Originally Posted by
Easy Street
C130s (needing less runway length to be kept clear) and then the last few hundred by helicopter to Pakistan, I should imagine with some form of collapsing perimeter to a rooftop HLS for crowd control purposes
Or, hard as this might be for some to stomach, a deal which sees the Taliban controlling the airfield perimeter in return for humanitarian aid or talks leading to diplomatic recognition. In the long run that might be seen as wiser and less humiliating.
It’s a conundrum. In some ways, getting the Taliban to take charge of the airport seems the better option. A chance for them to show they are in authority and if any civilians got hurt in the process it would be down to them, they have fewer compunctions in this regard. I see some snags though. There are probably a lot of people on the airfield that they have an interest in and they might want a say in who goes and stays as part of the deal, and they might want “departure fees”
Using own forces keeps control in “allied” hands but there may be a price. If crowd pressure mounts as we saw in the clips of the C-17 trying to taxi, there will come a point where shots will be fired which will not play well in the media. Perhaps now would be a good time to buy shares in razor wire?
Still, enough armchair strategy, I am sure “they” have a plan.