The Taliban will Get a country….
President Biden will get America out….
The Taliban will be the victors….
The American President suffers a lesson in how NOT to do certain things…..
And will now have his military effect a HUGE evacuation of thousands of people it warned their commander would be a result of his hurried exit from the country….
Biden will hope that his feeling that the Taliban will HAVE to worry about governing effects their long term actions and there will be no mass revenge ….There fighters have been told to NOT overrun the city …Letting the Americans and other’s empty out their people and the nucleus probably of any political opposition to their control of the country….Probably over a million Afghan’s have fled the country….There will invariably be rifts among the Taliban itself since the common enemy will be gone….The Taliban will actually NEED the government’s military and police to govern….
America exits the country in a replay of its exit of Saigon decades ago….
President Biden gets his baptism in foreign affairs….
He cannot blame this on Donald Trump….
One hope’s that there is no bloodshed and Biden can come out of this ahead in the long run…
He IS the President …..
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that the group’s fighters had been instructed not to push further into the city with force. The militants had made recent gains after negotiating with local leaders. “We want to enter Kabul with peace, and talks are underway” with the government, he said.
Negotiators representing the national government are headed to Doha, Qatar Sunday to discuss an agreement with the Taliban’s political leadership, a senior official close to Afghan president Ashraf Ghani said. Members of the militant group were also at the presidential palace for talks on Sunday afternoon, according to two Afghan officials.
“There is an agreement that there will be a transitional administration for orderly transfer of power,” said acting Interior Minister Abdul Satar Mirzakwal on Sunday. He added that security forces were being deployed across Kabul to ensure order.
The Taliban’s lightning quick advance to the Afghan capital came as helicopters landed at the U.S. Embassy early Sunday and armored diplomatic vehicles were seen leaving the area around the compound, the Associated Press reported. Diplomats scrambled to destroy sensitive documents, sending smoke from the embassy’s roof, the AP said, citing anonymous U.S. military officials.
U.S. personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan are being relocated to the airport to “ensure they can operate safely and securely” as the Taliban encircle Kabul, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC News on Sunday….
…
The Taliban’s capture of Jalalabad, close to Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, came with minimal resistance after militants and local elders negotiated the fall of the city’s government. Leaders in Jalalabad were given safe passage from the city, according to Reuters.
Both Bagram and Sorobi districts in Kabul province also surrendered without shots being fired, according to an official, adding that the militants had made “political deals” with local leaders.
Afghan forces on Sunday handed over Bagram air base — once the U.S. military’s most important airfield in the country — to the Taliban, a district chief told the AP. The air base holds a prison containing 5,000 inmates.
Several other countries that had retained a diplomatic presence in Kabul even as Taliban gains accelerated began withdrawing their staff. The British ambassador will be airlifted from Afghanistan by Monday evening, the Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported. Iranian officials said its embassy in Kabul would be evacuated by Monday, according to Reuters.
The Danish and Norwegian embassies also recently said they would suspend operations and move staff out of the country.
President Biden on Saturday had announced that more troops would be sent to the capital to assist the departure of Americans there, expanding the number of troops sent to Kabul to 5,000. That includes an additional 1,000 troops that had been held at the ready in Kuwait, and at least 650 who had stayed behind in Afghanistan with the mission of protecting the U.S. Embassy and airport after the United States began withdrawing its military….
Note….
A look at how America wadded into this….
And in my best James imitation as to what’s happened in Afghanistan?Uh….
Told ya so!
Props Jack…..
I wish for no bloodshed as Biden eats a shit sandwich this weekend
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, in this case for 20 years.
These folks dropped their weapons and ran away. The President of Afghanistan fled. The Bush democracy experiment never got past the test tube stage. This was always the end result no matter when it happened, now or this winter.
How is this Biden’s fault? His shit sandwich? It’s been a shit show for decades. It’s a tragedy for sure, but there are others here to address.
The media is on heat over this and I find it amusingly sad. They know full well that this was the outcome no matter what.
I agree.
The only alternative to withdrawal was a permanent US presence and Afghanistan becoming a de facto “territory”of the United States.
In essence good old fashioned “imperialism.”
So whenever we withdrew ,the outcome would be the same.The Afghan “army” never existed as a cohesive unit and most military people admit that.Just a rag tag gang that we put uniforms on and gave a title to.The so called government?Just a bunch of political hacks to give a fig leaf of legitimacy to what was plainly an occupation.
Well the charade is over and the Afghans can go back to the status quo that we interrupted twenty years ago.Future “warlords” are probably purchasing that equipment we left behind.Hell some of the Taliban are probably making the sales.A simmering civil war probably will begin shortly and go in for years.
