Afghanistan

[jayn200]

Trump did idiotic "deal", mostly I think to create poison pill for Biden, but it was Biden who went through with it, so he owns it 100%, he most likely does not give a flying fook though.

I agree but it's hard to say what that would have looked like, Trump was trying to negotiate with Taliban when withdrawing... and who knows how that was going. It could easily have been the case of "we will pull out if you confine your forces to this area of the country" and then he could have sent troops back in if they advanced beyond that which would have quickly ended any advancement beyond what was negotiated.. Biden completely abandoned any attempt to contain Taliban through any means at all. Not saying what Trump govt was trying to do would have worked but it's not what Biden govt is executing.

[ladymuck]

It certainly sounds like a failure of the US administration one way or other to not have anticipated this exact outcome.

I did read, but can't find the link right now, that the UK did try to get a coalition of NATO countries together to remain in Afghanistan but they wouldn't do it if the US weren't there. Somewhat makes me think Trump had a point when he said that NATO countries don't pull their weight.

[DoctorStrangelove]

Look on the bright side, the first Afghan War cost 16,000 lives, with 1 being allowed to take the news back.

Though it didn't cost a trillion dollars of course.

Led, as we are, by beings of little brain & no appreciation of history, they had to repeat this 3 times just to make sure, like.

[Eirikur]

It is very rich in (Earth) Minerals. Apparently around $3-5 trillion worth. Pakistan played double game as usual to maintain instability. Now Pakistan is to rent out PM's office to manage 'financial crunch'. Now Chinese have already started grabbing parts of Pak as Loan repayment.

It might be, but the one and only reason Afghanistan is such a mess is opium

[AtW]

I did read, but can't find the link right now, that the UK did try to get a coalition of NATO countries together to remain in Afghanistan but they wouldn't do it if the US weren't there. Somewhat makes me think Trump had a point when he said that NATO countries don't pull their weight.

NATO went there because of USA invoking Article 5, so if USA is buggerring off then why should other members stay there?

[xoggoth]

Corrupt basket case of a nation. Without leaving our forces there on a permanent basis, not sure there's anything anyone can do to improve it.

[FreewheelinFranklin]

It does beg the question...
Apparently there are 75,000 Taliban.
The Afghan Army is 350,000 with loads of modern US weapons and equipment
The civilian population apparently don't want the Taliban in charge.
So can someone tell me why they won't fight for themselves? They don'y want foreign forces in there doing it for them apparently either so it seems pretty horribly simple.
If you won't fight for yourselves then what do you expect.

[xoggoth]

Probably the best summary here:

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/0...entagon-504469

[Fraidycat]

What?

Thats how many members on here treat other members with a low post count. You get accused of being a troll sock-puppet and told to 'feck off'

[NotAllThere]

Thats how many members on here treat other members with a low post count. You get accused of being a troll sock-puppet and told to 'feck off'

Posts removed. In future all posts intimating that someone is a sockie I will removed on sight. It's hostile and usually (not always) wrong. I you suspect someone is a sock puppet, report the post.