know and what were our estimates, and what were those estimates based upon? Somebody screwed up seriously somewhere between the PFC's on the ground and POTUS. Maybe many screwups, maybe a few. I don't know.

All I know is that it took the Nazi's longer to conquer France than it is the Taliban to take Afghanistan, and that's just sad...

Regards,

Doug

I agree that it is sad and a little maddening. I even posted as much up thread that the blood and sweat of countless lives along with a massive amount of resources that were expended over the last twenty years went up in smoke in a matter of a few weeks which basically put us back to square one with the taliban in power.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I agree that it is sad and a little maddening. I even posted as much up thread that the blood and sweat of countless lives along with a massive amount of resources that were expended over the last twenty years went up in smoke in a matter of a few weeks which basically put us back to square one with the taliban in power.

So stop sending our boys and girls to be the world police. Especially now, we need all that money internally that would have been spent over there.

 

[KG1]

So stop sending our boys and girls to be the world police. Especially now, we need all that money internally that would have been spent over there.

I’ve never advocated for any such thing. I was merely pointing out the fact that it was a tremendous waste in the amount of time and lives and resources.

Nation building in Afghanistan was never gonna work. We should have never expended our efforts to the extent that we did.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Sorry KG. That was lobbed as a "to whom it may concern" not you specifically.

 

[Tombs]

I agree that it is sad and a little maddening. I even posted as much up thread that the blood and sweat of countless lives along with a massive amount of resources that were expended over the last twenty years went up in smoke in a matter of a few weeks which basically put us back to square one with the taliban in power.

That was all up in smoke on day one.
Anyone who doesn't understand that needs a history lesson on the country.

 

[bwframe]

Jen Psaki 'out of the office' as Biden remains silent on Taliban takeover of Afghanistan

Press secretary Jen Psaki is taking a break from her duties as the crisis unfolds in the Middle East

www.foxnews.com

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Reminds me of a man I meet his name was Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad. I kid you not. Please explain that one to me.

He had a stutter?

Yeah, I dunno. I'm guessing he was African?

 

[rooster]

Left behind the taliban an Air Force starter package.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I was early 20s when we went over there. Why did we go to Afganistan in the first place? Just took a hard right while in Iraq? Did they have any resources we wanted? Why were even there?? Seems like it was not a good plan anyways.

Man, there's a lot to unpack there. You were in your early 20's on 9/11 and don't remember why we went to Afghanistan? Or apparently think Iraq preceded it?

 

[Expat]

When the Taliban refused to turn bin Laden over to us, we should have just destroyed the place. We have never succeeded at winning hearts and minds.

 

[jamil]

Biden is under attack. Alpo is here with the chopper to evacuate.

Alpo be like

 

[jamil]

Either we eventually pull out and cut our losses or make Afghanistan the 51st state.

It is called the "Graveyard of Empires" for a reason.

It will also probably always be important to an West / East overland trade route if we can get some semblance of the Silk Road back in business. But besides being between two (2) important economic powers, Europe in the west and China with India in the East, it offers nothing of value in and of itself.

I think we should have pulled out about 18 years ago. But we didn't, so here we are.

I don't like much of Pres Biden, but on this issue I fully support him. Either that or give them two (2) Senators, several Congressmen, a Governor, and make them the 51st state.

Regards,

Doug

I agree that we should get out. Biden is doing it in a way that maximizes cluster****age. We’ve been there for 20 years. It’s better to wait for a US leader who doesn’t have the instincts of an idiot.

 

[jamil]

When the Taliban refused to turn bin Laden over to us, we should have just destroyed the place. We have never succeeded at winning hearts and minds.

You either want democracy or you don’t. Looks to me like they’d rather be ruled by goat****ing, woman beating, young boy raping religious zealots. Not that there aren’t sane people there, and my heart goes out to them, but if they want to live in a sane land they’ll just have to move to one.

 

[Mongo59]

How much? Everything. They can screw up everything. Biden seems to have a knack for picking the most wrong policy any given subject. It’s uncanny. If someone had no idea at all how to decide on policies, Joe could be an outstanding advisor. Just do the opposite from what he advises and it’s likely to be a winner.

Yes, we should make Biden our "SPOOF SAYER"...

 

[Twangbanger]

Can't help but notice, we were dependent on private citizen social media accounts to provide video of the grabasstic Dunkirk evacuation, and the purported video of the goat ****ers in the government palace is from Al Jazeera. We're not getting much of a scoop from the American Mainstream Media, and the President isn't talking. The safety of the Americans involved has not even been assured yet. The Administration is in the midst of a personal Benghazi event that could doom the Presidency, and it appears the American Media were basically going to knowingly or unknowingly leave it unreported - up until Al Jazeera and Social Media pulled the curtain off the full oscillating rotator aspect of the situation.

 

[Hawkeye]

Left behind the taliban an Air Force starter package.

Well, the equipment maybe. How about maintenance, logistics? Oh, and that little thing... trained pilots?

 

[KG1]

The fhit has hit the shan in old Afghanistan.

 

[2A-Hoosier23]

Well, the equipment maybe. How about maintenance, logistics? Oh, and that little thing... trained pilots?

Pakistan's ISI will get them trained up in no time

 

[Twangbanger]

Well, the equipment maybe. How about maintenance, logistics? Oh, and that little thing... trained pilots?

How much training did the 9/11 pilots need? All they're going to be used for is to terrorize their countrymen. They don't need much for that; and _we_ just gifted them hardware they couldn't invent in a 1,000 years. By virtue of an incompetent drawdown plan.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I saw this posted elsewhere and thought some might find it of interest:

Letter to the Editor: Critical Afghanistan Assessment | Small Wars Journal

I received the following letter from a longtime (decades long) friend and colleague with whom I served in the Army. He is former Special Forces NCO/Officer, speaks regional languages, and has extensive experience on the ground through the region to include the FATA. He is using his nom de...

smallwarsjournal.com

More at the link, but to start:

1. As I wrote in my note to the 3rd SFG(A) in 2009, the reality on the ground and perception in the Pashtun community supporting the Talibs and drug Warlords is that NATO/ISAF are the Turks and the Taliban are the Lawrences. The Taliban are not a uniform, lock-step outfit. The strategic leadership (once referred to as the Quetta Shura) are coordinating the strategic push. The operational leaders (other Taliban outfits, supporting armed opposition outfits) are generally following along, but acting within their own interests, as well. The significance of this, in the overall success of the offensive, is a lesson for the US Army Special Forces and PSYOP communities. The Taliban took the Unconventional Warfare playbook and ran with it. They tenaciously established shadow governments and auxiliary support groups around the country since late 2008. We’re seeing the fruits of those labors. There’s, of course, more to the story, as with all the points here, but I digress (typing with one thumb on a phone screen).



2. The Taliban cannot do what it’s doing without the support of a state or elements of a state’s architecture. There are only three factories in Pakistan which produce the main ingredient for the Taliban’s mass casualty IEDs. “Members” of the ISI have maintained support of the general Taliban movement since they helped organize and train them in 1995. China has given tacit support with assurances of international recognition, once the Taliban attain power in Kabul.



3. The Taliban has been playing a game of Go, not Chess. Unlike 1996 (Kabul being the king of the chessboard) they took their time and surrounded the government forces, like a game of Go. This was possible due to the idiocy of the strategic approach of both NATO/ISAF and the Afghan government in retreating to fortified cities and relying on air support to deter attacks/reconnaissance in force in the northern/northwestern districts over the last 5 years.



4. I’ve stated over the years and I’ll say it again. This has NOT been an insurgency. It has been a Pashtun Uprising.....