Full Scale Invasion of Afghan

[Thin Lizzy]

The Taliban hosted Bin Laden and his literal terrorist training camps in Afghanistan.  Yes the Taliban knew exactly what he was doing.  They protected him.  They then refused to turn him over after 9/11.  So yes, they are as responsible for the 9/11 attacks as Bin Laden. 

Regarding the Afghan army, make sure you dig deeper than what the president and other talking heads are saying.  We definitely wasted a ton of money on them, but it wasn't really a fighting force.  It wasn't "300,000" soldiers.  It was more like 30,000, many of whom where the dregs of society.  The majority of them were potheads.  They didn't really have much of a professional fighting force like ours.  They were doomed to fail without our support, or least the support of civilian contractors (who President Biden abruptly pulled).

This is where you’re getting the 30K number. The writer pulled it out of his ass.

The reality is closer to the 300,000. They’re just trying to save face and cover their asses. You don’t find it odd that the right scoop is suddenly us using WaPo as a trusted source?



https://therightscoop.com/washington-post-exposes-the-fake-300000-afghan-troops-number-that-biden-keeps-repeating/

But in the 2021 report, IISS shows Afghanistan with an active force of only 178,800 — 171,500 in the army and 7,300 in the air force. “Reports suggested that already high losses and high levels of desertion further increased in 2020,” the report said. “There was reported 22% personnel shortage in mid-2019, and there are problems in retaining key specialists including pilots and special-operations troops.”

IISS also notes Afghanistan has 99,000 “paramilitary” forces.

[Coach is Back!]

Dumbo, minerals rich land ,China is already talking about lithium mining !.

Yep..and then there’s that

[LurkerNoMore]

Just waiting for the third village idiot to chime in with his infinite wisdom 🙄

Just reading lurker and residues posts just shaking my my head. Just when you think they couldn’t be more fucking stupid they post stupid shit like this. Absolutely zero love for country and military

So when you leaving to go fight for them?  Or you plan on sitting around on the internet whining?

[LurkerNoMore]

Dumbo, minerals rich land ,China is already talking about lithium mining !.

If we didn't get them while we were there for 20 years, what makes you think we would at any time?  Other than the fact you are stupid.  But feel free to take your pansy ass German wannabe ass over there and grab some.

[AbrahamG]

If only we'd have stayed another 20 years, the government may have actually held out for a whole week instead of a weekend. 

[Thin Lizzy]

If only we'd have stayed another 20 years, the government may have actually held out for a whole week instead of a weekend.

On this issue, I agree with you 100%. The problem with conservatives, which is why I think of myself as a libertarian, is they can never fucking admit they’re wrong. Same deal with the drug war. 40 fucking years of this shit and last year you had record overdose deaths and they still want to lock people up for smoking a joint.

[Grape Ape]

who cares if they make threats, i don't get worried when my 7 year old nephew winds up to kick me

It shows weakness to other parts of the world, who then may feel safe to make legitimate threats.

It's a foreign concept to those in their groupthink bubbles, but parts of the world still operate that way.

[Grape Ape]

If only we'd have stayed another 20 years, the government may have actually held out for a whole week instead of a weekend.

I'm not sure anyone's making that argument.

The rapid takeover by the Taliban proved this would happen no matter how long we stayed, and many conservatives here agree we've been lied to for 20 years about this, and it only served as a grift to fatten the wallets of the military industrial complex.

But the withdrawal, and subsequent messaging, could have been MUCH better.

It deserves criticism.

[Coach is Back!]

Best scenario is to drop off all Biden voters in Afghanistan

[AbrahamG]

I'm not sure anyone's making that argument.

The rapid takeover by the Taliban proved this would happen no matter how long we stayed, and many conservatives here agree we've been lied to for 20 years about this, and it only served as a grift to fatten the wallets of the military industrial complex.

But the withdrawal, and subsequent messaging, could have been MUCH better.

It deserves criticism.

Let's see where we are on September 1st.  There is still a week to go for the evacuation.  I don't disagree with you on the withdraw, messaging, etc.  Seems Biden Admin. heard the initial criticism and to their credit have increased effort greatly to get folks out.  There are conservatives on this board who cry about us helping our own citizens yet want to pour endless trillions into Afghanistan.  Credit to Trump for committing to getting us out.  Credit to Biden for following through.  I hope if another attack is ever launched on us from Afghan soil that we blow them beyond the stone age.  (For dumb fucks like Iron Cross - they are already in the stone age hence the "beyond".)

