Are you following the attempt of the American (embassy) personnel to flee from Kabul?

A bloodbath.

It’s very scary. I feel so bad for those people and the soldiers being sent back.

I’m checking the news.

I think there’s plenty to worry about. A strong terrorist group having a launch pad of a whole country, especially located where it is, and with us in their sights as the enemy, is very bad news for us and our allies. More 9/11s will follow.

Well, the latest I read is that the President has fled as well so I wouldn’t put it all on the Americans.

I think they will get the embassy evacuated but the country is obviously a mess. I hope they will get the Afghans who worked with the Americans out and give them asylum.

It’s looking more and more like the Fall of Saigon every minute.

@kneesox ”More 9/11s will follow.”

A 9/11’s worth of Americans die about every month from lack of health insurance. There are estimates that the war in Afghanistan will ultimately cost $6.5 trillion. Do the math…

Or to put it another way: “We’re going to let 30k-45k Americans die every year, so we have the money to occupy a foreign country to prevent a terrorist attack where 3k Americans could be killed…”

@gorillapaws how does that invalidate what I said?

Saw the preview in 1974 in Saigon.

History repeats itself.

Yes, I’m following it. I find it interesting that according to some polls, as many as 70% of Americans supported the withdrawal before it happened. Now that they’re actually seeing it, though, that may be changing with some calling for a complete reversal of the decision. I still don’t see how anyone could’ve thought this would have any other outcome, but maybe that illustrates the extent to which we’ve been lied to about “progress” in the country (of which there seems to have been very little).

My fears are what I stated in the other question: if a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan once again becomes a haven for terrorists, get ready for another invasion/occupation.

I posted this on the other thread but it’s worth posting on each. It explains what went on well:

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2021/08/15/fareeds-take-us-afghanistan-withdrawal-gps-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/afghanistan-falls-to-the-taliban/

@janbb thanks for that. I have a high regard for Fareed Zakaria’s views on things, and this essay has the ring of both truth and sense.

^^ I agree.

I have hopes that many Afghani women have embraced the joys of freedom, and will work to not let things go back to the way it was.
Yeah, I have rose colored glasses.

If history is any clue, a blood bath. The Brits went thru this same stuff, in 1839 and again in 1879. Their Residency (read embassy) in Kabul was overrun by Ghazis and it didn’t end so well. Short of bombing Kabul, as did the Brits in 1919, I see no solution, or light at the end of the tunnel. Also recalls our own experience in Saigon in, when was it, 1975? People never learn. Or at least we in the “Anglo Sphere” never seem to learn. Maybe we should all stop playing world Cop Shop and stay in the U.S. / U.K.

I have a couple of books at home, that cover these things and more. At work right now but of you like, and can PM you the author’s and publication data on them if you want more info on these clusterfucks. Titles are: Khyber, British India’s North West Frontier, and War in the Shadows, the Guerilla in History.

@Nomore_lockout “Maybe we should all stop playing world Cop Shop and stay in the U.S./U.K.”
The U.S. was doing that before Dec. 7, 1941. Remember how that turned out? We HAD to get involved! Isolationism doesn’t work.

@Kritper I agree a certain extent. I still see no reason for all of these “Low Intensity” conflicts and interventions. And to my knowledge no power has ever had success in Afghanistan, going back 2500 years to the Persian Empire. Prior to even Alexander. And the proof is in the pudding . Twenty years there and Taliban is still active, and we’re on the verge of another Benghazi or Fall of Saigon. So just what exactly have we accomplished?

I don’t see what the Taliban have to gain from interfering with the exit of their enemies from Afghanistan. It is in their interest to allow Americans and those who worked with them to leave, making it easier for them to take control.

@Nomore_lockout There is always a first time. And the right technique hasn’t been found yet.

After two and a half Millenia, I won’t be holding my breath.

@kritiper Well, whatever the “right technique” may be, it isn’t for the U.S. to impose on the Afghan people. It will have to be internal. The U.S.-backed government was weak and even we didn’t seem to believe in them when Trump negotiated with the Taliban without the Afghan government’s involvement. That showed the Afghan people what we thought of their government (and showed them pretty clearly that we expected the Taliban to soon be taking over).

Just one more example of a failed “Imperial” adventure. Even the USSR got their assholes handed to them on a platter, when they invaded Afghanistan. The age old fear that, “The Russians are at the Khyber”. Oh, wait – lol

I think we should make a concerted effort to get our Afghan allies airlifted out as well as the American diplomats and grant them immediate asylum.

@Nomore_lockout Covid-19 will hand the Taliban their asses.

Let us hope lol

You have no idea about Saigon airlift unless you participated.
Can you say absolute disaster.
This will be worse.