Afghanistan: Mission Accomplished

[Yossarian]

I know, I read that. These are Taliban claims over years and would include stuff captured on the battlefield or overrun positions. So far I've seen no pictures of them driving around in American Tanks and Humvees. Of course it's possible that the odd one or two have escaped a grenade in the engine bay or the attention of US engineers, but I wouldn't reckon they've captured useable euipment in particularly significant amounts as a result of the current withdrawal.

This blog documents Afghan National Army equipment, most of it US-supplied, captured by the Taliban - there's a staggering amount of it.

Disaster At Hand: Documenting Afghan Military Equipment Losses Since June 2021 until August 14, 2021

www.oryxspioenkop.com

Not sure if he knows how to fly that thing:

 

[RainbowTown]

That's not what happens here though, is it. Good old Urban leftie rules dictate that an outrage is not an outrage nor a disaster a disaster unless it can be attributed to the US or the UK, and criticism of murderous factions be immediately offset with 'the west is just as bad'

If only it was containable to Urban. In fact it's broadly representative of liberal/left thought as Varoufakis' (someone I previously had some time for) 'hang in their sisters' tweet so nauseatingly demonstrated. Our side is fucked by these types again and again.

I'm broadly to the left, yes, but I take your point. There are legitimate and serious criticisms that can be levelled at the West for what has transpired in Afghanistan over the decades, which no doubt will be continued to be debated by all sides; but, yes, the fact remains that it is the Taliban who are the abomination here; they are responsible in almost every respect for the misery they've inflicted upon that country and it's people.

 

[Pickman's model]

Not sure if he knows how to fly that thing:

View attachment 284298

good luck trying to fly the helicopter in the foreground

 

[Pickman's model]

I'm broadly to the left, yes, but I take your point. There are legitimate and serious criticisms that can be levelled at the West for what has transpired in Afghanistan over the decades, which no doubt will be continued to be debated by all sides; but, yes, the fact remains that it is the Taliban who are the abomination here; they are responsible in almost every respect for the misery they've inflicted upon that country and it's people.

to be fair loads of people have visited misery on afghanistan, and the taliban's longevity owes much to the pakistani military and in particular the isi. perhaps the isi who bear much responsibility for the taliban's activities.

 

[RainbowTown]

to be fair loads of people have visited misery on afghanistan, and the taliban's longevity owes much to the pakistani military and in particular the isi. perhaps the isi who bear much responsibility for the taliban's activities.

Fair point.

 

[Sprocket.]

I suspect the majority of Cromwell's men in the New Model Army were more in it for the 17th Century version of $10 a day rather than strict adherence to Puritan doctrine. The reason for John Bunyan's conversion for example is he was hung over after a session and so swapped sentry duty with a mate, who then got shot in the head in his place...

Off topic but eight pence (4p) per week for infantry and two shillings (10p) a week for cavalry.

 

[David Clapson]

Alarming discussion of the US agreement with the Taliban. It's absurdly generous to the latter. Seems that the US is not just conceding defeat to the Taliban, it's actually backing them!



Why? So far the candidates identified are the oil pipeline, minerals and fucking with China's belt and roads. Lithium is an interesting one. China has been grabbing it all, the US desperately needs more and the DoD has described Af as "the Saudi Arabia of lithium": Factbox: What are Afghanistan's untapped minerals and resources?

Back in 2006 I remember the Taliban as being credited by the locals for getting a road built, which was more than ISAF or the Russians had managed. If the US wants enough stability for the building of mines and a long pipeline, I suppose the Taliban is the best horse to back?

 

[8ball]

This blog documents Afghan National Army equipment, most of it US-supplied, captured by the Taliban - there's a staggering amount of it.

Disaster At Hand: Documenting Afghan Military Equipment Losses Since June 2021 until August 14, 2021

www.oryxspioenkop.com

View attachment 284297

Not sure if he knows how to fly that thing:

View attachment 284298

So much for "poorly equipped".

I do wonder what they're going to do with stuff like the helicopters - that's going to take some outside expertise.

 

[klang]

So much for "poorly equipped".

I do wonder what they're going to do with stuff like the helicopters - that's going to take some outside expertise.

i don't know much about military hard wear etc, but isn't it possible they might have learned how to handle these things over the years? they've been at war for decades, surely you'd think they'd have access to all sorts of hard wear and training, living in the middle of it all?

 

[David Clapson]

You can't learn to fly a helicopter on youtube. I doubt the US trained any Afghans to fly them. Probably best to sell them to Russia or China.