[Irongrip400]

Exactly.

Bro, and I mean this with all due respect and hope this doesn’t squash our chances of high fiving whilst giving Nancy Pelosi the Eiffel Tower, but that’s a fucked up way to look at it. If we still have citizens and allies over there, there’s no way we should leave on the 31st just because they said so. They can wait a few extra days for us to get our people out without harassment. I want us out of there ASAP but we shouldn’t leave people behind because the Afghan army laid down and let these cocksuckers take over.

[AbrahamG]

Best scenario is to drop off all Biden voters in Afghanistan

Or you and your sons could sign up for military duty and head on over there since you are such a patriot and believe so strongly in the mission.

[Dos Equis]

This is where you’re getting the 30K number. The writer pulled it out of his ass.

The reality is closer to the 300,000. They’re just trying to save face and cover their asses. You don’t find it odd that the right scoop is suddenly us using WaPo as a trusted source?



https://therightscoop.com/washington-post-exposes-the-fake-300000-afghan-troops-number-that-biden-keeps-repeating/

But in the 2021 report, IISS shows Afghanistan with an active force of only 178,800 — 171,500 in the army and 7,300 in the air force. “Reports suggested that already high losses and high levels of desertion further increased in 2020,” the report said. “There was reported 22% personnel shortage in mid-2019, and there are problems in retaining key specialists including pilots and special-operations troops.”

IISS also notes Afghanistan has 99,000 “paramilitary” forces.

It's not just Right Scoop or the Washington Post.  Here is another one:

"By the time Biden was prepared to announce the U.S. withdrawal earlier this year, however, the number of uniformed Afghan forces had dropped to somewhere between 75,000 and 90,000 – a U.S. military and intelligence assessment that Biden had seen, these sources say. Perhaps more troubling, the assessments also concluded the Taliban strength had grown as high as 120,000."

From 300,000 to a Few Hundred: What Happened to Afghanistan’s Army
President Joe Biden claimed in July that hundreds of thousands of uniformed troops were ready to defend Afghanistan. They have vanished following the Taliban’s rout.
By Paul D. Shinkman
https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2021-08-18/from-300-000-to-a-few-hundred-the-collapse-of-afghanistans-army

They didn't have anywhere near 300,000 soldiers. 

[AbrahamG]

Bro, and I mean this with all due respect and hope this doesn’t squash our chances of high fiving whilst giving Nancy Pelosi the Eiffel Tower, but that’s a fucked up way to look at it. If we still have citizens and allies over there, there’s no way we should leave on the 31st just because they said so. They can wait a few extra days for us to get our people out without harassment. I want us out of there ASAP but we shouldn’t leave people behind because the Afghan army laid down and let these cocksuckers take over.

I agree with you.  I think Biden has hinted at a contingency plan if things aren't complete on the 31st.  I not only want us out but I want any Afghan who worked with us or supported us out as well.  If we leave them hanging, we will be hard pressed to get foreign cooperation in future endeavors. 

I can handle the criticism.  I'm still all in on the pending Eiffel Tower!

[Straw Man]

It will be impossible to drive the Taliban out from Kabul since they are mixed in with the civilians now.

Would require brutal house-to-house fighting with many casualties.

You're saying the 5,000 Taliban fighter that Trump "negotiated" to allow to be released from prison are now mixed in throughout the civilian population?

I'm sure the master negotiator must have gotten something worth much more in return
Do you have any idea what that was because I don't know.

Gee I wonder how the Taliban managed to over-run the country so quickly

If you read the peace agreement itself, you’ll note immediately that it gives the Taliban a series of concrete, measurable gifts. First, there’s an immediate allied withdrawal – down to 8,600 American troops (and proportionate numbers of allied troops) within 135 days. The remainder of American and allied forces will leave within 14 months.

At the same time, the United States will immediately and substantially reinforce the Taliban by seeking the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners by March 20. Even worse, the United States further agreed to a goal of “releasing all remaining prisoners over the course of the subsequent three months.” It will do this at the same time that it commits to the “goal” of removing sanctions from members of the Taliban that include travel bans, asset freezes, and an arms embargo.

https://time.com/5794643/trumps-disgraceful-peace-deal-taliban/

[Thin Lizzy]

It's not just Right Scoop or the Washington Post.  Here is another one:

"By the time Biden was prepared to announce the U.S. withdrawal earlier this year, however, the number of uniformed Afghan forces had dropped to somewhere between 75,000 and 90,000 – a U.S. military and intelligence assessment that Biden had seen, these sources say. Perhaps more troubling, the assessments also concluded the Taliban strength had grown as high as 120,000."

