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I wonder if calling the Afghan government a "government" isn't some kind of a joke. This was the same "government" that took billions from the USA and than collapsed within hours when we withdrew our support. Government? Maybe a corrupt kleptocracy is a better way to describe it. No point in consulting that bunch of fools about anything at all. It makes me wonder for all that money we spent over twenty years that we couldn't have bought something that was a little bit better. My analogy is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy a broken down 75' Ford Pinto.
I haven't heard any NATO countries criticize the USA for our withdrawal from Afghanistan. If they did criticize us they were countries that weren't doing their share and there were plenty of those. In fact, Britain was probably the only country that ever really tried to do its share.
I think the withdrawal strategy deserves some scrutiny. However, it needs to be done objectively and not by the pack of whackjobs that makes up the republican caucus in the House of Representatives these days.
Of course, our problems in Afghanistan began the day George W. Bush authorized the invasion in 2001. I don't criticize his decision though. He really couldn't do much else. It was clear that the attack on the World Trade Center had originated among Al Quaeda operatives that were residing in Afghanistan. When we asked the country to turn those men over to us they refused. However, Bush was President through January of 2009 and his eight years marked a period of accomplishing very little of substance in Afghanistan. There were elections, but they apparently didn't mean much to Afghans.
The big mistake we made in Afghanistan is not getting out after Osama Bin Laden was found and killed. At that point, our national interests did not justify the effort and money we were spending in Afghanistan. I do think Obama should have looked for an exit at that time.
Got to love the way some groups challenge every election they lose. No vote rigging was involved in 2008. If you remember, Obama beat McCain by about eight percentage points. Sane people don't argue that millions of votes are fabricated. Bush/Cheney were terribly unpopular by 2008 and the likelihood any republican winning that election was remote indeed.
Than we had Trump in office who became an international pariah and laughingstock. People still ask me when I visit Europe if there is any chance "that maniac Trump will be president again".
Here's something that's really hard to accept, but I believe is the truth: The bulk of the Afghan people preferred rule by the Taliban to rule by that inept, corrupt government we put in power following the invasion in 2001. That explains why the Taliban has been in power twice.
LOL, its the US Govt that is Kleptocracy. The Afghans did not take, they received it like a gift.
Another report was published today, although I believe some of this info was already previously reported when it happened, but most of the media at the time just glossed over it at the time.
Many high ranking Afghan Special Operators, along with all their men, some who even trained with SF teams inside the US, had no choice but to cross into Iran with specialized weapons, equipment, and vehicles to escape being slaughtered and overrun by the Taliban when the rest of the Afghan Army laid down.
3,000 highly trained security force members went with them into Iran.
This is a very dangerous situation because some of these guys know the identities of some of their trainers, military members in US Special Ops, plus they are also trained in our tactics, which the Iranians surely have discussed with them by now.
In addition to the tens of billions of equipment left behind and the hundreds of billions in infrastructure, we are now talking about highly trained special operators potentially already being turned by the Iranians to go along with the loss of 300,000 light arms, 29,000 heavy weapons and 61,000 vehicles while the Taliban builds a 110,000 man Army to utilize those free weapons and equipment.
Even if you don’t agree with me that we should’ve stayed, how can you continue to defend this botched surrender that just keeps getting worse and worse as more information gets out? Gen Milley and Gen McKenzie both advised Biden not to pull out when and how he did, but he did not listen.
I'd say that your rant has such an obvious political bias to it that it serves no purpose except to allow you another slur against your political enemies. That's the entirety of your position, to second guess the elected leadership, so we get it, but, the truth remains. That truth includes the fact the America can't really "lose" a war, simply because our wars are fought with the profiteering designed in. In other words, it's all about the money, and always has been. The occupation has been a win win for the US military and it's partners in crime, their beloved weapons contractors, illustrious careers were built on it, tons of money was made, and those killed were simply collateral damage in the pursuit of war booty, there is/was no noble cause--ever..
Middle eastern theo-politics is and has been a terrible mess, but we knew that, we also knew about the huge factions of extremist warlords who sought to further their own ambitions by taking what the US had to offer while simultaneously building up their private armies. America poses itself as a globe trotting endearing grandfather, albeit, not so much a genteel grandfather, but one loaded with the weapons of deathly persuasion, and all too anxious to mix it up with those who disagree with our "policies." Our imperial exploits seem to always be hiding behind the purple prose of state department press releases, "hearts and minds" ya know..
