This is a debacle worse than Saigon in 1975 as the United States is in a weaker geopolitical and internal position today than then. There is plenty of blame to go around but there are some especially critical points where things went off the tracks and lead to this. First and foremost the ultimate blame must fall on the Soviet Union for its invasion in 1978. They decapitated the political and cultural class that was bringing much of the country to a modern world. The ultra religious conservatives were limited to the hinterland and had little influence. Kabul and other cities looked like many western cities where women wore skirts were educated and secular life was prevalent. With the decapitation creating a leadership vacuum the rural leaders and mullahs filled the vacuum. They also fought the Soviet army to a standstill with our help (see Charlie Wilson’s War). As the victors the Taliban ran the country as they understood.....as a 12th century feudal state. Their biggest mistake was to allow Osama bin Laden to have refuge and train. Bush was right to hammer them after 9/11. His mistake egged on by the democrats was to stay especially since OBL escaped at Tora Bora. This allowed the mission to creep from a pure vengeance and punishment operation to the fatal tar baby of “nation building “. From there W, Obama and even Trump for awhile were trapped. We threw good lives away, good money after bad in pursuit of an unobtainable objective. As I said in an earlier post Trump was right to pull the plug, Biden right to stay with it. HOWEVER Biden f**ked things up and has left thousands of innocent people to die. People who put their trust in us either protecting them or getting them out. That blood is on his hands. This is the legacy that will harm us more than anything else that’s happened in the last 20 years.
Wouldn't it be something if a sitting potus would have tried to negotiate peace. That would be just amazing
18 years and you say they put their trust in us. I’ll give you 5 years and if we pulled out then, ok, maybe the US bailed on them. 18 fucking years and it will be the same as when we tried to flush the rat from his nest. Nothing changed. If they wanted democracy, you think they could have managed that after 18 years?
Negotiate with who? Trump tried (I’ll give him that) but the Taliban had no need to. They were willing to wait until we or the next occupier gave up and left.
Despite the time & money we have poured into trying to make the Afghani capable of defending their country it turns out to be a huge waste of both. One thing money can't buy is guts. You would think the politicians would have recognized that a long time ago and withdrew our troops and left Afghanistan to the Taliban.
Actually all they had to do was wait for the US to elect an incompetent POTUS like Biden. Hindsight being 20/20, we should have started the withdrawal last January.
Interesting read. https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/n...oys-sec-blinken-bidens-ineptly-planned-afghan
When CNN begins to question our exit strategy or lack there of, it's another sign of Biden being totally inept.
As much joy as I would take out of giving Biden all the blame, this is not all his fault. The feckless Pentagon leadership needs to own the lion's share of the blame. Mark (woke) Milley and his ilk. Terrible leaders and poor planners. This draw down was contingent on the Taliban meeting milestones in the agreement. They haven't acted in accordance with the draw down deal and we slowed down but didn't stop under Trump. Since Biden got in and his people took over it's been full speed ahead and faster. They left vehicles, munitions and weapons systems behind, never mind Afghan citizens that aided us while we were there. I have read reports that beheadings have started and all of the Al Qaeda prisoners have been liberated. Good chance they will be killings us with our own bullets at some point. I understand General Milley communicated to congress today that terrorists groups could rise much faster than previously thought. Ya think? That incompetent idiot needs to be replaced. So does a lot of the military leadership and intelligence community.
