Afghanistan - 20 years on

Semple said:
There are women in the ANA albeit very small numbers. They're obviously now very fearful for their lives. The Taliban aren't likely to look kindly at a woman who's also been combat trained.
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Like you say in small numbers, not enough to really do anything especially if 70% of your comrades just give up and surrender without firing a single shot
 
Semple said:
There are women in the ANA albeit very small numbers. They're obviously now very fearful for their lives. The Taliban aren't likely to look kindly at a woman who's also been combat trained.
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Yeah its something like 1.5%; there's a female soldier interviewed in the Telegraph saying that they're scared that because they were soldiers they'll be assaulted/murdered by the Taliban
 
Some historian and author on talkradio just now told Ian Collins that the western world will now be less safe than even before 9/11. I think I might need to reduce my regular london underground photography journeys, you never know if and when a train or bus will suffer another terrorist bomb.
 
Merlin5 said:
Some historian and author on talkradio just now told Ian Collins that the western world will now be less safe than even before 9/11. I think I might need to reduce my regular london underground photography journeys, you never know if and when a train or bus will suffer another terrorist bomb.
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I don't buy it personally; there's no danger that a Terror Training Camp in Afghanistan will last long before US, RAF or Cruise Missile strikes blow it off the face of the earth.
There's much, much more threat from ISIS and jihadi's based in the Middle East and North Africa than there ever was before the Arab Spring; I think the terror threat has been critical since 9/11; I don't see that the Taliban re-taking Afghanistan is going to make any real difference.
Did the Taliban not running Afghanistan prevent the Manchester Bombing, The Paris Attacks or the Brussels Airport Bombing?
 
Merlin5 said:
Some historian and author on talkradio just now told Ian Collins that the western world will now be less safe than even before 9/11. I think I might need to reduce my regular london underground photography journeys, you never know if and when a train or bus will suffer another terrorist bomb.
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As much as the Taliban don't have too many brain cells between them, they'd be stupid to start up terrorist attacks on the west again knowing that the US/Allies could redeploy back in Afghanistan and drive them back towards the hills for another 20 years.
 
Semple said:
As much as the Taliban don't have too many brain cells between them, they'd be stupid to start up terrorist attacks on the west again knowing that the US/Allies could redeploy back in Afghanistan and drive them back towards the hills for another 20 years.
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The Taliban never started terror attacks on the west in the first place; they did however allow Bin Laden and Al Queda to make a home in Afghanistan; I don't think they'll make that mistake again.
 
ltron said:
It's not irrelevant because it means that these surrender deals have been in the works for quite a while, they have not just happened very recently when Biden announced he was extending Trump's original deadline from at the latest the 1st of May to at the latest the 1st of September and bringing everyone out.

It's an important point.
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Not particularly, he's not in power. The manner in which they withdrew, when they withdrew etc.. is all down to the current administration. Ultimately the buck stops with the person in command right now, he had any number of options to choose from, can't just blame the previous guy as though the most powerful man in the world has no agency here.
 
dowie said:
Not particularly, he's not in power. The manner in which they withdrew, when they withdrew etc.. is all down to the current administration. Ultimately the buck stops with the person in command right now, he had any number of options to choose from, can't just blame the previous guy as though the most powerful man in the world has no agency here.
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What would you have done differently dowie? Scrapped the withdrawal so ending the fragile peace? Performed some miracle that meant the Afghan army wouldn't just capitulate? What would you have done that would have bought about a different outcome?

To me Biden's biggest mistake was saying it would be fine and what has happened wouldn't happen. Who ever advised him to say/believe that needs sacking.
 
I don't know, if the west hadn't been involved at all after the Soviet withdrawal, there is a reasonable chance the Taliban would have been in charge since the early nineties anyway.
 
Let's not beat about the bush, the Taliban are evil savages who will pillage the country.

The US have thrown them to the dogs. This will lead to a serious humanitarian and refugee crisis and we'll be left picking up the pieces, while Islamic terrorism has a place to thrive.

Just brilliant, really.
 
Colonel_Klinck said:
What would you have done differently dowie? Scrapped the withdrawal so ending the fragile peace? Performed some miracle that meant the Afghan army wouldn't just capitulate? What would you have done that would have bought about a different outcome?

To me Biden's biggest mistake was saying it would be fine and what has happened wouldn't happen. Who ever advised him to say/believe that needs sacking.
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Biden isn't responsible for the words coming out of his mouth then and someone else needs sacking lol
 
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