Posted on 08/14/2021 8:27:46 AM PDT by Apparatchik
The Taliban has been seizing territory in Afghanistan at an alarming rate, having captured all or parts of 10 provincial capitals from the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) in the past week. Far from representing a reason for Joe Biden to halt the withdrawal, however, this rapid deterioration in Afghan security has exposed the bankruptcy of US policies for at least the past 15 years – and the stark unwillingness to tell the truth by a generation of senior US leaders. After President Bush’s initial objectives of disrupting al-Qaida and punishing the Taliban were accomplished by March 2002, the mission was changed to a nation-building operation that included objectives that were outright militarily unattainable. Presidents Obama and Trump continued the nation-building focus, guaranteeing the war would never be “won” and thus never end. The illusion of success could be maintained so long as US and Nato military remained engaged. Now that the military cover is being withdrawn, the ugly and bloody truth is emerging: 20 years’ worth of senior leaders claiming progress, success, and “on the right azimuth” were always fiction. The ANDSF have proven utterly incapable of defeating the Taliban offensive. On paper, this shouldn’t even be possible. The side being routed right now has an army, on paper, of 300,000 men, been given training by the most powerful military alliance on earth, received hundreds of billions in support, has at least a rudimentary air force, an armored fleet and the backing of its government. The Taliban, in contrast, has approximately 75,000 men, no formal backing from any state, no trained army, no air force, no technology, and only what vehicles and weapons they can scrounge on the open market – yet they are dominating their more numerous, better equipped and better-funded opponents.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Isn’t everybody above an O-6 essentially a politician?
Obama doomed Afghanistan when he announced publicly nearly a decade ago that we’d be out completely in two years. From that point on, the locals knew we’d abandon them, and cooperation became much more difficult.
This provides an interesting perspective for leftists who think the US military and government could easily suppress any civil revolution. If the military decides not fight, as we are seeing in Afghanistan, all of that sophisticated hardware won’t stop a bunch of Afghan rednecks in pickup trucks.
You’ve got tbe Korea model or you’ve got the Vietnam model.
For the last 20 years we chose the Korea model.
Now we’re getting Vietnam 1975. There really seems to be no “third way”.
Kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation when it comes to leave at this point. It’s hard to really even pin down how this falls on political lines, I’d say at least 2/3 on both sides want out.
Trump was depending on the US military generals to train and motivate the Afghan army. They failed miserably and the head of the Joint Chief’s of Staff should be fired, today..
Trump and Pompeo dealt with the Taliban, successfully. During the last 18 months of his presidency Taliban didn’t make a move against the US. If they had, he would have ordered one or more of the Taliban leaders killed. And they knew it.
If Trump were president today, this would not be happening. If Taliban violated any of the agreements made with the Trump team, they knew there would be fatal consequences. He had already established his MO - kill the leaders and the rest fall in line.
The Taliban know the quicker they can fill the vacuum the better they look on the world stage, just as the Viet Cong and the NVA did. They play to the media who will gladly accommodate them. I have been observing this phenomenon since Khe Sanh, when I realized the media was no longer interested in reporting the truth.
Why is it falling so fast?
A) the generals in charge of the pullout failed to give orders to destroy everything left behind.
B) the afghan people don’t give a shit either way..
The only question is...
Why did we spend so much time and treasure there in the first place..
Yes, it’s the Guardian, but it’s mostly what some of us thought all along.
“....Now we’re getting Vietnam 1975. There really seems to be no “third way”
see Post #8
Rules of Engagement with Muslims -
If Infidels are present, Sunni with unite with Shi’a sects to enslave (physical, sex, monetary), convert, and annihilate all Infidels.
If no Infidels present, Sunni will turn against Shi’a until one or the other is enslaved or annihilated.
The rising population of Muslims over 1200 years shows the effectiveness of their tactics.
Because they have the largest legitimacy among the largest group of people in the country.
Yes. I recall the day my battalion commander was informed he made the Colonel's list. It was a complete shock to him, he figured this was his last assignment. He was by far the most senior LTC in our Group.
Full Bird Colonel is seen as the last promotion based on merit. From there on, politics plays the largest part.
Did anyone ever establish a definition of what “winning” in Afghanistan was supposed to look like?
Everyone is piling on Biden right now for the debacle that’s taking place but FFS, we had been there 20 years! What was the end game? Were we just supposed to stay there forever?
There is no will to fight for anything above the tribal level. Without the US special forces standing there directing them they drop their weapons and walk off.
The country is falling back to what it was prior to November 2001. Before the bombing started.
Since then it was only held together because of the US, coalition forces, State Dept, various NGOs and of course the contractors making billions from the fraud and the waste.
Only difference between now and August 2001, the media and the internet.
I’ll say this for The Guardian, content aside, it has good production values. Articles tend to be written okay and not a lot of typos.
Good comment. People should indeed note that the Political Class and the Military Leadership seem to panic over casualty level that were once taken in stride. The people at the top give up pretty easily.
People in the trenches (so to speak) who don’t want to give up, have a certain advantage.
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