Current Affairs Afghanistan

[tsubaki]

Again, that was Biden's call. They made marginal gains in regions, cautiously, until August when the US went home and the Afghan Army folded like a house of cards. None of that happens if Biden delays and puts in an effective strategy to withdraw, instead of arbitrarily deciding September 2021 is an immovable deadline.

This is all Biden's doing. The ghost of President Trump didn't compel him to be this stupid.

It was Biden's call to start the Taliban offensive now? What do you actually mean by "an effective strategy to withdraw"?

 

[Tubey]

It was Biden's call to start the Taliban offensive now? What do you actually mean by "an effective strategy to withdraw"?

Biden enabled the offensive by withdrawing unilaterally with no plan of action other than "get out lads". He left the field open and the Taliban just strolled onto it. I wouldn't even call what the Taliban did an 'offensive', as they barely fired a shot.

And an effective strategy to withdraw is obvious - one where thousands of people aren't crammed at an airport terrified and being targeted by suicide bombers would be a starting point for one.

 

[tsubaki]

I don't think he is exclusively to blame, but he definitely takes a huge portion of it.

Just hope the west helps as many people as possible.

why are you defending Biden in this way?

Seriously though I hope the west does too, and actual help rather than just abandoning people in underfunded refugee camps or kicking off yet another civil war over there.

 

[peteblue]

Well, for a start I don't excuse the current leader of our country constantly so I would guess more than you?

Why do you keep diverting the issue of this American decision onto previous presidents and now a different country. Give up the petty politics for once and try to use whatever rational thought capability you have and address the real issue…..

 

[tsubaki]

Biden enabled the offensive by withdrawing unilaterally with no plan of action other than "get out lads". He left the field open and the Taliban just strolled onto it. I wouldn't even call what the Taliban did an 'offensive', as they barely fired a shot.

And an effective strategy to withdraw is obvious - one where thousands of people aren't crammed at an airport terrified and being targeted by suicide bombers would be a starting point for one.

Withdrawing unilaterally, as part of an agreement?

You are going to have to come up with a better strategy though - so what, they are going to line up patiently? Book their flights to wherever whilst the Taliban aren't advancing?

 

[peteblue]

Biden enabled the offensive by withdrawing unilaterally with no plan of action other than "get out lads". He left the field open and the Taliban just strolled onto it. I wouldn't even call what the Taliban did an 'offensive', as they barely fired a shot.

And an effective strategy to withdraw is obvious - one where thousands of people aren't crammed at an airport terrified and being targeted by suicide bombers would be a starting point for one.

Nor the handing over of $Billions in weaponry….but hey worrabout Trump……

 

[Tubey]

Withdrawing unilaterally, as part of an agreement?

You are going to have to come up with a better strategy though - so what, they are going to line up patiently? Book their flights to wherever whilst the Taliban aren't advancing?

Delay to 2022, set up a system where multi nationals and collaborators can choose to leave, pull the army out when that process is complete.

Not difficult. And no, the 'consequences' of doing that wouldn't be anything to write home about; the Taliban, provably, had no offensive capability against the US, there would be nothing they could have done about it.

 

[john jako]

I’ve been involved in some absolute piles of [Poor language removed] in my time in the military but this planning has seriously took the piss.

The absolute danger our forces are in right now over there is incredible. Going to be a nervous few days and hope it somehow passes without incident.

 

[longers]

He seems even more sleepy than usual in this speech he's doing right now, dude looks absolutely spent.

 

[Deleted member 48881]

Lol hes talking like Bush

I will make you pay for it...

 

[Toast]

I’ve been involved in some absolute piles of [Poor language removed] in my time in the military but this planning has seriously took the piss.

The absolute danger our forces are in right now over there is incredible. Going to be a nervous few days and hope it somehow passes without incident.

I find it incredible having been in dodgy situations myself.
It just feels like General Melchit from Blackadder is in charge of this.

Ive done an Op with the SAS as well and as amazingly cool and genuinely hard they are, I bet even those lids are twitching..

 

[Kurt.]

Oh right yeah, I forgot, the Taliban are an elite fighting force and we can't upset them because of the 'consequences'.

They’ve never been beaten I believe ?‍

 

[tsubaki]

Delay to 2022, set up a system where multi nationals and collaborators can choose to leave, pull the army out when that process is complete.

Not difficult. And no, the 'consequences' of doing that wouldn't be anything to write home about; the Taliban, provably, had no offensive capability against the US, there would be nothing they could have done about it.

Not really, Tubey, and to be honest I think what you have proposed here is pretty much what Biden was trying to do (albeit with a different date).

For a start, the moment where a system is established for "collaborators" to leave is the moment anyone eligible does leave - you've just announced to them that they are not going to be safe after you do leave (ie: that the Taliban will be in power). Announcing that would create pretty much the same sort of progressive collapse and panic we saw in this reality once the Taliban started their advance, and lead to similar scenes - who in your version's ANA is for example going to stand and fight when they think there is a time-limited window to escape? What government minister is going to devote themselves to their country, as opposed to getting out with their ill-gotten gains?

TBF I think the only way this would ever have worked would have been for the US to bail overnight, without warning but after ensuring the ANA had the capability to fight properly (supply and maintenance included) and with the requisite support when needed from US forces. The Afghan government, collaborators and all, would have been thrown in the deep end but would have had to fight. That would though have probably resulted in a long and bloody civil war, with an uncertain outcome.

 

[tsubaki]

They’ve never been beaten I believe ?‍

the portrayal of them as basically nothing much to write home about is certainly one of the stranger takes on this thread

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Sad and tragic today events are. It's time America stopped meddling in the Middle East, hundreds of thousands have died in whatever the pursuit was. On balance todays blood spilt is tiny fraction of what has come before. The faux outrage by armchair general's is frankly ridiculous. Get out and stay out of middle east. Glad it's coming to an end.