Afghanistan

[Refreshpage]

More US troops killed today than over the last 4 years . Pulling put has cost more deaths of US troops than staying there.
Afghans now being slaughtered.
Massive fail from Biden following Trumps pull out.

Very, very 😔

The reality flagged by Pen of British citizens with passports unable to even make it to the airport. It's just so hopeless

@needabreaknoww

Missed pen earlier, is he still there? Haven't seen no updates on his Twitter

They are all back at the shelter... Pen, the staff and their families, and all the animals too. He was on BBC news and looked utterly defeated by it all. They are now stuck there.

I feel so sorry for the women and children of Afghanistan... less so for the men who should have fought harder for their country.

Easy to say when you're not the one out there facing a ruthless enemy while your allies fly back home.

Putting aside the fact that many of the army apparently weren't even being fed, it's a misunderstanding to call it 'their country'. As was explained on here recently by a native, the country is made up of many different tribes, so they often don't have true allegiance to each other. The 'Afghanistan' you think of is a western creation.

I was in Afghanistan in the 1970s so I do have an interest in that part of the world. My feeling is that the west should never have got involved in a country which is deeply traditional and tribal attempting to impose our forms of government. We are wise to get our people out asap.

@simitra

I was in Afghanistan in the 1970s so I do have an interest in that part of the world. My feeling is that the west should never have got involved in a country which is deeply traditional and tribal attempting to impose our forms of government. We are wise to get our people out asap.

I know lots of afghanis and they all were super happy the west came in and helped them overtake the Taliban. Would be interested to know what Afghanis you know that were happier under Taliban rule.

I feel so sorry for the women and children of Afghanistan... less so for the men who should have fought harder for their country.

You have no idea @Shelddd. None at all.

What a dumb twat Biden is.

Biden is not blameless, but as this article points out Trump, ‘played a key role in creating a historic foreign policy crisis.’ (Not to mention Bush going to war 20 years ago). The agreement Trump made with Taliban meant Biden had to either withdraw by end of August or let US forces fight the growing in strength Taliban who would retaliate if US didn’t leave as promised this summer.

www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/08/trump-deal-with-taliban-afghanistan-collapse/

@Petardos

Which link? Asking refugees from a red country to isolate or wearing a mask is not racist.

You're talking about refugees, it's not like they can nip into Boots at Kabul airport for a mask for crying out loud. Plus this country is riddled with covid anyway so a few more cases will hardly make a difference.

Biden has fucked this up so massively. And keeps at it.

Deciding to pull out which was always on the cards but with no strategy etc.

The taleban gaining ground way quicker than anyone anticipated which is not anyone's fault but OH. All evacuation will stop in 10 days. End of.

Cue panic etc. Why the hell did he say that? It seemed to take the international community by surprise.

So naturally massive crowds at airport desperate people mayhem. That's on him.

Taleban naturally say ok fine. End of month. The end.

And now as warned Isis have attacked.

And while people are still there who need to get out. And there's been people hurt and killed. And the planes still need to go. The last evacuation opportunities. And this mess with so many people there a target because you know he said 10 days end.

While that is still happening and the danger is still there. Could be more bombings planned etc. Immediate threat to all those people.

He says we will hunt you down??? We will get you? We will not rest etc?!

Yeah cos that's really sensible when you're withdrawing, the mayhem is a consequence, you set the panic off etc etc.

We're going to come back to get you?

He's a disaster.

Masks? Don't get it.

People are worried because these people fleeing don't have masks on?

That's a joke surely?

On the interference. We've been interfering there since 1839. That's the thing. Also. Interference doesn't help but watching atrocities is terrible as well. It's just. An impossible situation.

This whole situation is devastating. All those people. Terrible.

I usually try to ignore anti-American comments because Mumsnet is a UK-based group and will naturally be biased. However, I am curious to know - does the UK have Veteran's Hospitals and Rehabilitation Clinics especially and exclusively for military, retired military and former military? Employ over 15,000 medical personnel just for the Veterans?
Does the UK pay pensions and educational scholarships for widows and orphans of active servicemen killed in action?
Does the UK have "Wounded Warriors" or an equivalent charity that is supported by civilian donations?
We got into the Afghanistan conflict because of the 9/11 attack just like we got into Vietnam because of the Gulf of Tonkin. We respond when attacked. Those of you who were born after 1975, read up on the Fall of Saigon. It will be deja vu all over again.

I don't understand your point Georgiagirl, you support the withdrawal or not? Not sure what the VA has to do with it?

Re not caring about Afghanistan, personally I mostly avoid the news, certainly not because I don't care but because I do.
What makes me despair is the attitudes of my neighbours in this country, who can't see how privileged we are and don't want refuges taking up "our" housing etc. Where is their compassion? I know it's what the media they read is feeding them, and I live in a very poor area so there is a mentality of scrabbling for resources which I can empathise with. But it still hurts my heart.

What's happening is just dreadful. What else can be said? Very harmful for the people of Afghanistan, just terrible.

Basically all I have is pointless platitudes, what else is there?

@GeorgiaGirl52

I usually try to ignore anti-American comments because Mumsnet is a UK-based group and will naturally be biased. However, I am curious to know - does the UK have Veteran's Hospitals and Rehabilitation Clinics especially and exclusively for military, retired military and former military? Employ over 15,000 medical personnel just for the Veterans? Does the UK pay pensions and educational scholarships for widows and orphans of active servicemen killed in action? Does the UK have "Wounded Warriors" or an equivalent charity that is supported by civilian donations? We got into the Afghanistan conflict because of the 9/11 attack just like we got into Vietnam because of the Gulf of Tonkin. We respond when attacked. Those of you who were born after 1975, read up on the Fall of Saigon. It will be deja vu all over again.

