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Afghan conflict: Taliban take Mazar-i-Sharif, government's last northern stronghold
BBC News ^ | August 14, 2021

Posted on 08/14/2021 3:46:01 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

Taliban fighters have captured Mazar-i-Sharif, the last major city in northern Afghanistan which was still under government control.

The fall of the traditional anti-Taliban bastion marked a major gain for the militants, who have been advancing at speed as US-led forces withdraw.

Local officials said Mazar-i-Sharif - the capital of Balkh province and fourth largest city in Afghanistan - fell largely without a fight.

Abas Ebrahimzada, a lawmaker from Balkh, told the Associated Press news agency that the national army were the first to surrender, which then prompted pro-government forces and other militia to give up.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; quagmire; taliban
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To: gandalftb

The rest of the embassy staff, as well as SIV’s, local employees and their families will be shuttled to the Karzai international airport, where they will setup a fallback embassy to keep processing visas/evacuations and prepare to leave.


21 posted on 08/14/2021 4:28:33 PM PDT by gandalftb
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To: Travis McGee
Every general involved should be busted to private and then fired without a pension. Or shot.

Betcha their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training is up to snuff. Take that, Taliban!

22 posted on 08/14/2021 4:28:38 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: colorado tanker

https://twitter.com/i/status/1426575811172253697

The Taliban now has an air force.


23 posted on 08/14/2021 4:31:55 PM PDT by gandalftb
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
The fall of the traditional anti-Taliban bastion marked a major gain for the militants, who have been advancing at speed as US-led forces withdraw.

The Taliban is like a cancer; we did not properly excise all of it. And now it has metastasized.

Unexpectedly, of course.....

24 posted on 08/14/2021 4:32:39 PM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.d)
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To: gandalftb

Total number of aviation assets recently captured by the Taliban:

1x Mi-35
4x UH-60 Blackhawks
2x MD-530Fs
9x Mi-17s
6x Scan Eagle UAVs

(most inoperational at the time of capture)


25 posted on 08/14/2021 4:36:00 PM PDT by gandalftb
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

Mazar-e-Sharif was a stronghold. Dostan ruled that city to the point the government had to do what he wanted.

That Dostan’s militia, which kept the Taliban out of MES for 20 years, retreated so fast is a surprise to me. But what do I know? I was just there in late 2019.


26 posted on 08/14/2021 4:49:09 PM PDT by Nathan _in_Arkansas (Shut the deuce up!!! I'll do the fighting!!!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

This is the best real time reporter in Afghanistan:

https://twitter.com/Natsecjeff


27 posted on 08/14/2021 4:50:24 PM PDT by gandalftb
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To: Nathan _in_Arkansas
Thanks for your first hand account. Who knows what deals they cut over there? It is a different planet from mine.

28 posted on 08/14/2021 5:21:51 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ("Success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration." — Thomas Edison)
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To: combat_boots

Nothing Bush and his Deep State Thug advisors did or didn’t do after 9/11 would not surprise me nor my friends and family.


29 posted on 08/14/2021 5:45:40 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (If I wanted to live in Australia, China, Cuba, Canada, the UK, or Chicago! I'd move there! )
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To: ConservativeInPA

My SIL is in Kabul with the 82nd. I certainly do not want his career tarnished by a mission that is a complete Charlie Foxtrot. Worse yet, I don’t want him injured or killed so a pedophile prophet worshiping POS can immigrate to America. My grandson deserves a father more than any Muslim deserves to immigrate to America. America First means American Lives First. Muslims Lives Do Matter.”

Prayers up for all of the relatives of our troops over there as well as our troops.


30 posted on 08/14/2021 5:49:12 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (If I wanted to live in Australia, China, Cuba, Canada, the UK, or Chicago! I'd move there! )
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To: Bonemaker

No... It’s more like the US Army driving down the German Autobahn in ‘45 accepting surrenders. The Taliban is facing zero resistance. Even a few snipers would force them to dismount for hours on end until the sorted it out. No, they’re moving at the speed of an off-road vehicle stopping only for gas and potty breaks.


31 posted on 08/14/2021 6:38:30 PM PDT by Tallguy
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