 

[LDC]

You can't learn to fly a helicopter on youtube. I doubt the US trained any Afghans to fly them. Probably best to sell them to Russia or China.

They did train Afghans to fly them, there was an Afghan air force the US trained. The ones that are servicable now won't be very soon, they require a fuck tonne of constant maintenance. Russia and China are not going to be interested in buying the lumps of un-flyable metal that the aircraft will very soon be. None of it was cutting edge stuff anyway.

 

[8ball]

i don't know much about military hard wear etc, but isn't it possible they might have learned how to handle these things over the years? they've been at war for decades, surely you'd think they'd have access to all sorts of hard wear and training, living in the middle of it all?

You need specialists to even maintain a lot of this stuff, and training their own people would be a long term process. They are specialised in countering highly mechanised forces, not being those forces.

I’d be concerned that some eg. Saudi interests could be interested in providing assistance.

 

[8ball]

Russia and China are not going to be interested in buying the lumps of un-flyable metal that the aircraft will very soon be.

If they have the nouse to get them mothballed sharpish I guess that could be a possibility.
I expect they fully intend to use them, though (re-obtaining advanced weaponry later would be a ballache). Cue crash videos on Youtube...

 

[AmateurAgitator]

 

[Yossarian]

"I presided over the Afghanistan war for longer than anybody else but nobody seems to be blaming me."

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

View attachment 284332

He didn't do it alone. He did it with all but one vote in Congress. Even Bernie Sanders voted for the war. Bush also did it with the approval of the American people.

Presidential Approval Ratings -- George W. Bush

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

news.gallup.com

 

[Yossarian]

He didn't do it alone. He did it with all but one vote in Congress. Even Bernie Sanders voted for the war. Bush also did it with the approval of the American people.

Presidential Approval Ratings -- George W. Bush

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

news.gallup.com

I was reading about Barbara Lee, the only vote against, this week - she was called a traitor and got hate mail and death threats after the 420-1 vote.

However difficult this vote may be, some of us must urge the use of restraint. Our country is in a state of mourning. Some of us must say, ‘Let’s step back for a moment, let’s just pause, just for a minute, and think through the implications of our actions today, so that this does not spiral out of control.’

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/08/17/barbara-lee-afghanistan-vote/

 

[AmateurAgitator]

Politicians eh

 

[gosub]

This blog documents Afghan National Army equipment, most of it US-supplied, captured by the Taliban - there's a staggering amount of it.

Disaster At Hand: Documenting Afghan Military Equipment Losses Since June 2021 until August 14, 2021

www.oryxspioenkop.com

View attachment 284297

Not sure if he knows how to fly that thing:

View attachment 284298

FFS I suppose technically we should freeze US government accounts for facilitating terrorists

 

[skyscraper101]

Are the Taliban on Twitter yet? Was tryring to see if they had some sort of English language social media account but can’t see much.

 

[gosub]

Are the Taliban on Twitter yet? Was tryring to see if they had some sort of English language social media account but can’t see much.

Much to Trump's annoyance, they were never banned

 

[weltweit]

Raab should have made that call. imo

 

[felixthecat]

I’d rather doubt that any abandoned US equipment will have been left in useable condition.

You'd hope so, but apparently not the case.
Very reliable source.

 

[Gramsci]

If term Medieval is to be used then perhaps looking at Islam in Medieval Europe for instance. Spain was under Islamic rule for much of Medieval period. For some of this it was a centre of learning and culture.

I do think its simplistic to just say Taliban follow Medieval practises.

 

[Spymaster]

I do think its simplistic to just say Taliban follow Medieval practises.

Yes. It's really important to make that clear in the current climate.

 

[Gramsci]

Yes. It's really important to make that clear in the current climate.

Thanks for selectively quoting from my post.

 

[Spymaster]

Thanks for selectively quoting from my post.

No probs. The rest was pearl clutching bollocks too.

 

[Gramsci]

No probs. The rest was pearl clutching bollocks too.

What a charming poster you are.

 

[Pickman's model]

If term Medieval is to be used then perhaps looking at Islam in Medieval Europe for instance. Spain was under Islamic rule for much of Medieval period. For some of this it was a centre of learning and culture.

I do think its simplistic to just say Taliban follow Medieval practises.

Especially as their brand of Islam developed in the late nineteenth century, not traditionally seen as part of the middle ages

 

[Pickman's model]

No probs. The rest was pearl clutching bollocks too.

As opposed to your bollock-clutching pearls