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Original poster

WTF is happening in Afghanistan?

279 replies

nc8765 · 13/08/2021 11:31

Kabul will fall soon, and the Taliban will control the whole country.

The rights of women and girls will go back to the dark ages, along with rights for any other liberal view/s. In a few years, the UN will declare a humanitarian crisis and then what, we're back to square one?

The US is highly unlikely to commit to troops, same goes for us here in the UK. What about China? Surely a stable Middle East is in their best interest? Russia? The other 'stan nations??

I understand there are Afghans that do prefer life under the Taliban, but surely that's a small minority group?

I'm not a foreign affairs expert so would really like some help on this one!

OP posts:
Wheretoeattweenandteen · 24/08/2021 20:40

All the west can do is broadcast the ideas and values we have built on through blood sweat and tears.

Eg... All men (and women) are born free with equal rights.

Stuff like that..

Within our own country make sure all people are born free and equal and do not accept or allow second tier systems go go on where girls are robbed of their freedoms.

Push back agaisnt places like Pakistan and wahhabi Saudi... Push agaisnt any extremists... They are popping out in strange places!

Keep promoting democracy, its not perfect but its far better than most other political systems.

MrsSkylerWhite · 24/08/2021 21:00

Dave20
I meant wouldn’t it be better for the Americans to defeat the Taliban altogether?“

Isn’t this what the thinking was about the Viet Cong? It’s extremely difficult to defeat a militia driven by ideology and willing to die for it in their own (difficult) terrain.

PicsInRed · 25/08/2021 19:30

It's just been in the news that ISIS are about to be a problem in Afghanistan - specifically ISIS K, a break away ISIS who are those believed to be responsible for the maternity ward massacre of 2020.

It's believe that food is already in short supply and the IMF have highlighted that cash will run out next month.

So, we're now looking at civil war + no food + no cash = starving civilians, battles in the streets and refugees flooding across the border ...and this explains why a seemingly victorious Russia just abruptly pulled out.

The Taliban haven't taken a governable country, as they held last time, they've taken a country which is about to totally disintegrate. Having seen that news report, I'd be making plans to leave neighbouring countries also.

Poor, poor Afghanistan. Poor all of them.

ohstopityourmakingitup · 25/08/2021 19:36

@PicsInRed

It's just been in the news that ISIS are about to be a problem in Afghanistan - specifically ISIS K, a break away ISIS who are those believed to be responsible for the maternity ward massacre of 2020.

It's believe that food is already in short supply and the IMF have highlighted that cash will run out next month.

So, we're now looking at civil war + no food + no cash = starving civilians, battles in the streets and refugees flooding across the border ...and this explains why a seemingly victorious Russia just abruptly pulled out.

The Taliban haven't taken a governable country, as they held last time, they've taken a country which is about to totally disintegrate. Having seen that news report, I'd be making plans to leave neighbouring countries also.

Poor, poor Afghanistan. Poor all of them.

This is awful. Just awful.
MrsSkylerWhite · 25/08/2021 19:45

PicsInRed

It's just been in the news that ISIS are about to be a problem in Afghanistan - specifically ISIS K, a break away ISIS who are those believed to be responsible for the maternity ward massacre of 2020.“

I have never heard about this. I listen to the Today programme, World at One, watch news at Ten and Newsnight every day. It is beyond heartbreaking, gut wrenchingly chilling. Why was this not being shouted from every media outlet rooftop?

(Let me guess, Covid)

PicsInRed · 25/08/2021 20:07

Let me guess, Covid

You're quite right, we haven't been watching things out there anywhere near closely enough. I first heard of that massacre (from Gerbil iirc) on the Pen Farthing thread tonight, it was in the media but nowhere near prominently enough.

MrsSkylerWhite · 25/08/2021 20:12

PicsInRed

Just lost for words 😪

PicsInRed · 25/08/2021 20:15

US Secretary of State Blinken on live now.

He looks completely ashamed and seemed to be willing us to read between the lines on efforts made to extract Afghan mission partners.

I don't think Washington or even core leadership are remotely united on Biden's plan.

Brighterblighter · 25/08/2021 20:23

Some one on right now, white house.

