Current Affairs Afghanistan

[Deleted member 48881]

I think Hezbollah have ran Lebanon too.

Hezbollah are awful. Same with Hamas. But both are still tiny bit better than Taliban. They have some reasons, especially Hamas.

Taliban though, sick sick movement.

 

[Tubey]

Obama's weakest area by far was foreign policy. So sadly unsurprising to see Biden even worse.

An unnecessary unforced error from the US this, but whatever, too late now to do anything about it. Afghanistan is doomed to be a failed state in perpetuity.

 

[peteblue]

This is because your lot don't want to appear soft on people in dire need Pete. Bit crap isn't it?

The government are trying to get interpreters out. But the whole thing is going to be a bleeding shambles because of the USA pullout. The Taliban were not in control, people were safe, the western forces provided a backbone for the Afghan military and police. Having gone in to begin with, and that’s another debate, staying the course was required…

 

[Paulie]

The government are trying to get interpreters out. But the whole thing is going to be a bleeding shambles because of the USA pullout. The Taliban were not in control, people were safe, the western forces provided a backbone for the Afghan military and police. Having gone in to begin with, and that’s another debate, staying the course was required…

How long is the course? Forever ?

Women journalists, single women, anti-Taliban journalists, Hindus/Sikhs, Christians, anyone who worked for Western NGOs and US/UK government, homosexuals and many more will be on the run now I imagine.

 

[Yank]

Witnessing the inevitable really aren't we. No lessons learned from the Russians.

These are my feelings. Someone said this was poor from Biden. However, any president that eventually made this decision was going to look bad imo.

But I really don't understand why policy makers seemed so clueless and inept regarding Afghanistan. It wasn't just nation building, you're essentially society building and trying to make their society take an evolution of 100s to 1000s of years.

I was 11 when this war started so that's where I give myself a pass for my ignorance. It's just confounding to me how something that just requires the most basic level of historical awareness was ignored by 4 presidents, their joint chiefs and other advisors.

It's really disastrous what is happening to the people who just want to try to make a life for themselves. Feel terrible for them, the soldiers of all the nations in the coalition who lost lives, their families, it just goes on and on.

 

[Yank]

The government are trying to get interpreters out. But the whole thing is going to be a bleeding shambles because of the USA pullout. The Taliban were not in control, people were safe, the western forces provided a backbone for the Afghan military and police. Having gone in to begin with, and that’s another debate, staying the course was required…

Staying the course? What course? How long does this go on for?

 

[Paulie]

These are my feelings. Someone said this was poor from Biden. However, any president that eventually made this decision was going to look bad imo.

But I really don't understand why policy makers seemed so clueless and inept regarding Afghanistan. It wasn't just nation building, you're essentially society building and trying to make their society take an evolution of 100s to 1000s of years.

I was 11 when this war started so that's where I give myself a pass for my ignorance. It's just confounding to me how something that just requires the most basic level of historical awareness was ignored by 4 presidents, their joint chiefs and other advisors.

It's really disastrous what is happening to the people who just want to try to make a life for themselves. Feel terrible for them, the soldiers of all the nations in the coalition who lost lives, their families, it just goes on and on.

I guess they probably were aware of how it would end eventually but didn't care because they've got what they came for. I'm not sure US/UK governments really did believe they could change a middle Eastern country to more Western ways, surely...

 

[longers]

US would have been there forever if the goal was to reform the country , they had to pull out eventually, nothing was ever going to improve from their perspective. Hopefully they keep their beaky noses out of other peoples countries in the future but I doubt it.

Seen some footage of various places in the south of Afghanistan with locals seemingly delighted Taliban are going to be running things again, supposedly the south of the country is dirt poor and mostly poppy fields and the locals have deep resentment towards the US

 

[Paulie]

US would have been there forever if the goal was to reform the country , they had to pull out eventually, nothing was ever going to improve from their perspective. Hopefully they keep their beaky noses out of other peoples countries in the future but I doubt it.

Seen some footage of various places in the south of Afghanistan with locals seemingly delighted Taliban are going to be running things again, supposedly the south of the country is dirt poor and mostly poppy fields and the locals have deep resentment towards the US

Replacing poppy fields with less lucrative crops went well didn't it.

 

[Taifi gorm]

Can see the cracks in the Taliban already. It'll get fractional soon.

 

[Yank]

I guess they probably were aware of how it would end eventually but didn't care because they've got what they came for. I'm not sure US/UK governments really did believe they could change a middle Eastern country to more Western ways, surely...

I can't speak to the UK government... but I really don't know what our leaders over here may have believed.

They're quite dense. You get a lot on the right with that southern Baptist or whatever Christian streak in them and they get all in on the holy/culture wars/ believing they are ordained from God to change things/convert people.

Very little humility exists in these people.

That's not all of them, but I think more of these people have existed than I originally thought.

 

[Barnfred 55]

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……

I agree with most of that Pete.

The one bit I disagree is that terrorist attacks on the West are more likely to resume significantly once The Taliban get full control of the country. That will happen a lot more quickly without air support and intelligence.

 

[peteblue]

Staying the course? What course? How long does this go on for?

How long did USA station troops in Germany, how long did U.K. have troops in NI. 20 years just allowed the taliban to train their next set of kids to become fighters….

 

[Barnfred 55]

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……

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……

Ha. Had just woke up when I replied to that(late night). Only now just seen latest developments

 

[emir]

Is this the first time a terrorist organisation will be in charge of diplomatically recognised capital? I don't think I ve ever witnessed it.

This is a different Taliban to the Taliban we saw 20 years ago. This Taliban is as extreme as the Hindu extremists in India or the Shia fundamentalists in Iran.