Wars are seldom if ever fought for noble reasons, and in spite of your attempts to inflict our consciousness with the exploits of the terrible Taliban, let's be honest about their beginnings as the mujahideen, a group America funded and helped to train as a resistance force against the Russian military. Afghanistan was basically a player in the old US/Russia proxy wars. Good riddance to that hell hole, and good riddance to the policies which supported our occupation.
Seriously? You have no evidence that the Taliban has committed dozens of atrocities since taking over?
Do you also need me to provide you evidence that the sky is blue?
1). Over 500 people have been executed, or “disappeared” since the Taliban seized the country. The 500 number is a conservative estimate
2) The Taliban has taken a sledgehammer to women’s rights. Way too many to list out, but saying that women are being being abused is putting it mildly.
3) 97% are in danger of slipping into severe poverty as a direct result of Taliban decision making.
I don’t have much sympathy for the Afghan people either. They knew exactly what was going to happen, but they laid down their arms and demonized the one country (USA) who was shaping their country for a better tomorrow.
Freedom isn’t free, and when you won’t even fight for it, you deserve whatever you get.
If they did prefer the Taliban over the Afghan government, that’s definitely their prerogative. But don’t sit there whining about the Taliban now, like so many of them are doing now.
So you have no actual reputable sources then? Your numbered points are not sources. They're the drivel of an obsessed conservative.
Indeed, and this goes back much further than Joe Biden.....and I do NOT mean President Trump, either. Anybody remember back in 2008, when a relatively unknown Presidential candidate, said the words, "we're going to fundamentally change America"?
That man was elected, however given the fiasco over the 2020 election, I can't help but wonder if any "vote rigging" was involved back then, therefore "elected" would be a relative term. Nonetheless, yes, America did change, and not necessarily for the better. And the current President, IMHO, is nothing but an extension of the 2008-2016 administration.....
I think the withdrawal strategy deserves some scrutiny. However, it needs to be done objectively and not by the pack of whackjobs that makes up the republican caucus in the House of Representatives these days.
The left controls both the house, and the senate. Can't blame the fiasco of a pullout on the right, smh.
1) He said he consulted with military leaders on the withdrawal and it was done with full coordination, but both Gen McKenzie and Gen Milley advised Biden to keep 2500 in country indefinitely (keep Bagram Air Base open). Biden lied about everyone agreeing on the withdrawal.
Yes this is true. No general ever advocated for the full withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan.
Our allies are in fear for their lives, and the lives of their families.
Women are back in burkas. (Or at least completely covered)
Woman can't complete their education.
It's all gone horribly backwards.
Note: when people don't agree with something they demand to be given a link. How about doing a little digging?
The behavior of the Taliban is not rocket science.
We are so screwed.
I haven't heard any NATO countries criticize the USA for our withdrawal from Afghanistan. If they did criticize us they were countries that weren't doing their share and there were plenty of those. In fact, Britain was probably the only country that ever really tried to do its share.
I think the withdrawal strategy deserves some scrutiny. However, it needs to be done objectively and not by the pack of whackjobs that makes up the republican caucus in the House of Representatives these days.
There was a lot of criticism at the time, from various world leaders and former British PM Tony Blair famously branded Joe Biden's decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan as 'imbecilic'.
Although the British Government was more reserved, there was still a lot of anger behind the scenes, and Tom Tugendhat's now famous speech to the House of Commons summed up the general mood.
It should be noted that before he became a politician, Tugendhat served with the British Army in both Iraq and in Helmand Province in Afghanistan, and rose through the ranks to become a Lieutenant Colonel in the Intelligence Corp. and was even was decorated by the US 82nd Airborne after the capture of Musa Qala.
Tugendhat went on to state that "It was a huge privilege to be recognised by such an extraordinary unit in combat (US 82nd Airborne)". However "To see their commander-in-chief (Biden) call into question the courage of men I fought with, to claim that they ran, is shameful. Those who have never fought for the colours they fly should be careful about criticising those who have".
Tugendhat also served in Afghanistan, in a civilian capacity, for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), and helped set up the National Security Council of Afghanistan and the government in Helmand Province.
Sadly even British and US forces, who had worked so closely together had a falling out in relation to Biden's withdrawal, with British forces ignoring US advice and going out to rescue any British nationals or Afghan's that had links to British forces.
The video below shows extracts from Tom Tugendhat speech to the British Parliament regarding Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan -
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