From 300,000 to a Few Hundred: What Happened to Afghanistan’s Army
President Joe Biden claimed in July that hundreds of thousands of uniformed troops were ready to defend Afghanistan. They have vanished following the Taliban’s rout.
By Paul D. Shinkman
https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2021-08-18/from-300-000-to-a-few-hundred-the-collapse-of-afghanistans-army

They didn't have anywhere near 300,000 soldiers.

This tells me that they knew the Americans were bailing out and they had no intention of fighting. Funny, in the 20 years we were there we didn’t know that these troops we were arming wouldn’t defend their country?  C’mon, the whole thing was a fraud.

[Straw Man]

This tells me that they knew the Americans were bailing out and they had no intention of fighting. Funny, in the 20 years we were there we didn’t know that these troops we were arming wouldn’t defend their country?  C’mon, the whole thing was a fraud.

They had a lot of problems all of which we should have known about (and I'm guessing we probably did)
We've been propping this mess up for years and we should have at least been able to plan a much more orderly and safe withdrawal. 

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/20/1029451594/the-afghan-army-collapsed-in-days-here-are-the-reasons-why

[LurkerNoMore]

Taliban : Showing Trumpturds how to throw overthrow a gov’t and storm a Capital. 

[Coach is Back!]

Or you and your sons could sign up for military duty and head on over there since you are such a patriot and believe so strongly in the mission.

I’m 59 tard. I get common sense isn’t a left strong point and I wouldn’t recommend ANYONE signing up for military service under this administration or damn near any Democratic regime for that matter.

[Dos Equis]

This tells me that they knew the Americans were bailing out and they had no intention of fighting. Funny, in the 20 years we were there we didn’t know that these troops we were arming wouldn’t defend their country?  C’mon, the whole thing was a fraud.

I think we definitely knew they could not maintain control of the country without our help.

[AbrahamG]

I’m 59 tard. I get common sense isn’t a left strong point and I wouldn’t recommend ANYONE signing up for military service under this administration or damn near any Democratic regime for that matter.

Name calling isn't very nice.  That being said, you were only 39 when they hit us on 9/11.

[Coach is Back!]

Name calling isn't very nice.  That being said, you were only 39 when they hit us on 9/11.

Look, I’m seriously sorry I went off on you like that. You’re one of the few from the other side I respect, so my apologies. Yes, I was 39 with a new family and didn’t even think serving back then but then even at 39 would have been too told. My son at the time was only four.

[AbrahamG]

Look, I’m seriously sorry I went off on you like that. You’re one of the few from the other side I respect, so my apologies. Yes, I was 39 with a new family and didn’t even think serving back then but then even at 39 would have been too told. My son at the time was only four.

I accept your apology even though I was not really offended.  I can dish it out as well as take it.  You and I are always good.  No homo.  I don't expect you or your sons especially when they were in pre school to fight for me/us.  LOL. 

After 9/11 when the Taliban wouldn't turn over Bin Laden, we should have bombed them beyond the stone age, went in and got Bin Laden.  That should have been it.  I'm glad we're out.  I'm glad and hopeful that no more sons and daughters are sent to their deaths or permanent wheel chairs.  I was pissed last week at the thought of us bailing and fucking over our people there as well as the Afghans who help us.  I over reacted a little to the media's outrage.  They framed it like we packed our shit last Monday and that was it.  Fuck you to everyone.  When in hindsight there were still more than two weeks to go to complete evactuation, etc.  Also, the administration felt the blowback and has bolstered efforts to make this situation more palatable.  I was heartened to hear that there is a contingency plan if we aren't all out by the 31st and if the Taliban cross the line.  I will be all over the administration(s) if this goes south. 

That being said, getting us out of that god forsaken place will be something that history is going to judge both Presidents Trump and Biden favorably on.

[residue]

Best scenario is to drop off all Biden voters in Afghanistan

why? you lot are the ones that want to be there so bad, yall go.

[residue]

It shows weakness to other parts of the world, who then may feel safe to make legitimate threats.

It's a foreign concept to those in their groupthink bubbles, but parts of the world still operate that way.

no, that's not a thing.