Looks absolutely shit scared.

TrampolineForMrKite · 25/08/2021 20:26

Thanks everyone for this info. Been lurking but it’s keeping me updated.

PicsInRed · 25/08/2021 20:30

@Brighterblighter

Some one on right now, white house.

Looks absolutely shit scared.

They've now admitted they aren't even going to get their own people out.

I think those people at the gates, even many of those inside the gates are probably doomed. How on earth did it come to this?

MrsSkylerWhite · 26/08/2021 08:06

Being reported on the news now that the UK/US/Australian governments have issued warnings of an attack by ISIS on Kabul airport and are advising their citizens/those who assisted with entitlement to travel to stay away.
I can only imagine how terrified these thousands of people must be. Knowing that their chances of getting out before next Tuesday are rapidly diminishing and that they are now under threat not only from The Taliban but from ISIS too.

meditrina · 26/08/2021 08:24

Those warnings started to emerge yesterday, and as well as complicating the evacuation, they show how unsafe Afghanistan will be, as the various terrorist ground have their safe space back again. And pause to think about what that means for the world.

I thought it had been clear from the start that not everyone is going to get out.

Planes on the penultimate day will be journalists, diplomatic staff and any other family rienbers with good reason to have left it that late. The final day will be the military.

That gives 3 days tops, for all other remaining British and commonwealth other qualifying foreign/dual national, Afghans who are at particular risk because of us (our interpreters and other staff), and then our share of others at risk.

The hard truth is that we may not reach that final category at all.

MrsSkylerWhite · 26/08/2021 08:52

Meditrina

I thought it had been clear from the start that not everyone is going to get out.”

Yes it has. I have no idea why any Government believes that is an acceptable outcome, we owe these people.

The evacuations should have started when Trump agreed withdrawal.

MrsSkylerWhite · 26/08/2021 08:57

(Intensively: I know a couple of thousand people got out but it was given nothing like the urgency it should have been by governments around the world.)

ohstopityourmakingitup · 26/08/2021 09:17

The maternity massacre has just been talked about on Sky news. They claim an ISIS K attack on Kabul airport is imminent.

To be honest I'm agog at what happening with Pen Farthing. A whole plane dedicated to fucking cats and dogs. Thousands of of human beings desperate to flee and will probably be left as time will run out. A video of a car was seen entering the jet. A fucking car. Children over a fucking car.

meditrina · 26/08/2021 09:22

Do you really think the government thinks it "acceptable" ?

There wasn't a way to negotiate or force more capacity in the last couple of weeks

Nce the US timetable was announced, our hands were tied. And the government did act then.

The government has been urging people to leave since April, but obviously could not force people to leave when they did not want to. Do you think that is what they should have done?

notimagain · 26/08/2021 10:20

There wasn't a way to negotiate or force more capacity in the last couple of weeks

Exactly…it’s reality vs. aspirations..

And with regard to somebody else’s comment as has been explained multiple times it almost wasn’t a case of “that car” instead of evacuees
.

meditrina · 26/08/2021 13:45

Reuters and other agencies have just reported that shots were fired towards an Italian military plane leaving Kabul (plane undamaged)

No word yet on what this means for the future of the airlift

notimagain · 26/08/2021 13:55

Not good news if confirmed….hopefully just a hothead with an AK47 but if it’s something more deliberate Sad

Brighterblighter · 26/08/2021 14:18

IIt was said that people who had been cleared for each flight were let on...

When there is was space due to clearance and a flight schedule to go they took car

Petardos · 26/08/2021 14:19

all ohstopityourmakingitup Stop spreading lies. There is not a plane full of cats and dogs.

meditrina · 26/08/2021 15:04

Explosion just outside the airport is being reported as breaking news (Pentagon confirmed, but details still soming through) as well as further gunfire.

Apparently a suicide bomber.

But if there is lots of firing round the airport, it could mean flights cannot operate as planned (this will presumably become clearer over the coming hours)

notimagain · 26/08/2021 15:51

Initial talk from those that know the airport is that the bomb went off in or adjacent to the area used one of the early stages of screening civilians outside one of the few gates in use.