Afghanistan

[Tombs]

View attachment 154772

But remember, if you have an automatically resetting trigger, a barrel that is 15.999" long, or a shotgun someone arbitrarily decided they didn't like the look of, you will go to jail for 25 years.

But they have no problem taking your tax dollars by force, and handing anti-aircraft man portable launchers to a terrorist organization, along with planes, armored vehicles, and warehouses of machine guns.

I mean FFS if you read the DHS guidelines on what makes someone a terrorist, every tax payer would be a terrorist now, thanks to this government.

 

[Twangbanger]

 

[ditcherman]

But remember, if you have an automatically resetting trigger, a barrel that is 15.999" long, or a shotgun someone arbitrarily decided they didn't like the look of, you will go to jail for 25 years.

But they have no problem taking your tax dollars by force, and handing anti-aircraft man portable launchers to a terrorist organization, along with planes, armored vehicles, and warehouses of machine guns.

I mean FFS if you read the DHS guidelines on what makes someone a terrorist, every tax payer would be a terrorist now, thanks to this government.

Good, now that we have that settled....

 

[Twangbanger]

Anybody read these articles where they’re thinking about settling the Afghan refugees at Camp Atterbury?

 

[maxwelhse]

Good, now that we have that settled....

We all get MRAPs, 240s, rocket launchers, and NODs?

 

[bwframe]

"We are in the business of killing terrorists, and pretty soon business will be booming."

 

[Twangbanger]

"We are in the business of killing importing terrorists, and pretty soon business will be booming."

Spell-checked it for ya...

 

[KG1]

It used to be that we joined together by default when we perceived threats from either the left or right candidates.

I don't see an official or semi official centrist third party in the works parochial interests in the main parties to see it as a likely possibility. However, should one form, I'd sign up.

Frankly, it would take a candidate with some stones to not kowtow to the ultra-right/left interests. They would likely never make it through the selection process...unless they lied.

The ever illusive common ground is shrinking.

 

[Tombs]

We all get MRAPs, 240s, rocket launchers, and NODs?

View attachment 154790

Well, we paid for them.

 

[KG1]

This is how Ret. Navy Seal Jocko Willink would have addressed the situation in Afghanistan if he were CinC.

Retired Navy SEAL’s post about Afghanistan, imagining he was president, goes viral (msn.com)

"In the next 48 hours, America will be in control of most major airports in Afghanistan," he said. "Any resistance we meet from the Taliban or otherwise—when we seize these airports—will be destroyed completely and without mercy."

He said gaining control of these airports will allow U.S. forces to conduct swift rescue missions throughout the country.

"Any person who interferes with these operations will be killed," he said.

He also said he would order troops to either retake or destroy weapons and equipment left behind by fleeing Afghan troops.

"Any person utilizing, guarding, or located in close proximity to these weapons or equipment will be killed," he said.

He said once the Americans and Afghans are extracted and the weapons either retrieved or destroyed, the U.S. will leave the country. But he vowed to keep a close eye on possible terrorist activities or human rights violations by employing surveillance technology. He also said the U.S. will support freedom fighters in the country through airstrikes and with Special Forces units."

 

[DragonGunner]

It's a big problem. Young people do not have the same "American" values. They see the whole idea of individualism/personal responsibility as outdated, wrong and immoral. You and I might quibble about how far to take social safety nets. We probably both agree on a lot of Locke's ideas though. But today, Millennials and Zoomers think Marcuse's, Jacques Derrida's, Michael Foucault's ideas render Locke obselete. It's what's taught in schools. Eventually Americanism will die out unless those values are reinstated in what parents and schools teach their kids.

I would say young democrats....the majority of conservative God fearing people I know have kids that follow their values......its just that the number of democrats are growing. Its always been that way. Schools though in my opinion should be banned, when they took God out it was the end. It just made schools better for democrats.

 

[Libertarian01]

This is how Ret. Navy Seal Jocko Willink would have addressed the situation in Afghanistan if he were CinC.

Retired Navy SEAL’s post about Afghanistan, imagining he was president, goes viral (msn.com)

"In the next 48 hours, America will be in control of most major airports in Afghanistan," he said. "Any resistance we meet from the Taliban or otherwise—when we seize these airports—will be destroyed completely and without mercy."

He said gaining control of these airports will allow U.S. forces to conduct swift rescue missions throughout the country.

"Any person who interferes with these operations will be killed," he said.

He also said he would order troops to either retake or destroy weapons and equipment left behind by fleeing Afghan troops.

"Any person utilizing, guarding, or located in close proximity to these weapons or equipment will be killed," he said.

He said once the Americans and Afghans are extracted and the weapons either retrieved or destroyed, the U.S. will leave the country. But he vowed to keep a close eye on possible terrorist activities or human rights violations by employing surveillance technology. He also said the U.S. will support freedom fighters in the country through airstrikes and with Special Forces units."

He is speaking like a naive putz.

So you're taking the airports? Okay. We'll leave. First though, they can park 500 vehicles on the airstrips, several dozen of which are gasoline tankers loaded with fuel, and yes, ieds. Or they could just blow up sections of the runways before leaving. Take the field. You'll never use it.

You want to retake the equipment left behind? Great! Whatever you FIND you can have back. You don't actually think it's where you left it, do you? All vehicles could be dispersed amongst the civilian population. Destroy them and you destroy your civilized credibility around the world. The weapons have already been issued, stolen, or moved.

And he is an idiot for wanting to continue to "...support freedom fighters in the country through airstrikes and with Special Forces units." In other words, he wants to scale down but continue a forever war we cannot win. He ignores the point of why we are leaving, because in the long run we cannot win. WE just keep losing troops, money, equipment, and national resources. I know the military industrial complex is upset at losing a buyer for their goodies, but they still have Israel, Saudi Arabia, and others. They'll manage.

