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

Overheal

Bribes and a corrupt standing military that was, reportedly, withholding pay from police and military personnel. In one instance, an Afghan special forces team had been ordered by their CO’s to surrender without firing a shot. Several Provence’s surrendered their guns and equipment to the Taliban for cash payoffs.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/15/afghanistan-military-collapse-taliban/

As the militants expanded their control, government-held districts increasingly fell without a fight. Kunduz, the first key city overrun by the militants, was captured a week ago. Days of negotiations mediated by tribal elders resulted in a surrender deal that handed over the last government- controlled base to the Taliban.

Soon after, negotiations in the western province of Herat yielded the resignation of the governor, top Interior Ministry and intelligence officials and hundreds of troops. The deal was concluded in a single night.

“I was so ashamed,” said a Kabul-based Interior Ministry officer, referring to the surrender of senior ministry official Abdul Rahman Rahman in Herat. “I’m just a small person, I’m not that big. If he does that, what should I do?”

Over the past month, the southern province of Helmand also witnessed a mass surrender. And as Taliban fighters closed in on the southeastern province of Ghazni, its governor fled under Taliban protection only to be arrested by the Afghan government on his way back to Kabul.

Taliban enters Kabul, leaving Afghan government on brink of collapse

The Afghan military’s fight against the Taliban has involved several capable and motivated elite units. But they were often dispatched to provide backup for less-well-trained army and police units that have repeatedly folded under Taliban pressure.

An Afghan special forces officer stationed in Kandahar who had been assigned to protect a critical border crossing recalled being ordered by a commander to surrender. “We want to fight! If we surrender, the Taliban will kill us,” the special forces officer said.

“Don’t fire a single shot,” the commander told them as the Taliban swarmed the area, the officer later recounted. The border police surrendered immediately, leaving the special forces unit on its own. A second officer confirmed his colleague’s recollection of the events.

Unwilling to surrender or fight outmatched, the members of the unit put down their weapons, changed into civilian clothing and fled their post.

“I feel ashamed of what I’ve done,” said the first officer. But, he said, if he hadn’t fled, “I would have been sold to the Taliban by my own government.”

BorneTobyWilde

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOChk-crMQM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOChk-crMQM No is the answer today

jmayo

Biden has really fooked up.

He has managed to create another Saigon where they will be remembered for their fleeing helicopters. I guest we can expect Kabul to be back to the middle ages in the next few months.

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759305#Comment_117759305

Umm next few days at best

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759305#Comment_117759305

Kabul was already in the Middle Ages up to today, when it has been dragged back to the Bronze Age.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759305#Comment_117759305

Don't mention Biden, they'll all come over from the other thread raging that you've not bowed down to his greatness 🙂

Kermit.de.frog

https://twitter.com/jseldin/status/1426989373329973253

..

Melanchthon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759331#Comment_117759331

https://i.imgur.com/aoSpw6m.jpg

....

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759349#Comment_117759349

What an absolute cluster fu*k the whole situation is turning into. This is incredible that it has been allowed to happen like this.

Kermit.de.frog

https://twitter.com/MarinaMedvin/status/1426763243893280769

"We have big plans for the womens, big big plans"

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759305#Comment_117759305

I have yet to see any of these helicopter escape videos being hyped up in your talking points.

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759236#Comment_117759236

No it was not their "Home Rule" it was imposed on them, courtesy of the Pakistani Madrassas. After the Taliban were ousted the Afghans held a Loya Jirga to decide on their leadership, and the Govt formed then was the legitimate elected Govt. Since then there was another election, in 2014. And this Govt is the legally elected Govt of Afghanistan. At no time were the Taliban either proposed or elected, yet you say that they are are the preferred form of Givernment??? Now again, they have another unelected government imposed on them ( and again at gunpoint I may add).. as for comparisons, are you saying that the Russian occupation was the same as the Americans?? So the Russians spent billions on modernizing Afghanistan?? The did like hell! in the 10 years they were there, they killed thousands and thousands of Afghans ,,their tenure there was complete opposite of the American one. To this day, and for many years into the future un-exploded Russian munitions from their occupation will continue killing and maiming Afghans.

Reports that thousands of Taliban and ISIS prisoners have now been released from jails.

@jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759236#Comment_117759236

You cannot explain away the advent of Islamofascism today by comparing it to some period in the past, or by blaming the Americans (the usual strategy employed).

