Current Affairs Afghanistan

[peteblue]

I agree. But do you not think the UK has just done the same. Even if we're not a strong enough power to go it on our own, we should have stayed to help the Afghan regime we helped put in power to finish the job they started. At the same time we should have been putting pressure on the UN to replace some of the vacuum left by USA pulling out.

The USA were wrong, but so were we.

The U.K. had no choice once the USA decided to pull out. Afghanistan requires boots on the ground and the U.K. army is simply not big enough.…

 

[degsy]

The U.K. had no choice once the USA decided to pull out. Afghanistan requires boots on the ground and the U.K. army is simply not big enough.…

Another example of US bailing out, in a line that goes back (and probably before) to Hungary in 1956, The Bay of Pigs etc.

 

[Barnfred 55]

The U.K. had no choice once the USA decided to pull out. Afghanistan requires boots on the ground and the U.K. army is simply not big enough.…

Not really Pete. It's air support they need most.

The vast majority of US and UK troops pulled out yonks ago. The Afghan army are doing all the front line fighting which is why our casualty rates have been so low over the last few years. We've been there in mainly an advisory capacity and, crucially, to provide air support and intelligence. It's those area's that are now lacking and allowing the Taliban to overrun.

Now I agree that on our own we probably couldn't provide all the cover required, but just having our presence there would have made the Taliban a lot more cautious, until something could have been arranged longer term.

 

[orchard]

Fair enough. I didn't know that. It really should be a job for the UN don't you think. Surely that's what it is there for.

Mind you, you could understand them saying you got yourselves in this mess and now you're trying to pass it on to us.

Iirc it was a NATO w/o US coalition that was attempted. We probably ignored the UN completely going in and during.

 

[BigMick]

https://www.hindustantimes.com/worl...-mounts-offensive-report-101628824110638.html

 

[Deleted member 48881]

Taliban captures key northern Afghan city, closes in on Kabul

Major blow for Afghan gov’t as Taliban seizes Mazar-i-Sharif, giving group control over all of northern Afghanistan.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[arminisgod]

surely we can provide air support??

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Another example of US bailing out, in a line that goes back (and probably before) to Hungary in 1956, The Bay of Pigs etc.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

I
Agree, but there are parts of the world where we have to let them get on with the ways they want.
We cannot make the world accept our ideas and practices. Even the merrycans are beginning to realise this.

Would seem rightists are very good at virtue signalling.

Primary aim in Afghanistan was to stop it being a friendly for various terrorist organisations, this has been achieved...

Taliban excesses will be curtailed by CCP influences. We will swallow...

 

[peteblue]

Not really Pete. It's air support they need most.

The vast majority of US and UK troops pulled out yonks ago. The Afghan army are doing all the front line fighting which is why our casualty rates have been so low over the last few years. We've been there in mainly an advisory capacity and, crucially, to provide air support and intelligence. It's those area's that are now lacking and allowing the Taliban to overrun.

Now I agree that on our own we probably couldn't provide all the cover required, but just having our presence there would have made the Taliban a lot more cautious, until something could have been arranged longer term.

Once Biden declared the USA would be out for the 20th anniversary of 9/11 it was game over. Any further bombing of taliban will no doubt result in terrorist attacks on major cities in the West. Trump and Biden have royally screwed this up, the deal then it’s execution, and hundreds of thousands will pay the price. This will do immense harm to American credibility and will reinforce the goals of the likes of China. Taiwan will be the next big test, but China already knows that Biden will stand back……

 

[Paulie]

think they were very weak back in 2015/2016

Or biding their time in their safe havens?

 

[Paulie]

That went well ?

 

[grandjoeblue]

Or biding their time in their safe havens?

Very much this. They just go into the mountains or into the pashtun populated areas of Pakistan.

It looks like they have quite a lot of support, the cities haven't even tried to fight them.

 

[Paulie]

Very much this. They just go into the mountains or into the pashtun populated areas of Pakistan.

It looks like they have quite a lot of support, the cities haven't even tried to fight them.

Yeah they aren't daft are they.

Hard to judge support isn't it without actually being there.



Propaganda both sides make it even murkier.

One thing for certain, any locals who've helped Western NGOs and govs will be fearing for their lives if they aren't dead already.

 

[degsy]

Give us a clue Billy