US and Nato withdrawal from Afghanistan...- threadbanned users in OP

scotchy · 15-08-2021 5:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758228#Comment_117758228

Also, Italian air force Boeing 767 on the way in now.

Richard Hillman · 15-08-2021 5:10pm

It's going to get very bloody by the end of the night. I was thinking the Taliban leaders would instruct the fighters to leave the airport alone. Maybe they have but a bunch of young, riled up, testosterone filled fighters who are ending a war will but tough to stop.

15-08-2021 5:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117757962#Comment_117757962

there was a constant rotation of a handful of Irish army personnel providing IED training from what I gather.

not forgetting that Ireland voted in favour of sending over an international security assistance force when it was last on the UN Security Council.

Sierra Oscar · 15-08-2021 5:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758243#Comment_117758243

It's important to remember that the Taliban is essentially a collection of warlords and chiefs all controlling their own little fiefdoms. Some are moderate and open to negotiations, some are extremists who are reluctant to compromise. It's a big ask for the Taliban leadership to exert total control over all fighters in Kabul. Many of the more extremist militants are probably frenzied in their desire to strike out against coalition forces given their current weakness and all the water under the bridge over the years.

jmreire · 15-08-2021 5:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758243#Comment_117758243

Dont count on it, wont matter one bit what the young, the old or anyone inbetween wants. Taliban Sharia law will be rigidly enforced same as it was in the past.Radio stations can now only broadcast Islamic themed music. They have already started painting over western or "unislamic" images on walls. The BBC News shows armed ANA soldiers giving up and being welcomed by the Taliban.....wonder what happened afterwards, outside of the camera's???

15-08-2021 5:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758258#Comment_117758258

It will decend into civil war soon enough....for long enough,they've had people occuping them to gel together a force to fight againest

50% afgan population is under 20,attempting to impose a strict form of religious goverence upon them simply wont wash,they will unlikely ever go to extremes of western civilization......but they arent headed back to an isis type state either imo (and i hope)

Richard Hillman · 15-08-2021 5:30pm

I just happened to watch The Killing Fields last night. Pretty much bang on for has happened over the last few days. The big rush for the capital. The rush to get out. They'll be pics and videos of the Taliban rolling into town, greeted by people but behind the scenes there will be thousands being killed. Anyone remotely involved with the previous regime, army, police will be routed out very quickly.

bogman_bass · 15-08-2021 5:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117756765#Comment_117756765

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117755946#Comment_117755946

to be fair Biden was left an impossible situation.

Trump reduced numbers down to a couple of thousand troops Biden then had Sophie’s choice of either massively ramp up troop numbers again or get out.

whisky_galore · 15-08-2021 5:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758291#Comment_117758291

As with lots of these regimes, the favoured ones and those at the top of the food chain will indulge in those things forbidden to the man on the street.

15-08-2021 5:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758344#Comment_117758344

Already happening, some pretty graphic pictures on Twitter of executed people who were working with the British and Americans.

Gatling · 15-08-2021 5:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758266#Comment_117758266

I remember when I came across pictures of the new desert dpm and people saying there is no Irish troops of any kind in Afghanistan ,and the people (us) wouldn't allow it

Jimbob1977 · 15-08-2021 5:37pm

Western power has diminished rapidly.

While the West still has the best weaponry and the majority of nuclear weapons, the era of American exceptionalism is over.

European powers like Britain and France are also a shadow of their former selves.

Simply put, nobody fears the US or NATO anymore. Whether it's the Taliban, the Interhamwe in Rwanda, Somali warlords or Russia strolling into Crimea.

