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Afghanistan 2021 Onwards

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Afghanistan 2021 Onwards

Old 20th Aug 2021, 11:22
  #361 (permalink)  
 
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My current reading on Kindle ...
Amazon Amazon

Also listed as https://www.wdl.org/en/item/17742/

"In 1851, Sir John William Kaye (1814–76) published a two-volume History of the War in Afghanistan. Presented here is the “revised and corrected” edition of the same work, published in three volumes in 1857‒58. "

In those 'pre-woke days', he describes in plain words the duplicity and disloyalty of the Afghan tribal leaders, who changed sides opportunistically on a regular basis. I've only got as far as 1808, but much of what I've read resonates with the West's experiences in recent decades.

One barbarous practice was the blinding of deposed rulers of the former Kingdom ... little wonder that President Ghani legged it to the UAE.
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 11:41
  #362 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by NutLoose
Both have mentioned the appalling losses, T Tugendhat in admonishing Biden in his superb speech and R Stewart on Question Time? the other night.
Well, why do they keep saying the situation was sustainable then?
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 13:18
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Dept of State Air Wing Phrogs left behind

And in better news, former Corps Phrogs in use with DoS Air Wing as embassy support in-country have been abandoned....

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...HekIcFL-DIiVDM



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Old 20th Aug 2021, 16:17
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Some small signs that the evacuation may be extended beyond the Kabul airport. Deutsche Welle:
German military sending helicopters to Kabul

The German military is sending two special forces helicopters to Kabul to assist with evacuations, the Defense Ministry said, confirming a report by Der Spiegel.

The choppers are specially designed for hostage rescues and can land in tightly packed cities.

The German Bundeswehr plans on using the helicopters to airlift small groups out of the Kabul airport and other Taliban-controlled areas in Afghanistan, Der Spiegel reported.

A German general later said that the helicopters will only be used in Kabul at the moment, not in other cities.

German military aircraft have so far evacuated more than 1,600 people since Monday.

German politicians have been calling for more evacuation flights, particularly in areas outside of Kabul.

There have been growing calls in recent days from German politicians for evacuations to be carried out in other parts of the country.
I hope this can be implemented. I have no doubt that plans are being made for making helicopter airlifts safe and manageable. If the Bundeswehr can make it work, other forces will hopefully be able to join in.
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 16:48
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Edit - I'm deleting my comment on ops beyond the airport perimeter; it was merely reporting what was being speculated elsewhere by usually well-informed observers but on reflection I don't think it's wise to bring attention to such matters.

Last edited by Easy Street; 20th Aug 2021 at 16:58.
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 16:48
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Originally Posted by John Marsh
Some small signs that the evacuation may be extended beyond the Kabul airport. Deutsche Welle:


I hope this can be implemented. I have no doubt that plans are being made for making helicopter airlifts safe and manageable. If the Bundeswehr can make it work, other forces will hopefully be able to join in.
I have the same thoughts as Easy Street but anyhow with regard I’ll pose the obvious question with regard to the Deutche Welle piece (and a question I’m sure cannot be answered) is having got these people off the ground where are Bundeswehr planning on taking them for onwards travel if they really are not planning on using Kabul airport..
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 17:26
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Bundeswehr KSK special forces with H-145M - extracting from within Kabul urban area only - not rest of country

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Old 20th Aug 2021, 17:29
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A few videos of German KSK H-145M



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Old 20th Aug 2021, 17:34
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No US flights out of Kabul now for 9 hours as Qatar chock-a-block.
Biden Admin scrambling for alternatives - Ramstein AB to be used for now.
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 17:36
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I see Germany managed to get the beer out.. which is rightly causing some muttering.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/-ger...staff-/2338307
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 17:39
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Fuel's going to be an issue if they start doing lots of rotary ops. The heavies can come in with enough to get out again, but fuel will need to be flown in for the helicopters if they're to avoid yet another dependency on Taliban goodwill.
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 17:48
  #372 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by Easy Street
Fuel's going to be an issue if they start doing lots of rotary ops. The heavies can come in with enough to get out again, but fuel will need to be flown in for the helicopters if they're to avoid yet another dependency on Taliban goodwill.
There will be plenty, stocks on the ground.
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 18:23
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i have Seen their H145M LUH SOF at ILA Berlin 2018





and close up at Airpower Zeltweg the following year




Though Hand in heart tbh too small for the tasking …like it or not better off with NH90TTH or even CH-53G/GA/GS

cheers
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 18:28
  #374 (permalink)  
 
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Just when I think the US couldn't this up any worse, they go and prove me wrong:

British and French troops are going out into Kabul to rescue their citizens while the US sticks to the airport

Reportedly so are the Germans.
US officials are still telling American citizens they are 'on their own' to get to the Kabul airport.
I've never been this embarrassed to be an American. It's as if this administration was trying to make Trump look good...
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 19:50
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To be perfectly honest I am surprised the Taliban are letting the evacuation happen at all, and now they are talking about bringing in helicopters and floating all about picking people up here and there as if it the situation is normal. I will be really surprised if they pull that one off. Yes it happened at the start but the Taliban were not in control then. I do hope I am wrong.

It also strikes me as crazy that one country is bringing in helicopters while another is destroying the assets they have on the ground before the evacuation is even complete, where is the logic in destroying the assets you have before the conclusion of your evacuation.

​​​​​​…

Last edited by NutLoose; 20th Aug 2021 at 20:03.
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 19:54
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Originally Posted by chopper2004
i have Seen their H145M LUH SOF at ILA Berlin 2018





and close up at Airpower Zeltweg the following year




Though Hand in heart tbh too small for the tasking …like it or not better off with NH90TTH or even CH-53G/GA/GS

cheers
you have some special talent with the camera chopper
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 19:56
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Originally Posted by tdracer
Just when I think the US couldn't this up any worse, they go and prove me wrong:Reportedly so are the Germans.
US officials are still telling American citizens they are 'on their own' to get to the Kabul airport.
I've never been this embarrassed to be an American. It's as if this administration was trying to make Trump look good...
the US should hang it’s head in shame for years to come over this.

You voted for Trump, then you voted for Biden. It says so much…..
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 20:55
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fled Kabul in a helicopter stuffed with $169million in cash and four cars
Daily mail effort about the ex president leaving in a hurry. Either sloppy reporting (Most likely) poor writing, very small cars or a new helicopter?
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 21:07
  #379 (permalink)  
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Biden has lost it - either he has no contact with reality - or refuses to accept it. Even his own staff are contradicting him within minutes of his speech this evening…

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bid...vorced-reality

The USA hasn’t lost credibility - he obviously hasn’t been briefed on the response even in the UK Parliament, one of their closest allies.
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 22:51
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Biden's comments on what's going on in Afghanistan have indeed been bizarre. However on the credibility issue there's only two measures which count, and they're the national security strategies and budgets of US allies and partners. Until either of those are seen to change, emotive rhetoric in Parliament and elsewhere is just that, probably for domestic consumption.

It was mostly historically illiterate rhetoric, too: as if the UK hadn't already been constrained by US strategies for 65 years, as if alliances and treaties hadn't already survived US withdrawal in disgrace from a failed nation-building project, and as if the US had never acted unilaterally on anything. Very surprising for a former PM and the chair of our Foreign Affairs committee to speak as if any of this were new. And when the Kabul shambles is over, Europe will still be reliant on the US for much of its homeland deterrence. Our politicians need to calm down on this.

Last edited by Easy Street; 20th Aug 2021 at 23:03.
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