Regards,

Doug

 

[KG1]

I'm sure Ret. Navy Seal Willink is just a little ticked off about how all this played out and is blowing off a little steam out of frustration. But you're right. Maybe we should just ask (beg) the taliban for permission to stay a little longer past the deadline to get Americans out.

 

[ditcherman]

He is speaking like a naive putz.

So you're taking the airports? Okay. We'll leave. First though, they can park 500 vehicles on the airstrips, several dozen of which are gasoline tankers loaded with fuel, and yes, ieds. Or they could just blow up sections of the runways before leaving. Take the field. You'll never use it.

You want to retake the equipment left behind? Great! Whatever you FIND you can have back. You don't actually think it's where you left it, do you? All vehicles could be dispersed amongst the civilian population. Destroy them and you destroy your civilized credibility around the world. The weapons have already been issued, stolen, or moved.

And he is an idiot for wanting to continue to "...support freedom fighters in the country through airstrikes and with Special Forces units." In other words, he wants to scale down but continue a forever war we cannot win. He ignores the point of why we are leaving, because in the long run we cannot win. WE just keep losing troops, money, equipment, and national resources. I know the military industrial complex is upset at losing a buyer for their goodies, but they still have Israel, Saudi Arabia, and others. They'll manage.

Regards,

Doug

I was thinking that the military industrial complex was elated that all that stuff had been "lost" and will now most certainly need to be replaced, for safety's sake. For the children!

 

[ditcherman]

He is speaking like a naive putz.

So you're taking the airports? Okay. We'll leave. First though, they can park 500 vehicles on the airstrips, several dozen of which are gasoline tankers loaded with fuel, and yes, ieds. Or they could just blow up sections of the runways before leaving. Take the field. You'll never use it.

You want to retake the equipment left behind? Great! Whatever you FIND you can have back. You don't actually think it's where you left it, do you? All vehicles could be dispersed amongst the civilian population. Destroy them and you destroy your civilized credibility around the world. The weapons have already been issued, stolen, or moved.

And he is an idiot for wanting to continue to "...support freedom fighters in the country through airstrikes and with Special Forces units." In other words, he wants to scale down but continue a forever war we cannot win. He ignores the point of why we are leaving, because in the long run we cannot win. WE just keep losing troops, money, equipment, and national resources. I know the military industrial complex is upset at losing a buyer for their goodies, but they still have Israel, Saudi Arabia, and others. They'll manage.

Regards,

Doug

I think his frame of reference in his imaginary speech was that this would be the first thing he would have said -if- somehow this would have happened on his watch. Like, before biden could even pull his finger out of his nose in the reality we have now, this would be the plan. If you apply that perspective of timeline to this statement it makes more sense. Come out strong, soften as needed. Leaving the airports blown up is feature, not a bug, anyway.

I'm not sure he meant we'd be scaled down but still there, long term, but just long enough to finish what we need. Of course, if this country had the stomach to elect Jocko, this would have been a 3 year war and we would certainly not be feeling the shame of the current leadership.

He would also have the same benefit as the current admin does of changing his mind, but coming from a strong reaction to softening instead of the other way around (albeit barely) which shows how soft you are.

His is a reaction that obviously resonated, and whether we agree with the war or not, I have to feel for those who served and now have to watch the outcome.

 

[Magyars]

 

[Mongo59]

Stupid is as Biden does...

 

[BugI02]

So here is the biggest issue IMO.
Bargram AB is freaking huge It’s in wide open plain with a well defined multi layer defense zone.

If we could have one safe haven in the Stan it was Bargram. I have visited both the trip from Kabul airport to the green zone was a butt puckering experience in the best of times.

Kabul is a sh#$hole

How vulnerable would the convoys be if the evacuees had to ferry out to Bagram to get airlift? Shorter trip to Karzai with multiple routes, yes?

Not trying to alibi the surrender of Bagram. Bagram is where all the top cover for evac should be operating out of but no amount of available firepower could be relied upon to disuade these guys from attacking those convoys. It never did in the past

 

[BugI02]

You’re not going to start bringing up DD 214s are you?

36 DDs are HUGE! I can't even begin to imagine DD 214s. How many times do they tie them around their waist?

 

[BugI02]

He is speaking like a naive putz.

So you're taking the airports? Okay. We'll leave. First though, they can park 500 vehicles on the airstrips, several dozen of which are gasoline tankers loaded with fuel, and yes, ieds. Or they could just blow up sections of the runways before leaving. Take the field. You'll never use it.

A-10s, Apaches and AC130s to do the initial 'lawn-mowing'. Harriers, helps and F35Bs if they crater the runways

You want to retake the equipment left behind? Great! Whatever you FIND you can have back. You don't actually think it's where you left it, do you? All vehicles could be dispersed amongst the civilian population. Destroy them and you destroy your civilized credibility around the world. The weapons have already been issued, stolen, or moved.

Our civilized credibility with the world is already in the tank. When no one is innocent, you are not killing innocent people

And he is an idiot for wanting to continue to "...support freedom fighters in the country through airstrikes and with Special Forces units." In other words, he wants to scale down but continue a forever war we cannot win. He ignores the point of why we are leaving, because in the long run we cannot win. WE just keep losing troops, money, equipment, and national resources. I know the military industrial complex is upset at losing a buyer for their goodies, but they still have Israel, Saudi Arabia, and others. They'll manage.

Regards,

Doug

Agreed on long term strategy, but if we decided to own the place long enough to evac we could do it but it would be bloody. Taking real estate from the Taliban is easy. Trying to hold onto it is where they bleed you