As for the average Afghan?They will go back to their tribe and get on with their prime occupation,growing and selling dope.
Then the recriminations will begin here with lots of pompous baloney .Stripping that kind of tripe away,the sad fact is we should have left there about 18;years ago.Did we waste $83 billion dollars ?Certainly. Was this conclusion inevitable?Yes and finally did those who were killed there die in vain?The ugly truth?Yes,they did
“…it was well known that the (Afghan) security services were collapsing a month, two months,three months ago.So this feigned surprise that- maybe it’s genuine surprise,but if it is,I don’t understand what it’s based on.It was quite clear that it was going to come to this when you started to see the Taliban take territory without having to fight months ago.Do,no I’m not at all surprised by the speed.”
Richard Engel
NBC News correspondent
Afghanistan
On Engel….
And the Commmander-in-Chief ordered everyone out resulting in what we have now…..Engel just confirms my view that Biden simply failed to use due caution
No matter how it’s wrapped?
Biden messed up….
Re Link….
Biden administration scrambled as its orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan unraveled
..
Opinion: Twenty years of Afghanistan mistakes, but this preventable disaster is on Biden
…
Biden cannot claim ignorance of what was to come. He was amply warned by the U.S. intelligence community. I am no seer (and goodness knows, like Biden, I have been wrong about plenty), but immediately upon hearing of Biden’s withdrawal plan I wrote a column whose headline was: “Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal could be the first step to a Taliban takeover.”
The only thing I did not anticipate — no one did — was how rapidly the unraveling would occur. Even last Monday, the U.S. military was warning that it would be 30 to 90 days before Kabul fell. Now, six days later, it has fallen, and Biden will spend the rest of his presidency grappling with the tragic consequences of this preventable disaster…
More…
I disagree Jack…
Biden’s HASTY ‘drop and run’ was a m mistake…
While planning for things never go the way it’s set up to be….
This WAS ill conceived and executed….
Biden listened to the thing going down the toilet from Camp David where he didn’t have media all over him…
The week ‘it was Trump’s fault’ just isn’t gonna get it….
AGAIN….
I’ll vote for Joe Biden in a heartbeat…
But he failed to heed the warnings form the Pentagon, Intelligence Community and Foreign Leaders….
Guys?
If ya wanna spare Biden the blame?
Then pass it down to Bush II and Obama…..
BOTH them guys set this up….
Yes Jack…
You DO get props for pointing to the tribal culture
Calling out the charade
We ALL agree the US and the West should have left the place a LONG time ago….
But AGAIN?
Biden gets a shit sandwich right now for poor execution ….
One hopes his longterm view savages things for him and his predecessors ….
So the United States should have stayed permanently is that your view?
DO YOU NOT READ WHAT I HAVE SAID OVER AND OVER Jack?
We needed to exit this….
NOT like this……
Then explain how we should have exited.
And be specific .
Jack?
It’s the fucking President to answer your question with his general’s…..
Again?
I’m sorry for ya….
But this isn’t about me….
It’s about a screw up WTF above my level….
Biden didn’t listen…
He eats the sandwich…
Biden’s a good guy…
He just messed up….
In public….
Comes with the job….
I hope the Taliban doesn’t make it so bad for him….
It IS in their hands as Biden watches from Camp David…..
And the general’s and troops pray for no violence
I pointed to this concern as u pointed to the situation Biden wanted…
This isn’t about me….
This IS about a serious fuck up the President of the United States made….
No ducking….
It IS on HIS watch…..
Then tell us what Biden should have done and once again be specific?
James, The fact that people might misinterpret what you say is mostly your fault because what you say is often different than what you intended to say. You don’t make much of an effort to communicate clearly. Frankly, Jack usually understands what you intended to say better than anyone here.
Thanks Z….
But we ARE having this discussion and Jack is trying to duck…..
I HAVE given respect on his overall Assessment of the Afghan country culture
Biden is already getting pounded by the GOPer’s
The GOP wanted the US out by May 2021. Did they criticize Trump when he made that deal?
James, it is not clear to me what question you think Jack is trying to duck. Why don’t you ask him a question rather than accuse him of ducking a question.
And Didn’t Jack say he wasn’t going to engage with you?
You’re right Zreebs!I did.
I keep thinking that somehow I can engage him in a half way intelligent conversation but,as usual, it rapidly degenerates.
So,he supports what Biden did, but opposes the way he did it, and has no ideas how he could have done it differently.
There you have it.
But I’m “ducking!”
Again?
