Afghanistan 2021 Onwards
Some others are reporting Kabul will fall in weeks ? But all reports are in agreement . It is when , not if Kabul falls again .
The support of the Khans and Stans for the Taliban has created a problem . The biggest irony will be when the Taliban seek to reclaim historical Afghanistan from the Areas that the British and Russians carved away from the old Afghanistan borders . Maybe the Russian troops and allies will protect some of the northern Stans for a while . But the Fakirs are playing a long game . They will wait and watch .
The Fakirs will soon be running the show again and partying like it is 1499 . They will be offering free flying lessons from tall buildings in Kabul and public entertainment events in the stadiums once again . Attendance will be compulsory. As the French say “the more things change the more they stay the same “ .
The support of the Khans and Stans for the Taliban has created a problem . The biggest irony will be when the Taliban seek to reclaim historical Afghanistan from the Areas that the British and Russians carved away from the old Afghanistan borders . Maybe the Russian troops and allies will protect some of the northern Stans for a while . But the Fakirs are playing a long game . They will wait and watch .
The Fakirs will soon be running the show again and partying like it is 1499 . They will be offering free flying lessons from tall buildings in Kabul and public entertainment events in the stadiums once again . Attendance will be compulsory. As the French say “the more things change the more they stay the same “ .
This is all about money and drugs. The Taliban are just the indoctrinated foot soldiers living a lie brought about by the powerful crime cartels in Iran and mainly Pakistan. It includes those powerful individuals who gave Osama protection. This is no different from Pablo Escobar and Columbia, FARC, the Columbian State and the US fight against Cocaine. We may have saved the lives of soldiers by withdrawing, but we will lose more lives on the streets of our towns and cities, through Heroin based crime. The vacuum of authority will also allow extremist views to grow again and we will probably be back bombing in 20 years time.
Why didn't we just napalm all their poppy farms?
To not upset our -until very recently- local partners in the fight against the Taliban.
Having trained and equipped incompetent local forces seems to be massively backfiring now.
Having trained and equipped incompetent local forces seems to be massively backfiring now.
Almost. Bur not so much to do with indigenous forces as the local folk. In a predominantly rural economy, poppies are lucrative crop for farmers that they have learned to grow over generations. Destroy the crop, they starve and are unlikely to view you favourably when you suggest you they shop the Taliban to you or adopt your strange western ideas of democracy. Since just about all males in that part of the world own a gun, they might just start supporting the bad guys. In fact, given you just destroyed their livelihood, they might even join them.
Maybe instead of what we did we should have armed and weapon trained all afghan women?
Maybe, If you get the chance read "The Places In Between" by Rory Stewart. Rory was a former Army Officer and British MP who also served as a an Administrator in Southern Iraq during the occupation. In the winter of 2001/2 he walked across Afghanistan. The book is the story of the walk and gives a good insight into the area and the people, their attitude to their faith, life and death. You will find it quite eye opening compared with Western values.
I have a good friend who went there several times with the military. Another one tried to develop their civil society.
Do we, the British, have any vital strategic interests in Afghanistan?
If not, call the last 20 years "water under the bridge", with tragic loss of life, many woundings, PTSD, and the colossal waste of money coming to an end.
Let China and Russia and India and Pakistan do what they will, and keep our [very limited] noses out of it.
Probably simplistic, perhaps I need educating. Or perhaps the politicians need educating.
If not, call the last 20 years "water under the bridge", with tragic loss of life, many woundings, PTSD, and the colossal waste of money coming to an end.
Let China and Russia and India and Pakistan do what they will, and keep our [very limited] noses out of it.
Probably simplistic, perhaps I need educating. Or perhaps the politicians need educating.
Doesn't really advance our understanding of the current situation though, does it?
What is happening now is exactly what had been predicted unfortunately. Nothing will remain. Look what was left after the soviets left?
Back to daily terror and blowing up Buddhas with drug clans living their happy life.
Back to daily terror and blowing up Buddhas with drug clans living their happy life.
Last edited by Less Hair; 12th Aug 2021 at 18:45.
Probably true, But they are going to run out of Buddhas in time. Then what? Will drug running and perfecting a Sharia state satisfy them? As I said in the other thread on the subject, I reckon eventually they will start to become an international problem, perhaps in the ISIS mould. They may even attract what is left of ISIS to them.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Thread Starter
US official has said additional American troops are being sent to Afghanistan to help remove personnel from the US embassy in Kabul.
Preparing for an opposed evacuation by reinforcing the airport and a road corridor?
Preparing for an opposed evacuation by reinforcing the airport and a road corridor?
They seem to want to move most of the embassy to the airport.
Evacuation?
One of the most difficult, often practised, sometimes cocked-up, military evolutions was withdrawal on the NW Frontier. John Masters and others describe the meticulous planning and execution and gallantry needed to get it right.
One of the most difficult, often practised, sometimes cocked-up, military evolutions was withdrawal on the NW Frontier. John Masters and others describe the meticulous planning and execution and gallantry needed to get it right.
In reality, the Taliban put a stop to the opium trade, which was cheerfully revived once the Taliban got the boot (I remember a 2001 photo of a newly shod Northern Alliance platoon marching down a dusty road).
Thank you NinthAce for the reference to Rory Stewart's The Places in Between, a fine read.
Thank you NinthAce for the reference to Rory Stewart's The Places in Between, a fine read.