Gatling · 15-08-2021 5:39pm

I'm still suprised Kabul is gone without a fight ,media on the ground were saying the various special forces groups had sealed it off and were fully prepared to defend the city's ,wake up to the Taliban marching through the city and no opposition

15-08-2021 5:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758384#Comment_117758384

The West is old and getting older. Demographically it is in decline and will never recover, Spain and Italy will see their populations half over the next 4-5 decades. Most Western countries are in the same boat or just slightly behind. The world will fracture into many competing regions more so than ever. Europe especially needs to hunker down and protect itself if it is to have any chance of survival long-term.

nullzero · 15-08-2021 5:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758353#Comment_117758353

Obama originally stated that withdrawal from Afghanistan was a goal of his. It's not a case Trump being to blame. Afghanistan is a mess and always has been, if we want to blame an American administration for the mess over there the blame lies firmly with the W Bush administration, but even at that the notion of a westernized Afghanistan is a pipe dream that isn't attainable purely because of the nature of the country. If after twenty years the first reaction of Afghanistan is to revert to Taliban rule after western withdrawal it's a clear indication of what the will of the Afghan people is, whether we want to accept it or not.

jmreire · 15-08-2021 6:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758462#Comment_117758462

Except its not the will of the Afghan people, is it? Thousands of Afghans fleeing the advancing Taliban shows the real picture. They had elections, but no Taliban were elected, and guess why...too many bad memories from their previous experience of Talib rule .What's happening now is a military takeover at gunpoint. Give it a few weeks and see what will happen for ordinary Afghans.

15-08-2021 6:14pm

Antony Blinken is some bell-end

nullzero · 15-08-2021 6:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758532#Comment_117758532

It's the will of enough of them for it to end up with the Taliban in power.

I share your worries about innocent people over there, it's awful to see those knuckle draggers regain power and a sad day in international relations.

BorneTobyWilde · 15-08-2021 6:16pm

So many have ran from the cities the taliban have taken over, but majority stay, and so far we've not see them get violent with them, of course we have reports of all the girls getting rounded up, but how much of this true, and how much is propaganda

PokeHerKing · 15-08-2021 6:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758532#Comment_117758532

But they have an army and Police force. It doesn't really make sense that 80k fighters could roll through uncontested unless 99% of the army/police don't really care if the taliban take control?

Kermit.de.frog · 15-08-2021 6:20pm

Interesting watching the left's muted reaction so far.

They desperately want to attack the big bad American empire but are equally puzzled by the theocratic cave men taking over🤪

What to do? Who's the target?😣

.

nullzero · 15-08-2021 6:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758562#Comment_117758562

The mental gymnastics they do to explain how the treatment of women in Islamic culture is actually feminism in action is hilarious.

15-08-2021 6:27pm

I'm not usually a fan of Sky News but they are having some outstanding coverage and interviews today.

Richard Hillman · 15-08-2021 6:29pm

It goes to show how easy it is to take towns and cities if there isn't a strong armed and willing defence.

We are lucky we have the Turkey buffer in Europe. A lot of people were befuddled into how ISIS were just able to roll around Syria and Iraq and seized most of the country. It's not as hard as people think. Classic Blitzkrieg. Roll in, the police/army have done a runner, the locals are unorganized and just want to stay alive. Town seized.

Kermit.de.frog · 15-08-2021 6:31pm

Maybe the Taliban will announce generous gender quotas in the new parliament?

jmreire · 15-08-2021 6:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758544#Comment_117758544

Once the first dominoes fell, that was it.. the rest just fell in short order. The difference between the approaching Taliban and the defending police / army was the Taliban had conviction and determination, while the defenders did not. And why should they the way they were treated by their own Government? For them, it was a question of survival,,,and they chose the winning side. And that may not save all of them when the Taliban start checking who did what on the Government side....Poor Afghans. They dont deserve what has happened to them, they are just pawns in a bigger game. Look to who kept the Taliban funded and active these last 20 years.

Gatling · 15-08-2021 6:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117758544#Comment_117758544

Psychological fear , stand and fight till you run out of ammunition because your government won't /can't resupply you ,end result your dead ,run away and live another Day till a friend or neighbor points you out to the local death squad and face the same death ,

Remember some would have remembered the Taliban others would have seem what Isis did in Iraq mass genocide