Afghan pull out

So the yanks and ourselves are, in the main, moving out of Afghanistan was it worth the 20 years we spent there?

Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter said "All those who fought in Afghanistan can hold their heads up very high," .........."The British military was not defeated on the battlefield. They showed remarkable adaptability against a very cunning and nefarious opponent, and they showed phenomenal courage under great pressure."

UK military not defeated in Afghanistan, says head of British armed forces

General Sir Nick Carter responds to a mother questioning what her soldier son died for in Afghanistan.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Tin basher]

If this true at this rate Tommy Taliban could have the whole country before the end of September it's seemingly going downhill very very rapidly. UK and US troops on an emergency extraction mission

UK to send 600 troops to Afghanistan to help British nationals

The announcement came shortly before the Taliban captured Afghanistan's Lashkar Gah, capital of the southern province of Helmand, on Friday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Talk Wrench]

If this true at this rate Tommy Taliban could have the whole country before the end of September it's seemingly going downhill very very rapidly. UK and US troops on an emergency extraction mission

UK to send 600 troops to Afghanistan to help British nationals

The announcement came shortly before the Taliban captured Afghanistan's Lashkar Gah, capital of the southern province of Helmand, on Friday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

It's already reported that hundreds of thousands of displaced people are now heading towards the safety of Europe.

What an utter, complete mess.

 

[Oldstacker]

It's already reported that hundreds of thousands of displaced people are now heading towards the safety of Europe.

What an utter, complete mess.

Be honest, did you really expect anything different to happen?? The withdrawal of western troops was ALWAYS going to see the resurgence of the Taliban, the only surprise may be the speed with which it has happened. But then again, the 'peace talks' have been going on for a while so they have had time to plan and prepare hard & fast strikes.

It will be interesting to see whether taliban allow the emergency extractions to take place relatively unhindered or whether they see it as a chance to give us a final kicking to round it off.

 

[Talk Wrench]

Be honest, did you really expect anything different to happen?? The withdrawal of western troops was ALWAYS going to see the resurgence of the Taliban, the only surprise may be the speed with which it has happened. But then again, the 'peace talks' have been going on for a while so they have had time to plan and prepare hard & fast strikes.

It will be interesting to see whether taliban allow the emergency extractions to take place relatively unhindered or whether they see it as a chance to give us a final kicking to round it off.

Reports are coming in that Kandahar has fallen
And no. I'm not surprised at all.

 

[busby1971]

And when the terrorist attacks in the west start again in a couple of years will Biden and the European governments still have no regrets that they decided to pull out.

Although saying that without the US I don’t see a European only force achieving much more than slowing down the inevitable.

 

[muttywhitedog]

This is hugely frustrating. The UK military spent considerable time & money, with significant loss of life and limbs, supposedly training the ANA, only for them to fall like a deck of cards the minute these rag-bag fundamentalists crawled back out from under the rocks.

As someone who went there 4 times, I sit here thinking "what was the f**king point"?

 

[unruly1986]

It’s well known that many ANA forces would drop their weapons and go home at the first sight of Taliban fighters. There is little loyalty to the nation.

This is because Afghanistan is not a nation in the same way that we see one. You could argue that Kabul = Afghanistan and everywhere else is a mix of various tribes including Pashtuns and Tajiks amongst others. That the ANA comprises an ethnic mix that doesn’t necessarily match the makeup of the country does not help matters.

I wonder how bad things would have to be for us to go back. Or is that off the cards completely? Will AQ return?

 

[fourteen2two]

It could be too late now. What a mess. The taliban really are evil sods. I feel sorry for the ordinary people who are suffering already.

 

[Tin basher]

It could be too late now. What a mess. The taliban really are evil sods. I feel sorry for the ordinary people who are suffering already.

A BBC look inside a Taliban controlled area. it's 7 minutes but it is an insight into how life will be for thousands of ordinary Afghans

Life in the Taliban's new territory

BBC correspondent Secunder Kermani reports from a town in Afghanistan recently taken by the Taliban

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[busby1971]

Not advocating for the Taliban but the supported Government weren't the best for the people either, same shit different depths.

 

[busby1971]

Looks like it will all be over by tea time,

 

[Talk Wrench]

The Taliban. Who is funding them and why is the CCP cosying up to them?
With my extremely limited knowledge of the CCP's foreign policy, this article does in some way deal with those questions.

China and the Taliban Begin Their Romance

Beijing has its eyes set on using Afghanistan as a strategic corridor once U.S. troops are out of the way.

foreignpolicy.com

 

[SAXAVORDIAN]

The Taliban. Who is funding them and why is the CCP cosying up to them?
With my extremely limited knowledge of the CCP's foreign policy, this article does in some way deal with those questions.