What has happened today is a tragedy for the people of Afghanistan; and let's not forget the hundreds of thousands of refugees it will cause.

You can compare it to the past, but that's an attempt to offer a mellower explanation of today's events - as if to argue that it's not really that bad.

@jmreire's analysis is spot on.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759386#Comment_117759386

The Taliban number less than a 100,000 men, according to US Stats. In one month they have taken control of 90% of the country. Apart from a few contested areas and Kabul.

100,000 men cannot do that unless they have popular support from the people on the ground. Whether you or I like it or not, it very much appears that the majority of Afghans would rather have the Taliban in power than what they have had in the last 20 years.

Nigel Farage has waded into the question, arguing that this is the greatest UK foreign policy error since Suez.

https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1426983069941121031

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759401#Comment_117759401

It was the Americans that signed an agreement with the Taliban last year. Trump was looking to have the US out of there last May. While Taliban rule is, indeed, a "tragedy" for the Afghans (empty platitudes aside) the fact of the matter is that this was always going to happen.

Their population has almost doubled in 20 years, not exactly helping the situation

Timberrrrrrrr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759305#Comment_117759305

...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759445#Comment_117759445

That's an advantage, not a loss - at least in the long term.

Afghanistan has one of the youngest populations in the world – with approx. 63 percent of the population (27.5 million Afghans) below 25 years of age and 46 percent (11.7 million children) under 15 years of age according to the National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA).

Younger populations exposed to technology and so on, are more likely to resent and reject the kind of mindless Islamic fascism being foisted upon them.

Iran, too, has an enormously young population that will emerge more dissenting to the prevailing orthodoxy.

agoodpunt

Danm holiday plans fecked up for next year unless i grow a beard

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759232#Comment_117759232

Maria, this actual situation happened before,,Country falling to pieces under the Taliban, people in a really bad way. The Denmark Government ( as far as I remember ) sent a representative offering help and assistance. During the meeting with the Taliban leaders, he outlined his proposals for providing help, and all he asked in return was that the Taliban improve their human rights record in regard to women and girls re education, and Sharia Law punishments. The Talibs listened until he had finished, and than asked how he has arrived in Afghanistan, did he fly or arrive by road? When he answered by air, they said " the road to the Airport is that way." And that ended the conversation. Will these Taliban be any different???

Jeff2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759055#Comment_117759055

They can sell the American drones to some country that wants to clone them or just get information from them.

Big mess not destroying them if they couldn't take them.

ceadaoin.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759180#Comment_117759180

Wtf is that for real? What an absolute bellend if so

BorneTobyWilde

https://twitter.com/AishaTaIks/status/1427006712737898500

Kermit.de.frog

https://twitter.com/saadmohseni/status/1427000691407654914

...

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759278#Comment_117759278

Really beautifull place, and the interior is like a honeycomb with many gallerys....its thought that there are many more hidden chambers deeper inside. Its unknown just how much has been stolen /looted from it unfortunately.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117759458#Comment_117759458

This isn't New York we're talking about. It's a country that's made up of mostly rural areas and scrub (and no, it's not like Ballyduff either). 75% of the population live outside of a city or town in incredibly backwards situations. They wouldn't know an Apple iPhone from a Granny Smith.

Kermit.de.frog

https://twitter.com/IntelCrab/status/1426996228265480200

The US has sent a further 1,000 troops which now brings to 6,000 the number of troops present or on standby.

So yeah, safe to say this is a bloody mess right now.

riclad

they don,t have popular support from most people ,they treat women like slaves, they are kidnapping young women to go into forced marriage eg sex slaves ,they are taking over kabul right now, this is like the fall of saigon at 10x speed , the question is will western staff and diplomats be able to get out without being taken prisoner or killed.i thought the american army could hold em back for a few weeks using bombing from air force planes and rockets from drones , the taliban have only rifles and basic weapons .its incredible the americans did not leave a few 1000 soldiers behind at least in order to allow an organised exit .

the americans spent a trillion dollars but alot of the money went to warlords contractors and political factions, eg many people did not trust government officals , it was not really a democratic government ,it did not have much power or control outside large citys.

God knows what will happen to people who criticised the taliban or stood up for free speech and womens rights in the last 10 years when the taliban has control over the whole country and have acess to government records pcs and database,s .