Is Afghanistan the next Failed State?

[Quad]

Side note - I appreciate the perspectives you've all shared, I've been armchair quarterbacking things in Afghanistan for over 20 years now and even with the knowledge I've meticulously accumulated over those years, I still feel like I know very, very little overall.

 

[mraz72]

my thoughts are with our men and women who spent time over there. We also sent a few thousand troops from Ft Bragg the other day (to Afghanistan). Prayers go out to them, come home safe! Lastly, prayers for the men and women of Afghanistan who are stuck in this nonsense. Those scenes of people clinging to planes was horrifying and it shows how badly they want to separate from the taliban

 

[haknslash]

It is unreal what has happened. Sad and just unreal. So embarrassed and these people running the show do not represent me. Ugh what a waste. The footage coming out of there makes Saigon look like a Disney flick. I cannot imagine being a young girl there right now. They’re lives are about to be turned upside down. Imagine being a contractor there stuck hiding in some hole somewhere. Just unreal and we look like complete fools and clown show.

 

[Bizywk]

There are a few news sources beginning to report that the Taliban mastermind of the Afghanistan takeover was the captured terrorist traded from Gitmo in 2014 for accused Army deserter Beaudry Bergdahl.

Reports: Gitmo 'Graduates,' Jihadist Traded for Bowe Bergdahl on Taliban Victory Team

Reports identify the Taliban commander who led a gloating press conference from the presidential palace in Kabul as a former Gitmo detainee.

www.breitbart.com

Bowe Bergdahl - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Julian]

We are fine with off topic threads but this is getting far too political.

Please cease any political references. Thanks.

 

[AZMark]

I have zero first hand experience but @Quad does and seems to be spot on in his comments on this thread if you try and seek out some less biased news sources.

The immediate exit has been a disaster but not much would have stopped that beyond…more military action and more lost US lives, for nothing. There isn’t a clean way to give up on a failed war fought in and for a failed country.

The Taliban took over because we and the corrupt Afghan government let them do it for many years. It’s not because of 5 dudes we traded some deserter for. There are thousands of guys out there waiting to replace those 5. Hell we gave them another 5,000 back in 2020.

 

[haknslash]

Did y’all see the video of the Taliban flying what appeared to be one of our helicopters? Trying to find a source video of it to confirm but if true that’s just crazy! I saw some videos of a lot of military gear and vehicles. Unreal we’ve just armed them good like Benghazi but more free lol.

 

[Acard7]

Did y’all see the video of the Taliban flying what appeared to be one of our helicopters? Trying to find a source video of it to confirm but if true that’s just crazy! I saw some videos of a lot of military gear and vehicles. Unreal we’ve just armed them good like Benghazi but more free lol.

dude you gotta post that video I wanna see it lol

 

[haknslash]

I’m trying to find the source video of it first and then I will. I saw it in another video that they likely wouldn’t want me to post on here for political reasons.

 

[mraz72]

I was thinking about this last night, I can't imaging what the afghan citizens, who just want to go about their daily lives (probably 99% of the country), are feeling.

Like a real life red dawn, except they Afghanis don't have Patrick Swayze.

 

[Quad]

Did y’all see the video of the Taliban flying what appeared to be one of our helicopters? Trying to find a source video of it to confirm but if true that’s just crazy! I saw some videos of a lot of military gear and vehicles. Unreal we’ve just armed them good like Benghazi but more free lol.

By and large, the Taliban have not leveraged airpower, which is a combination of their tactical style and lack of expertise. It is plausible that some Afghan air force pilots have defected, but the ranks whom pilots are drawn from (highly educated, generally wealthy families) are less common in groups like the Taliban.

 

[haknslash]

Can’t say anyone with half a brain couldn’t see what was coming from today’s unfortunate and tragic events . I don’t have any words to express the anger and frustration I’m feeling. Unimaginable how inept we are right now. Worst ever.

 

[Bob Cherrie]

It never was a STATE! Tribes are the only recognized Social Contract.

TRY WIKIPEDIA: "Invasions of Afghanistan" If anyone of the 536 PLUS 1 ever looked at this simple HISTORY the LIGHT BULB might have gone on. Greatest warriors of 3,000 years all LEFT in DEFEAT! All on 1 page!
HISTORY of the world is NEVER TAUGHT in the USA.

 

[Stan M]

Can’t say anyone with half a brain couldn’t see what was coming from today’s unfortunate and tragic events . I don’t have any words to express the anger and frustration I’m feeling. Unimaginable who inept we are right now. Worst ever.

I wish a triple check mark for this! UNBELIEVABLE!

 

[Stan M]

It never was a STATE! Tribes are the only recognized Social Contract.

TRY WIKIPEDIA: "Invasions of Afghanistan" If anyone of the 536 PLUS 1 ever looked at this simple HISTORY the LIGHT BULB might have gone on. Greatest warriors of 3,000 years all LEFT in DEFEAT! All on 1 page!
HISTORY of the world is NEVER TAUGHT in the USA.

Kept us safe for 20 years...until now!

 

[swatski]

Can’t say anyone with half a brain couldn’t see what was coming from today’s unfortunate and tragic events . I don’t have any words to express the anger and frustration I’m feeling. Unimaginable how inept we are right now. Worst ever.

I know. Everyone could see this coming after what happened last year, prisoner release and withdrawal agreement deal with taliban not involving Afghani legitimate government. Brilliant move? At that point, game was over, the Afghans started making deals with taliban, who until then were sitting comfortably in wait on Pakistani soil; then Afghani president said fuck it and fled without firing a shot, that was it.

Trump's former national security advisor John Bolton says it's 'impossible' for Mike Pompeo to 'rewrite history' on his negotiations with the Taliban

"That's a prescription for Democratic attack ads that would be fatal to someone's credibility," Bolton told Politico.

www.businessinsider.com

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[Julian]

Very sad day indeed. But emphasizes why we either are in or out. Stuck in the middle is an indefensible position, so we either execute the prior administration's withdrawal agreement or we don't.

This attack was predicted. There will be more. But like EVERY prior occupier...we can't win. So getting out ASAP is the right plan.

Why we ever thought we could do what the Russians (direct neighbors) couldn't over 17 years is beyond me.

Leave the tribes to their rocks.....

 

[swatski]

Why we ever thought we could do what the Russians (direct neighbors) couldn't over 17 years is beyond me.

Julian... PLEASE.
We have done many things the Russians couldn't do; because they suck ass, and had for a long time.

Direct neighbors of Afghanistan? those would be Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, maybe someone else, not the Russians. Maybe you are confusing it with Chechnya, another country they invaded, that one is/was a direct neighbor.

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[Julian]

Julian... PLEASE.
We have done many things the Russians couldn't do; because they suck ass, and had for a long time.

Direct neighbors of Afghanistan? those would be Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, maybe someone else, not the Russians. Maybe you are confusing it with Chechnya, another country they invaded, that one is/was a direct neighbor.

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Those other "stans" were part of Russia....but I admit, I don't recall the timing of Russian occupation and the split (1991?)

 

[haknslash]

There is a right way and a wrong way to do things. This was a complete failure. I’m ready to discuss politics if it’s fair game.