| CURRENT EVENTS Let's talk about Afghanistan...but this first post is about Tim Brando retweeting this. That shocks me.
- Thread starter TerryP
- Start date
rocknthefreeworld
Member
While I feel that we did a shitty job of leaving Afghanistan (really a shitty job of the whole war), reality shows that it is ungovernable without being something like the Taliban who is willing to do the things the locals fear and that only holds part of the country. Even now, the Taliban has already lost 3 provinces to the rebels., coincidentally the same three where rebels helped us get a foothold after we invaded. Should have just sent those missles up camel's butts and saved some damn US lives.
rocknthefreeworld
Member
Trump can shove it. He made the deal that allowed this. His only promise from the Taliban was that they would publicly rebuke al Qaeda and not attack US troops. He holds as much responsibility as the moron that now warms the chair he sat in.
TerryP
Staff
Do you think they would have advanced as rapidly under the old administration?
We had a group of friends at the lake this weekend, and one of them is an early riser, He usually beats me up by 30 minutes or so, and then sometimes we may chat an hour before others start stirring. He watched about a seven minute segment on CBS Sunday Morning News yesterday, and said it may have been the most balanced pieced he'd seen from a network news show. I rewound it and watched it, and it the interviews with the former ambassador under Bush and Obama was interviewed, along with the IG for the Afghan rebuild. If you can find it, it's pretty good, but as has been said, this is a nation that is not set up to exist in a modern sense, and the ultra-modern U.S. military apparatus put in place was destined to fail once we pulled out. Once Biden announced a date certain withdrawal, it was obvious the Taliban were going to take advantage. Afghan troop numbers were significantly overstated, with commanders including "ghost soldiers" and then pocketing the extra pay.
I think it was Colin Powell who said this of Iraq, not of Afghanistan, but "if you break it, you own it" applies here to some degree. We're way past that with Afghanistan. The only thing I'd like to see happen after everyone who can/needs to get out does so, is a few thousand precision strikes to destroy the most valuable/useful equipment we left behind.
RTR,
Tim
I think it was Colin Powell who said this of Iraq, not of Afghanistan, but "if you break it, you own it" applies here to some degree. We're way past that with Afghanistan. The only thing I'd like to see happen after everyone who can/needs to get out does so, is a few thousand precision strikes to destroy the most valuable/useful equipment we left behind.
RTR,
Tim
rocknthefreeworld
Member
Yes. I think the only difference would have been that they would not have advanced onto Kabul until after we pulled out. But the ultimate retake of Afghanistan by them was a given. Trump knew it himself since the "peace treaty" he signed with the actual Taliban only really required them to not attack US troops and to disavow Al Qaeda.
XXL TideFan
Member
Biden down through Gen Woke Milley and the Joint Chiefs of Staff bear all of the blame for how the withdrawal was done. The overall geopolitical impact is much farther reaching because it exposes the US as a paper tiger of ineptitude. China has been handed the planets largest lithium deposits which is needed for all of the EVs that are to be mandated. This has emboldened China and they will take Taiwan soon.
In my life we have always had a war going on somewhere. Korea in the 50s Viernam in the 60s. The middle east wars started in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Since 911 we have been been a country at heavy war. I just don't see it changing much. Taiwan is probably next.and China will be involved. We all need to be careful who we vote for in the future.
TerryP
Staff
As rapidly but not as far. They're intertwined, are they not?
While no one can say I don't think they'd have been as bold, or moved as quickly, under the last POTUS.
From my point of view this looks like Jimmy Carter's Iran 2.0 with the exception of how the press sectretary's handle their role(s.)
footballer
Member
I believe Trump would have kept his word and not have broken his deal, made on 2/29/20, to withdraw all U.S. forces by May, 2021. Biden
broke the deal by extending the deadline for removal to Sep.11, 2021. Why did he extend the deadline? He has his reasons.
www.verifythis.com
broke the deal by extending the deadline for removal to Sep.11, 2021. Why did he extend the deadline? He has his reasons.
Yes, former President Trump made a deal with the Taliban to pull US troops out of Afghanistan by May 2021
Former President Donald Trump made a deal to remove U.S. forces by May 2021, but Biden extended the withdrawal deadline to Sept. 11.
www.verifythis.com
You knew those bastards were going to start getting their licks in. Four marines dead in a bombing.
It Is 11 dead now
rocknthefreeworld
Member
This is where we truly find out if the new Taliban is the same as the old one. If they find those responsible and turn them over to the US then maybe they are slightly different. If they don't, or if they execute some random folks and say they got them, then maybe we have to go back and run them off also. That was the only reason we invaded Afghanistan to begin with, they would not turn over bin Laden and the rest of his crew.
Davestwin
Member
Amen … we have to hold those we vote for accountable. And Trump deserves a whole lot of the blame for what’s happened in Afghanistan. Too many people seem to forget he was a lifelong Democrat before 2008. Anyway, we should NEVER again send our warriors overseas to fight, bleed and die unless we the people and those who we elect are absolutely committed to waging war for a complete and total victory. As part of that victory plan, we have to keep troops on the ground for decades just as we did in Japan and Germany after WW II.
I’ve got a very good friend who lost a son there in 2002 and he and his wife are understandably furious over this whole situation. In fact, they wrote several letters to Trump condemning his plans for pulling out of Afghanistan while he was still in office. They both feel like their son and thousands of his fellow warriors died in vain. It’s hard enough for loved ones to lose someone dear to them in a war but to feel like their death accomplished nothing causes whole other kind of grief and outrage. We should be ashamed also for the promises we made to our soldiers and to the Afghan people during the early years of the war. I know I am. Anyone in a foreign land would be foolish to trust America ever again.
Honor our fallen:
U.S. Marine, Sgt Johanny Rosario (25)
U.S. Marine, Cpl Hunter Lopez (22)
U.S. Marine, LCpl Kareem Nikoui (22)
U.S. Marine, LCpl Rylee McCollum (20)
U.S. Marine, LCpl Jared Schmitz (20)
U.S. Marine, LCpl David Lee Espinoza (20)
U.S. Navy, Maxton Soviak (20)
U.S. Marine, SSgt Taylor Hoover (31)
U.S. Marine, Cpl Daegan Page (23)
U.S. Army, Ryan Knauss (23)
U.S. Marine, Cpl Humberto Sanchez (22)
U.S. Marine, Sgt Nicole Gee (23)
U.S. Marine, Ricky Thompson (21)
Still missing some name on here.
U.S. Marine, Sgt Johanny Rosario (25)
U.S. Marine, Cpl Hunter Lopez (22)
U.S. Marine, LCpl Kareem Nikoui (22)
U.S. Marine, LCpl Rylee McCollum (20)
U.S. Marine, LCpl Jared Schmitz (20)
U.S. Marine, LCpl David Lee Espinoza (20)
U.S. Navy, Maxton Soviak (20)
U.S. Marine, SSgt Taylor Hoover (31)
U.S. Marine, Cpl Daegan Page (23)
U.S. Army, Ryan Knauss (23)
U.S. Marine, Cpl Humberto Sanchez (22)
U.S. Marine, Sgt Nicole Gee (23)
U.S. Marine, Ricky Thompson (21)
Still missing some name on here.
1CrimsonTider
Member
I came across this reading this morning. He also warned pulling out of Afghanistan too quickly would create problems.
Trump ain't the president. Any blame for him is misguided crap or just political posturing. Orange man is bad
