Posted on 08/21/2021 4:33:30 AM PDT by MtnClimber
If you’ve had any experience with civilian extractions, there are a whole lot of things in Afghanistan that don’t add up.
One year ago, we had 2,500 U.S Military on the ground in Afghanistan in a non-combat advisory and over-watch role. They could go pretty much anywhere in the country and were not taking any casualties. Things were relatively stable by Afghanistan standards.
Yet somehow today, despite having 5,000 troops on the ground from the Marines and 82nd Airborne – that is, fully-armed combat infantry – our military is besieged inside a three-square-mile perimeter at Kabul airport surrounded by Taliban guerillas. We are told that their only mission is securing the airport perimeter and we see them struggle even with that task, as hundreds of Afghan civilians swarm the tarmac and clamber onto airplanes taxiing to takeoff.
Somehow, we are supposed to believe our forces have no capabilities to go out to rescue trapped American citizens, Afghan translators, and other Afghans who worked for us. Somehow, we are not supposed to see up-armored HUMVEEs and MRAP vehicles or the Apache helicopter gunships used to clear civilians off the runways a few days ago. We are also not supposed to see the Chinook helicopters they used a few days ago to get everyone from the embassy onto the airfield.
We are supposed to believe the U.S. military forgot how to set up alternative pickup points around the city, whether back at the old embassy, at other locations around Kabul, or outside the city in a remote field someplace. We just forgot how to contact trapped Americans by text message or covert means to set up a rendezvous with the Chinooks before the Taliban figure out where they are, with Apaches in over-watch security just in case.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
One word....
obama
Just reading around, it looks like they relied on Turkey to provide airport security and mechanics for the planes (since there is a shortage of qualified Afghan mechanics), and that turned into a mess.
That guy who is charge of the Pentagon, Gen. Austin. Didn’t they have to make an exception for him during the confirmation because he hadn’t been retired long enough? I can see the value of having someone well out of the intrigue and machinations, it would help to prevent groupthink.
My theory is with no CIC in place, exactly whose orders to follow can and will become an issue degrading operational effectiveness.
Take two combat units - the 82nd airborne and an MEU. They get two sets of opposing orders - one came from Harris, one from Austin.
The normal process for resolution would be to escalate to CIC but inside CIC’s head no one is home.
Please don’t do that. Our military leaders are fair game but our troops should not be mocked.
According to a Michigan US Rep who fought in both Iraq and Afghanistan - the flights go to a country like Qatar or Germany ; there people with US passports, valid visas, etc are the only people that are allowed to stay; all others are being returned.
Gee, remember all those former generals who signed that letter condemning Trump? Wonder what they have to say now about their guy? Someone should look a few of them up and interview them.
I watched the interview of journalist Laura Logan on Fox Nation with Tucker Carlson. She explains how the government wants this Afghanistan abandonment to happen just as being done.
August 19, 2021
Shock video: Lara Logan confirms what we feared about Afghanistan
By Andrea Widburg
Biden’s pullout from Afghanistan has been the worst managed event in American history. With Saigon as an example, the administration knew exactly how bad it would be. There’s a lot of finger-pointing going on now, but, at bottom, people are wondering if the unconditional Taliban takeover, including the trapped Americans, is a deliberate policy. On Tucker Carlson’s Wednesday show, Lara Logan said, “Yes, it is. This was what the government wanted.”
A little background: We’ve been in Afghanistan for 20 years now, ostensibly to “nation-build,” à la Germany and Japan. Back then, though, we completely defeated them and installed ourselves in power, only slowly releasing power if they’d fully embraced Western democratic values. And we still stayed for over 70 years, keeping an eye on things.
We never flattened Afghanistan. Instead, we imposed ourselves on top of a medieval Islamic country, including the whole LGBT madness. It worked for those already geared to Western values and those looking to take American money. The Afghan military, many members of which were brave fighters, clearly would never be ready to lose their training wheels — with our military being the training wheels. Some of you may remember this video, which embodies problems of both culture and competency..
And not just Biden. All of them, especially Milley.
I find your portrail of our men in uniform to be disgusting and without merit.
You are an asshole of gigantic proportions.
Now, if you want to make fun of the command structure, that is a different thing.
If you had any class you would remove that picture and apologize to our men in uniform.
It looks like they were relying on Turkey to provide security and mechanics to the airport in Kabul and now, lo and behold, you have the 10th Mountain Division providing airport security.
“they’ll let the airport operate”
This. The tally-ban can shut down the airport any time they choose.
10th Mountain Division has new leadership after the sudden death a month ago of their previous commander.
Can you say Diem Ben Pheu.
+1
#25 This reminds me of a story I once read.
Speaking from memory, a group of soldiers was on a parade ground. They were supposed to be wearing their medals, but one soldier wasn’t wearing any. So the officer ordered him to go and put them on. He returned just covered in medals, there were so many of them.
It was Thomas Lawrence - better known as Lawrence of Arabia.
That Laura Logan piece was right on the money. I highly suggest everyone find it and watch it. None of this is by accident or because of incompetence. The minds behind Biden took advantage of his mental weaknesses.
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