What the heck has any of that whataboutery got to do with Biden's epic failure. The death of people yesterday was avoidable. Stop with the bollocks.

I'm not anti American I'm anti fucking idiot decisions by Biden.

@NiceGerbil

Biden has fucked this up so massively. And keeps at it.

Deciding to pull out which was always on the cards but with no strategy etc.

The taleban gaining ground way quicker than anyone anticipated which is not anyone's fault but OH. All evacuation will stop in 10 days. End of.

Cue panic etc. Why the hell did he say that? It seemed to take the international community by surprise.

So naturally massive crowds at airport desperate people mayhem. That's on him.

Taleban naturally say ok fine. End of month. The end.

And now as warned Isis have attacked.

And while people are still there who need to get out. And there's been people hurt and killed. And the planes still need to go. The last evacuation opportunities. And this mess with so many people there a target because you know he said 10 days end.

While that is still happening and the danger is still there. Could be more bombings planned etc. Immediate threat to all those people.

He says we will hunt you down??? We will get you? We will not rest etc?!

Yeah cos that's really sensible when you're withdrawing, the mayhem is a consequence, you set the panic off etc etc.

We're going to come back to get you?

He's a disaster.

Totally. His stupid speech yesterday meant nothing. The epic fail is on him. He didn't listen to the concerns expressed by other countries over the withdrawal and the way it was done. He is a clown with blood on his hands.

its a very grim situation , but there isnt much of anything anyone can do , the taliban i read the other day dont want anyone leaving unless they have a foreign passport , they are not prepared to let more than half the country just up and leave on planes just because they dont want taliban rule , so as such they are stuck there .
i read yesterday pakistan has said they dont want them if they try to get across the border , iran has said no as well
so they truely are stuck there , sad as it is all those people outside that airport in kabul might as well leave to go home as they arent getting anywhere without papers to leave or a foreign passport ,
its going to be just as bad there now as it ever was in the beginning ,but what the answer is no one knows ,
the fault lies with biden entirely ,i get that after 20 years he didnt think troops should still be out there peacekeeping , but there must have been a better way than this , i just hope that all the people who are actually able to leave like pen farthing ,his staff and animals and afghan translators are able to

@GeorgiaGirl52 it does have the equivalents yes, but that’s nothing to do with anything. Nobody is upset with how the US is treating it’s vets, it’s how they’ve unilaterally condemned so many of their own and everyone else’s to despair and death.

I doubt the widows of those 12 soldiers needlessly and tragically killed yesterday are very excited by the fancy rehab units.

@NiceGerbil

Biden has fucked this up so massively. And keeps at it.

Deciding to pull out which was always on the cards but with no strategy etc.

The taleban gaining ground way quicker than anyone anticipated which is not anyone's fault but OH. All evacuation will stop in 10 days. End of.

Cue panic etc. Why the hell did he say that? It seemed to take the international community by surprise.

So naturally massive crowds at airport desperate people mayhem. That's on him.

Taleban naturally say ok fine. End of month. The end.

And now as warned Isis have attacked.

And while people are still there who need to get out. And there's been people hurt and killed. And the planes still need to go. The last evacuation opportunities. And this mess with so many people there a target because you know he said 10 days end.

While that is still happening and the danger is still there. Could be more bombings planned etc. Immediate threat to all those people.

He says we will hunt you down??? We will get you? We will not rest etc?!

Yeah cos that's really sensible when you're withdrawing, the mayhem is a consequence, you set the panic off etc etc.

We're going to come back to get you?

He's a disaster.

im pretty sure hes got senlity , there have been reports in the news of him frequently forgetting whats hes about to say next , appearing confused , its not only a disaster its truly frightening considering hes now running the united states . i dont think he has a clue what hes really doing and i if the reports iv read are true he wont listen to his military advisors who do

@GeorgiaGirl52

I usually try to ignore anti-American comments because Mumsnet is a UK-based group and will naturally be biased. However, I am curious to know - does the UK have Veteran's Hospitals and Rehabilitation Clinics especially and exclusively for military, retired military and former military? Employ over 15,000 medical personnel just for the Veterans? Does the UK pay pensions and educational scholarships for widows and orphans of active servicemen killed in action? Does the UK have "Wounded Warriors" or an equivalent charity that is supported by civilian donations? We got into the Afghanistan conflict because of the 9/11 attack just like we got into Vietnam because of the Gulf of Tonkin. We respond when attacked. Those of you who were born after 1975, read up on the Fall of Saigon. It will be deja vu all over again.

We have the NHS, state pension, state benefits, and council housing. We already have a safety net (albeit flawed) for all.

And most aren't angry at the US, we're angry at Biden.

@Refreshpage

Pen Farthing on BBC news now

hes said his staff have told him to leave them behind and save himself taking as many of the animals as possible ,but thanks to bidens regulation changes he may not be able to take the animals , , i think biden is a man with a lot of blood on his hands ,now and in the future , even if he isnt the one doing the actual killing

You're talking about refugees, it's not like they can nip into Boots at Kabul airport for a mask for crying out loud. Plus this country is riddled with covid anyway so a few more cases will hardly make a difference.

May be but that is not racist which was my point. Everything seems to be racist.