WTF is happening in Afghanistan?

[nc8765]

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!

It’s a disaster.
What is crazy Biden thinking.
There is a really excellent animal charity called Nowzad, set up by an ex marine, that is doing amazing work in Afghanistan.
Biden has blood on his hands.

Fresh apparently Biden said months ago "it's not like the the taliban will be be over running everything as soon as we leave".

[quote BrozTito]Turkmenistan Sending Heavy Weaponry, Aircraft To Afghan Border Amid Deteriorating Security www.rferl.org/a/turkmenistan-border-afghanistan-weaponry/31352997.html[/quote]
Yes to the border. They are not going to 'intervene', i.e. cross the border. Same with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Why would they be going to borders?

@ChardonnaysPetDragon No worries, I was being unclear : )

It will be really interesting to see what Russia gets up to now

@Panickingpavlova

Why would they be going to borders?

Because there's a good chance of things spilling across the borders, as has already happened a bit in Tajikistan. They will reinforce the borders to keep fighting from crossing over, to prevent huge flows of refugees etc. It's purely defensive though, it doesn't mean those countries are going to intervene.

Dreaming thanks for refugee answer below

Out of interest, besides refugee help, what would you have liked to see happen? US stay or go

Was there an exit plan that could have stopped resurgence

Many knowledgeable pp on here actually. I find it interesting but would like to learn more, not up to speed at all

Also I expect to keep control of any smuggling routes, for drugs and humans.

Muhammed Omar who founded the taliban (which means pupil) was muhajadeen. As was a certain mr bin laden. they split into al qaeda and taliban early 90s/post bosnia. The border with Pakistan isnt visible or possible to man. Heroin g is made and transportedfreely there these days, many people's only income so they stopped hassling them. Heroin addiction rates there are just crazy. I saw 7 year olds smoking it and young girls driving it to the border

A taliban commander said on R4 yesterday that girls would be allowed to go to school until they are 12 years old.
Terrifying to think what is in store for these poor girls.

Weirdest thing i ever saw int he army, i mentioned all these young afghan children always smoking. They wernt actually children but 25 or so, suspected to be former chai boys castrated before puberty people said, no idea if it was true.

Or i worked in army intelligence, Scatish. Bore somebody else with your outdated fuckdawest shtick

• allowed to go to school

And theirs definition of school is...??

I imagine herion is a massive massive problem there.

@MarshaBradyo

If you want to do more reading then here is a list of books I recommend

Ghost Wars Steve Coll
Directorate S also Steve Coll
The Looming Tower Lawrence Wright
The Caravan Thomas Hegghammer
Night Letters Chris Sands
Fountainhead of the jihad Vahid Brown
Descent into chaos Ahmed Rashid
Taliban Ahmed Rashid

Ghost Wars and Looming Tower probably best ones to start with. But the problem is, once you start reading them, you’ll want to read a lot more as so many factors come into play; Cold War, oil, collapse of empires (Ottoman, British, French), Islam etc.

I’ve found it so helpful to read so I actually understand a tiny little bit of the background! It’s extremely complex

@BrozTito

Or i worked in army intelligence, Scatish. Bore somebody else with your outdated fuckdawest shtick

Ah - if your understanding of the situation is representative of the general understanding of British army intelligence then I understand a little more why we are in such a fucked up situation.

Thanks for clarifying.

I'm personally completely appalled that we, the West, are so abruptly abandoning our local staff in Afghanistan. Appalled.

They'll be slaughtered, mothers, wives and even many female children raped, what on earth are we doing? It's a monstrous repetition of Saigon and I simply don't understand why we're doing this in such a sudden and disorderly manner?

We're already hearing of the horror of the "Rape of Afghanstan" now occurring in the regions, and that is what we know is now coming within hours or days for the residents and refugees of Kabul... I mean, my God. My God.

We're just watching it happen.

It will be really interesting to see what Russia gets up to now

No way will they get involved, at least officially. It's like the US getting into Vietnam again.

Pics in red, the international community is letting it happen, Australia, France, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, China, Russia, Saudi, Bahrain, Oman..

The world let's it Happen.

Also pics Biden never imagined the speed at which the afghan army would fall but I imagine every jihadi who can get there is there... Old isis members.. Anyone..

I think they knew the army would collapse, they must have done but they thought a shock would get them taking it seriously. They do have their own air power and decent SForces but their rank and file soldier is disloyal and corrupt. Very brave though.

I think they knew the army would collapse, they must have done but they thought a shock would get them taking it seriously

They must have known, they trained them for 20 years.

Isn't that what Biden meant though when he said they have to want it.

I work in the Defence sector. Regardless of the politics and rights and wrongs of British troops being in Afghanistan, most of us have no idea how utterly brutal the Taliban are. Usually the guys wont talk about it,but when they do....
I'm.not going to write it here as it will trigger a lot of people but Taliban fighters taking a civilian village will do things that are beyond all human comprehension to women, girls, young boys,pregnant women, the elderly...
Cannot bear to think about what some people are facing out there right now.

@Panickingpavlova

Pics in red, the international community is letting it happen, Australia, France, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, China, Russia, Saudi, Bahrain, Oman..

The world let's it Happen.

Yes, that what I said (and meant), the west are withdrawing and we're simply going to stand back and watch an atrocity.

It's horrifying.

If we were going to withdraw, gradually and steadily, with plans to evacuate staff was the way to do it, not a sudden cut and run, leaving people we made into collaborators to a grisly fate, along with their families.

Afghanistan. 💔

Sadly the west only gives a fuck when white people get killed eg 9/11. When Afghans are killing each other we are completely fine with that.

(But sorry if I am boring you with my outdated fuckdawest Shtick)