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The Taliban gave the Russians hell and finally ran them out.

But some people will tell you they are not a force to be reckoned with.

If you do think they are a force to be reckoned with you will be accused of siding with the enemy.

Go figure...

Actually, the Taliban did no such thing. The mujahadin did, of which some of them were Taliban... but even the mujahadin were getting their butts soundly whipped until the US entered the arena and gave them stingers and considerable other assistance... including help constructing those cave complexes they hide in.

So they were getting whipped by a demoralized conscript army... that was trying to hold ground too. Their capital was in Russian hands. The only thing the Taliban ever whipped was some of the groups composing what is now the Northern Alliance, long after the Russians had left. The Taliban didn't come to power until 1996, and even then weren't able to kill off the Northern Alliance. The Taliban are NOT impressive, even if all enemies should be treated as if they are bigger than they are.

And now old Hersh is trying to claim the Taliban can part the Red Sea, when in fact the Taliban have nothing to their credit but a pair of wheels... and according to them, the "B-52 FIGHTER" (hahaha!) they say they 'shot down' yesterday or the day before with their low-altitude missiles. He claims a rout when in fact it looked like a nice, measured action, no one running, everyone moving steadily and carefully; when for all practical purposes it was in and out as it should be. Best of all, is his claim an officer would even talk to him, and whine too. (Won't happen.)

If we were hurting right now certain folks would be shifted from to fill in. (Not happening... that is a fact. Some of the likely fill-ins are still e-mailing me Taliban jokes. I don't think they'd be doing that from the field.)

The Taliban gave the Russians hell and finally ran them out.

Actually, Russia had the Taliban almost beaten, when we stepped in and armed them and trained them on how to beat the Russians.

On the other hand, if you take the Taliban lightly, you can guaranty causalities.

Never underestimate the enemy.

The Taliban gave the Russians hell and finally ran them out.

1-I don't think the Taliban existed (as a unit) during the Russian War, they came together after (I could be wrong)
2-Russia actually had defeated the rebels and won this war ... until we interviened later
3-The Reagan Administration provided stinger missles, that allowed the rebels to go back and defeat the Russian infrastructure that, just previously, defeated them.
4-Russia was having severe economic and political problems at home, which played a major part in their pullout, making this their 'vietnam' ... i.e. Their homefront had a larger effect on thier "defeat" than the rebels.