Provincial capital in Afghanistan falls to the Taliban

[Valcazar]

A couple of days ago "experts" were projecting the fall of Kabul in 90 days. I'd say closer to 9...

I saw a few people saying it might be closer to a month and they were considered alarmist.
Clearly there was a huge failure in terms of assessing the actual facts on the ground. Whether it was overly optimistic about the Afghan government forces (either their ability or willingness to fight) or an underestimation of the Taliban's ability to coordinate and move quickly in a blitz like this - people were clearly wrong.

It was always going to be a shit show, but it seems the speed it unfolded at really has caught people by surprise.

 

[nottyboi]

After 20 years the Talban now have BILLIONS of $ in US military equipment, much better trained pool of recruits and much better facilities as well as a better understanding of the US military. THANK YOU USA!!!

 

[danmand]

The Americans and allies have been training Afgan troops for many, many years. That training did not begin with Biden or Trump. If the Afgan army which has superior weaponry and fire power including air power. If they could not stand up to the |Taliban today they were never going to be able. The Americans and allies could not stay there forever The takeover by the Taliban was inevitable once Trump began negotiating with them although it does not appear that anyone predicted that the Afgans would just fold and that the takeover would be so quick.

After they were traind and armed by the Americans, the recruits promptly walked over and joined the Taliban. Smart move.

 

[mandrill]

x.com

twitter.com

And suddenly, it's over.

Except for Fox and Breitbart trying to blame it all on Biden....

 

[mandrill]

After 20 years the Talban now have BILLIONS of $ in US military equipment, much better trained pool of recruits and much better facilities as well as a better understanding of the US military. THANK YOU USA!!!

Well, partly.

I'm not sure any of those fuckers - on either the "Afghan Army" side or the Taliban Militia side - are trained worth fuck.

They now have a shit load of hummers to drive around in to replace their cranky old Soviet era booty BMP's and BTR's.

And disturbingly, they seem to have captured the Afghan Air Force pretty much intact, apparently by driving onto the airfields with their horns blowing and firing their AK's into the air. And that's probably some solid, valuable booty that they can sell to Iran or some other dubious 3rd World outlaw state.

 

[mandrill]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1426985745206677504

 

[nottyboi]

Taliban leader has been declared the interim President. A new President will be selected in an election that will be held after hell freezes over.

 

[nottyboi]

Well, partly.

I'm not sure any of those fuckers - on either the "Afghan Army" side or the Taliban Militia side - are trained worth fuck.

They now have a shit load of hummers to drive around in to replace their cranky old Soviet era booty BMP's and BTR's.

And disturbingly, they seem to have captured the Afghan Air Force pretty much intact, apparently by driving onto the airfields with their horns blowing and firing their AK's into the air. And that's probably some solid, valuable booty that they can sell to Iran or some other dubious 3rd World outlaw state.

Oh they are trained, just not motivated.

 

[mandrill]

Oh they are trained, just not motivated.

I'm betting that 95% of the Afghan Army's "training budget" is currently sitting in the until-yesterday-Minister-of-Defence-of-Afghanistan's London bank account earning 5.5% interest. Or invested in his Miami Beach real estate projects.

 

[nottyboi]

I'm betting that 95% of the Afghan Army's "training budget" is currently sitting in the until-yesterday-Minister-of-Defence-of-Afghanistan's London bank account earning 5.5% interest. Or invested in his Miami Beach real estate projects.

Training was by NATO instructors. It would not be possible to just steal that money as it was done by enlisted NATO instructors.

 

[JuanGoodman]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1426985745206677504

How come they are not wearing masks and social distancing. What dumbasses.

 

[mandrill]

Training was by NATO instructors. It would not be possible to just steal that money as it was done by enlisted NATO instructors.

Taliban surge exposes failure of U.S. efforts to build Afghan army

The rout of Afghan forces as Taliban fighters take one provincial city after another provides a stark answer to anyone wondering about the success of two decades of U.S.-led efforts to build a local army.

www.reuters.com

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/afghanistan-papers/afghanistan-war-army-police/

Why the US-trained Afghan National Army have been defeated with ease by the Taliban

The Afghan National Army should have the upper hand in terms of numbers, funding, and arms but the battle-hardened Taliban have defeated them easily.

www.businessinsider.com

What Went Wrong With Afghanistan’s Defense Forces?

Ten provincial capitals have fallen in a week, and Kabul is teetering.

foreignpolicy.com

The army was unpaid, corrupt, ramshackle and had a massive desertion rate. If training actually occurred in those conditions, I would be shocked!

 

[Darts]

Well, these protesters got their wish.
Protests against the war in Afghanistan - Wikipedia

 

[Frankfooter]

The army was unpaid, corrupt, ramshackle and had a massive desertion rate. If training actually occurred in those conditions, I would be shocked!

This is surprising?
You really think Afghans would be committed to the puppet government's fake army?

 

[Indiana]

At the airport

http://instagr.am/p/CSnJfPXF6R3/

 

[contact]

20 years of US war for nothing.
Thousands and thousands dead and its all right back where it was before the US war.
Stupid colonialism.
Stupid war.

Nothing to do with colonialism everything to do with stopping Terrorists but then again Frank you defend and support Terrorists at every opportunity if we watch your posts you probably be praising the Taliban for something shortly

 

[Zoolooo]

Nothing to do with colonialism everything to do with stopping Terrorists but then again Frank you defend and support Terrorists at every opportunity if we watch your posts you probably be praising the Taliban for something shortly

“Speaking to the PA news agency, Graham Knight, 69, father of 25-year-old RAF Sergeant Ben Knight who was killed when his Nimrod aircraft exploded in Afghanistan in 2006, said the British government should have moved more quickly to get civilians out.

He said:

We’re not surprised that the Taliban have taken over because as soon as the Americans and the British said they were going to leave, we knew this was going to happen. The Taliban made their intent very clear that, as soon as we went out, they would move in.
As for whether people’s lives were lost through a war that wasn’t winnable, I think they were. I think the problem was we were fighting people that were native to the country. We weren’t fighting terrorists, we were fighting people who actually lived there and didn’t like us being there.

Chaos at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul – as it happened

This blog is now closed.

www.theguardian.com

 

[mandrill]

Well, these protesters got their wish.
Protests against the war in Afghanistan - Wikipedia

I glanced at your wiki link. The latest protest was in 2011.

And the protesters were correct. Ghan was a waste of time,money and lives.

 

[mandrill]

Hey, Dartsy. I looked those wiki links I mentioned up for you. To help you a little.

Operation Anaconda - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Tora Bora - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[richaceg]

US and NATO troops lives have been lost in Afghanistan in the course of 20 years....it took 1 week for Afghani gov't troops to strip down their uniforms and abandon their posts....what a fucking fuck up this is...