China and the Taliban Begin Their Romance

Beijing has its eyes set on using Afghanistan as a strategic corridor once U.S. troops are out of the way.

foreignpolicy.com

Clearly the Chinese were upset about the road condition and want to improve the infrastructure at a cost. China through history are not a expanding nation and happy to trade, hence the Silk route and the newer version by rail to Europe. I wonder if the Refugees will need housing soon in the major muslim dominant cities like Greater Manchester Greater London Merseyside West Midland West Yorkshire and East Midlands. Considering since the new arrivals, over the last few years by rubber boat are going nowhere fast.

 

[Tin basher]

The Taliban. Who is funding them and why is the CCP cosying up to them?
With my extremely limited knowledge of the CCP's foreign policy, this article does in some way deal with those questions.

China and the Taliban Begin Their Romance

Beijing has its eyes set on using Afghanistan as a strategic corridor once U.S. troops are out of the way.

foreignpolicy.com

I do see China, as part of it's strategic foreign policy aims in the region becoming chummy with the Taliban. China is, I presume, looking to both invest in infrastructure projects and fill the power vacuum left by the departing western allies. However given how the Chinese treat their own ethnic Muslim population they and the Taliban seem to be ill matched buddies.

Who are the Uyghurs and why is China being accused of genocide?

China has been accused by the US of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Muslim minority group.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Talk Wrench]

I do see China, as part of it's strategic foreign policy aims in the region becoming chummy with the Taliban. China is, I presume, looking to both invest in infrastructure projects and fill the power vacuum left by the departing western allies. However given how the Chinese treat their own ethnic Muslim population they and the Taliban seem to be ill matched buddies.

Who are the Uyghurs and why is China being accused of genocide?

China has been accused by the US of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Muslim minority group.

www.bbc.co.uk

And there's the dichotomy. I'm of the opinion that China will be using the Taliban as a proxy to further their influence on the West.

 

[Tin basher]

I'm of the opinion that China will be using the Taliban as a proxy to further their influence on the West.

Agreed they will allow the Taliban to behave as they wish within Afghanistan and regionally. However within China the regime will ruthlessly crush any attempt to follow the same ideology on home soil. What a mess that country (Afghanistan) is in, there were those hawks in the pentagon who advocated bombing them back to the stone age, that's no longer required they seem perfectly capable of getting there all by themselves. Another issue what next for Covid in Afghanistan? I can see it running rampant and unchecked.

 

[busby1971]

The Taliban never really went out of their own borders, they just accommodated others too much.

If they manage to stop the naughty people blowing up the west, Russia or China then I’m just guessing they’ll be left alone, once the current point scoring dies down.

Of course this all comes down to what Iran tells then what to do when they pay the next set of bills.

 

[muttywhitedog]

Clearly the Chinese were upset about the road condition and want to improve the infrastructure at a cost. China through history are not a expanding nation and happy to trade, hence the Silk route and the newer version by rail to Europe. I wonder if the Refugees will need housing soon in the major muslim dominant cities like Greater Manchester Greater London Merseyside West Midland West Yorkshire and East Midlands. Considering since the new arrivals, over the last few years by rubber boat are going nowhere fast.

There was (and still is) plenty of noise about the treatment of the Palestinians by Israel from many of my work colleagues, some of whom have been posting videos of large pro-palestine demos. I'm yet to see a single status update from this group about the atrocities in Afghanistan - possibly because its muslim on muslim attacks.

 

[SAXAVORDIAN]

There was (and still is) plenty of noise about the treatment of the Palestinians by Israel from many of my work colleagues, some of whom have been posting videos of large pro-palestine demos. I'm yet to see a single status update from this group about the atrocities in Afghanistan - possibly because its muslim on muslim attacks.

Probably because this doesn't fit their narrative. Maybe when the wall went up, it focused on the Islamic group Hamas that took over PLO which covered all the Palestinians. Sadly with the way history being dissolved and todays education of the Titbit generation, surprised the novels by George Orwell 1984 and Animal Farm are not banned because they tell the truth. How is are Bi-Planes in the RAF coping these days. Only seen a few of the Double Whirly and the odd single floating over Manchester.

 

[SAXAVORDIAN]

I do see China, as part of it's strategic foreign policy aims in the region becoming chummy with the Taliban. China is, I presume, looking to both invest in infrastructure projects and fill the power vacuum left by the departing western allies. However given how the Chinese treat their own ethnic Muslim population they and the Taliban seem to be ill matched buddies.

Who are the Uyghurs and why is China being accused of genocide?

China has been accused by the US of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Muslim minority group.

www.bbc.co.uk

That a good point in what asset Afghanistan can offer China. Access to Russia Iran Oil an Gas pipelines. Nuclear power station building projects would be an option. I doubt the Taliban give hoot over Chinese Muslims as Pakistan or Iran don't bat an eye either. If this did come a fisticuff between China and Afghanistan. China would happily lay waste to the place because the manpower it can prepare to loose.