As Fears Grip Afghanistan, Hundreds of Thousands Flee

NY Times ^ | July 31, 2021 | Christina Goldbaum and Fatima Faizi

[C19fan]

Haji Sakhi decided to flee Afghanistan the night he saw two Taliban members drag a young woman from her home and lash her on the sidewalk. Terrified for his three daughters, he crammed his family into a car the next morning and barreled down winding dirt roads into Pakistan.

That was more than 20 years ago. They returned to Kabul, the capital, nearly a decade later after the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban regime. But now, with the Taliban sweeping across parts of the country as American forces withdraw, Mr. Sakhi, 68, fears a return of the violence he witnessed that night. This time, he says, his family is not waiting so long to leave.

“I’m not scared of leaving belongings behind, I’m not scared of starting everything from scratch,” said Mr. Sakhi, who recently applied for Turkish visas for himself, his wife, their three daughters and one son. “What I’m scared of is the Taliban.”

[C19fan]

So the man fleeing are unwilling to take up arms to fight the Taliban. Most estimates are the Taliban have around 60,000 men under arms. Despite almost 20 years of US occupation these Afghan men have no desire to fight.

[antidemoncrat]

” he saw two Taliban members drag a young woman from her home and lash her on the sidewalk”

Hey, they must have Democrats in Afghanistan also.

[dfwgator]

Soon to be your new neighbors.

[nuconvert]

“Despite almost 20 years of US occupation these Afghan men have no desire to fight. “

And after watching the strongest country in the world fight the Taliban for 20 years and seeing it made little difference, can you blame them?

[the_individual2014]

Hate to say it some societies aren’t worth a damn. I am sure that the people especially the men could band with the national army and fight the Taliban, if they wished, as one professor said to me once “you can lead a mule to water but you cant make em drink it”.

[hanamizu]

So the man fleeing are unwilling to take up arms to fight the Taliban.

---

There are Afghans and there are Afghans. Mr. Sakhi ‘returned to Kabul’ which might well mean that lived much of his life as a comfortable office worker. The fact that he had a car to drive to Pakistan implies that. The fact that (he claims) claims he left to protect his daughters also implies that he’s not into the rural Afghan world view. He is also 68—not likely to be useful on any battlefield.

But if you think of it, the same thing happened in both Afghanistan and Iran/Persia in the 80s. The rural Islamists easily overwhelmed the capital cities’ sophisticates.

[Menehune56]

It’s not called the Graveyard of Empires for nothing.

[a fool in paradise]

Why no trial for War Crimes committed by the Taliban?

[protoconservative]

“And after watching the strongest country in the world fight the Taliban for 20 years and seeing it made little difference, can you blame them?”

It made a difference, and each gain was given back in “nation building” by the diplomats. At this point, a look at history would conclude, the Afghans and the poppy fields should be Nuked into radioactive glass so no more empires waste their youth, time and wealth there.

[SaxxonWoods]

“So the man fleeing are unwilling to take up arms to fight the Taliban.”

He’s 68 years old, probably not in fighting trim. There is no organized resistance. He may not even have weapons. He’s probably doing the right thing.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Just let China have it-more stable.

[PGR88]

Isn’t it a strange coincidence how every American war abroad is followed by a flood of refugees from that country into the USA or the West?

I assume Afghanistan will be no different.

[1Old Pro]

The saying, Go Big or Go home seems true here. We went small so it’s best we go home.

[nuconvert]

It did make a difference for a short time, but in the end, things seem to be returning to as they were before.
I absolutely agree with your sentiments regarding the poppy fields. They are at the heart of the problems there and should be destroyed.

[Red6]

Can’t blame them.

Most people don’t have the fight in them, even those in uniforms and carrying guns.

Only a small percent of folks have the heart for that.

That said - Afghanistan is on a long list of US interventions where policy changes based on personal perceptions and national politics drive our security policy.

We have an excellent record when it comes to throwing people whom we promised to help and at one point even recruited (interpreters, informants, local leaders, in some cases service providers, local security...) under the bus: Vietnam, Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia...

Of course no one talks about this, and if we do, we blame them... or question their manhood (tacky)... but our track record of flip-flopping and F^$%ing folks over started in Vietnam. From that point on, we could no longer be trusted. Just ask the Vietnamese mountain people about that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montagnard_(Vietnam)

[Lurkinanloomin]

[a fool in paradise]

There were Democrats and Uniparty Republicans who told us that not all of the Taliban were bad.

[ActresponsiblyinVA]

Maybe they can get someone else to fight for them?

[Undecided 2012]

fact is, when the USA reverses course every 4 years who in their right mind would ever trust us

[Leaning Right]

> The saying, Go Big or Go home seems true here. <

Another saying also applies: ‘Democracies should go to war reluctantly, and fiercely.’

Since 1945 the United States has done just the opposite. We go to war almost at the drop of a hat. Then we don’t fight those wars to win.