The discussion turns to me when things get tight
I LOVE THIS!
See?
Z?
When was the last time u heard Jack admit he was wrong on something?
Personally?
I don’t give a shit
We have been going back and forth for over a decade….
I think he admitted he off or wrong about 3 times…..
All the efforts to get you guys backing him is fine….
Again….
I’m doing this for conversation and iSight….
And I’m having fun….
I’m NOT collecting scores….
Sometimes I’m right….
Sometimes I’m wrong…
It’s how I learn…..
But I do get tired of people talking about me not the subject in the post’s
And worst?
Taking things personally…
It spoils the flow…..
Again?
It’s YOUR Keyboard…..
Oh and ANOTHER 1,000 troops on the way there….
We’re above the total that was there 6 months ago and climbing!
Wonder how long it’s gonna take to evacuate ALL them people who want to leave?
How many ‘additional’ boots on the groound coming??
Hmmmmm?
BTW?
There are foreign journalist still in
Afhanistan
I’m “ducking?”
That’s funny.
So just to be clear .Biden mishandled this although you yourself have no idea what he should have done differently.
Got it!
I case you are NOT aware Keith?
The airport in Kabul is in then precess of shipping OUT THOUSANDS on your tax dollars….
It’s a shit show….
Donald Trump is a private citizen….
Joe Biden is the President….
There are ALREADY Afghan stories about the side switching by military people in the Afghan country as things go back to the traditional tribal way of doing business in that country….
It does NOT really a ‘nationalistic’ culture….
Look for the Taliban leadership to have its own problems keeping the place in one piece and influence dealing bu Pakistan, Iran and the West..
The place IS gonna be a ‘hot mess’..
… US Representative Seth Moulton, a Salem [Mass.] Democrat who served in Iraq as a US Marine, tried to provide solace to veterans and their families in a statement released Sunday.
“To our Afghanistan veterans and their families, I am too honest to stand here today and try to convince you that your sacrifice was worth it,” Moulton said in the statement.
“Some will find solace in the millions of Afghans, especially women and girls, to whom we gave two decades of a taste of freedom — more hope, liberty, and opportunity than they would have ever had without the tireless work and irreparable sacrifices of our troops. We accomplished our initial mission: Osama Bin Laden is dead and the threat of terrorist attacks against Americans originating from Afghanistan is diminished. We also provided the security needed to accomplish a peace process that, unfortunately, was never realized.”
US Representative Jake Auchincloss, a Newton [Mass.] Democrat and former Marine Corps captain who commanded infantry in Helmand Province in 2012, said the Biden administration was right to withdraw American troops.
“What I’m looking at is the two decades worth of incompetence and downright lies that emanated from a series of national security establishments who knew in situation room after situation room that we could not win in Afghanistan, and yet asked for more time, more troops, and more treasure,” Auchincloss told WCVB-TV on Sunday. “This president finally had the integrity to say, ‘No more.’ ” …
Local veterans watch Afghan government collapse with despair
¶ Some say they question the impact of their sacrifice
By Nick Stoico, Boston Globe Correspondent,
Updated August 15, 2021, 10:36 p.m.
We spent two trillion dollars in Afghanistan. That comes out to about $6000 for every man , woman and child in the US.
And much of that money is now in Swiss bank accounts.
We have Bush/Cheney to thank.
U guys are skipping over the reality of what is going on…..
The current situation IS the focus
And Biden’s screw up is gonna cost Billions in the end….,,
Costly rush instead of a planned exit
He maybe defiant snd defensive
But it’s his to wear
Only James would respond to comments about the history/background of a subject by saying “we are skipping over” something.
James, Haven’t you written this post at least a dozen times already?
When I log on, I like to see what others have to say, not you repeating yourself over and over.
Yea Z…..
I have…..
Biden to speak publicly @ around 3:45…..
POLITICO
@politico
Opinion: Opposing Afghan factions have long negotiated arrangements to stop fighting — something the U.S. either failed to understand or chose to ignore
Link to Op-Ed….
Afghan President Fled with Helicopter Full of Cash
“Russia’s embassy in Kabul said on Monday that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had fled the country with four cars and a helicopter full of cash and had to leave some money behind as it would not all fit in,” Reuters reports.
Anatomy of a Disaster In Afghanistan
Nikkei Asian Review: “The full narrative of what has just happened in Afghanistan is still emerging — with the blame-slinging just starting — in Kabul as well as Washington. Afghan military commanders now in hiding have said they were betrayed.”
“What is clear is that the Taliban have just pulled off the most successful guerrilla campaign of modern times. Military strategists will be studying this one for decades.”