Is anyone else looking at Afghanistan?

[PickUpAPepper]

I'm unhappy about the abandonment of these women in Afghanistan. Johnson's speech is the usual male-centred self-justificatory claptrap. Freedom, justice, equality and even terrorism - all of it only means anything when men or money are involved. These women deserve freedom from the Taliban, and support to find it.

news.sky.com/story/i-dont-want-them-to-die-bitterness-resentment-and-fear-as-afghanistans-new-generation-left-to-fend-for-themselves-12349139

[notimagain]

Also, is anyone else on Flightradar24? I had a look the other day and flights were crossing Afghanistan at 40,000 feet. Today the airspace is very quiet

FWIW not heard yet of any changes promulgated by national authorities to Afghan overflights but airlines could be making their own decisions. In any event it could all change very quickly, especially if/once there’s a risk of Air Traffic Control ceasing to function.

Pre Covid the usual rush of overflights used to happen late evening UK time, be interesting to see what happens tonight ….

[wasjustthinking]

We're far from innocent when it comes to Afghanistan. We've invaded the country 3 times www.britannica.com/event/Anglo-Afghan-Wars ... and this was all before 2001

I'm not sure it is the best use of our resources, and more importantly our young men, to keep these things going.

I know it's part of our tradition and history to invade other places, but some habits are best left in the past.

[FlorisFigure]

I have had another look at Flightradar24 and a few international planes are going over at 39-41,000 ft, plus a flight has just left Kabul airport for Delhi.

Sorry if this is interpreted as a derail but I see this as away of looking at what’s happening in real time. I’ve been to Kabul and I’ve flown on Ariane Afghan Airways. This was when the Russians were pulling out in January 1989. The crew were frightened, you could tell. Our flight had been delayed due to “heavy snow” aka fighting at Kabul and the plane changed crew from the Delhi/Kabul leg to the Kabul/Prague leg. Each crew member hugged each other as though it would be the last time. My boyfriend spent time chatting to a male crew member who was honest and said that the cabin crew were targets as they were now seen to have collaborated with the Russians. My BF gave him our address and told him to use it if he ever managed to leave the country and needed somewhere to stay. We never heard from him.

Sorry, I’m going into all this detail here as this is not only a repeat scanario but a worse one. It is a dreadful, dreadful situation.

[meditrina]

Mazar-e-Sharif has fallen, so it is looking ever more grim. The speed of the advance is quite astounding

[colouringindoors]

Loks like the majority of the Afghan Army are deserting/trying to escape to Uzbekistan. Did the UK and US really think this army could cope with the Taliban??? Speed of Taliban's takeover raises massive questions.

[colouringindoors]

Let them get on with it

Lovely.

[CovidCorvid]

And Boris says it’s ok because the time they’ve spent in Afghanistan enabled lots of girls/women to be educated and also,squashed the terrorism risk in the U.K.!

Is he on another planet?

What does he think will happen to those girls/women now? Won’t the risk of the taliban increase global fundamentalism and increase the risk of terrorism here?

[MrsOvertonsWindow]

The news seems to get worse by the hour. So terrifying to be a woman or girl there.

[CovidCorvid]

Seems like the taliban have got hold of USA weapons, etc inc black hawk helicopters. They probably can’t fly them but what else have they got? So effectively they’ve now armed the taliban. Great.

[ChardonnaysPetDragon]

Seems like the taliban have got hold of USA weapons, etc inc black hawk helicopters. They probably can’t fly them but what else have they got? So effectively they’ve now armed the taliban. Great.

Why do you think they can't fly them? they seem much better organised and trained than the regular army.

Underestimating them was a mistake.

[PickUpAPepper]

Is it possible this is the Afghan government way of creating a peaceful solution?? Al-Jazeera has lots of material, it seems the army is pretty much surrendering. It mentions commanders running or being handed over. Women being imprisoned in their homes.

[PickUpAPepper]

I am so sick of men in public right now. We give them life, at great cost to ourselves. We give them homes. In return they treat us with total contempt.

[meditrina]

@CovidCorvid

Seems like the taliban have got hold of USA weapons, etc inc black hawk helicopters. They probably can’t fly them but what else have they got? So effectively they’ve now armed the taliban. Great.

They've been doing that for decades

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cyclone

It began shortly after the Soviet invasion in 1979 (when this latest cycle of Afghan wars began) and continued for a considerable period. In addition to what the US supplied, there is also found it's way there after the break up if the USSR, and what they captured whatever they captured when they gained territory

And that leaving aside what al-Qaeda procured and where it ended up.

They have stingers - range 5 miles. How close are Taliban forces now to Kabul and Hamid Karzai airport?

[PickUpAPepper]

These might help www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/14/major-northern-afghan-city-mazar-i-sharif-falls-to-the-taliban
and
www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/14/taliban-launch-new-assault-on-northern-afghan-city-live

[notimagain]

They have stingers - range 5 miles. How close are Taliban forces now to Kabul and Hamid Karzai airport?

FWIW most if not all of the Stingers that got into Afghan hands back in the days of the Soviet invasion will be well past the end of their shelf life….

There will be other ordnance, possibly of non American origin, that would likely be a more threat.

[Peregrina]

I read that they were only seven miles from Kabul - which is only a couple of hours on foot. God help those poor people. We have let them down and let them down badly.

[meditrina]

Yes, the arsenal is not what it was.

US estmates they have about 80 viable stingers now

(info leaked via Pakistan (? probably) who appear to be helping US hunt for them)

(Might be part of the thinking behind Biden's warning that if US interests are hit, US will retaliate?)

[PicsInRed]

@meditrina

Mazar-e-Sharif has fallen, so it is looking ever more grim. The speed of the advance is quite astounding

The Taliban were 30 miles outside Kabul yesterday, and only 7 miles out today. At that rate, Kabul could easily fall overnight or tomorrow.

I have absotely no idea how we can possibly get our people - both western passported and local Afghan staff - out before Kabul falls? Our embassies are already under orders to burn sensitive papers and destroy all electronics. That's not an orderly and planned exit, that's panicked.

I don't think we'll get everyone out, not even close, and it's horrifying to watch.

[Peregrina]

After cutting and running from the country, how can the US retaliate?

[meditrina]

@Peregrina

After cutting and running from the country, how can the US retaliate?

US troops haven't quite all gone (final departures not set until the end of the month) also reinforcements going in to assist evacuation.

I guess it's a warning that they will defend themselves if attacked - and concept of 'defence' in these circumstances can mean hitting very hard indeed.

Not really connected to the abide, thus NYTimes article is interesting, though depressing - clearly no appetite to prevent Afghanistan from unravelling, even if that has adverse implications for US reputation

www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/13/world/afghanistan-taliban

[PicsInRed]

I've just read that the UK ambassador is still in Afghanistan madness and the SAS are on a mission to get him and remaining embassy staff out via the airport by Sunday night. The UK embassy will close and our diplomatic presence will cease - of course we know what this will mean for the Afghan staff who had not yet secured visas.

The Taliban are believed to now already be on the outskirts of Kabul. Do we really think they won't be in Kabul by tomorrow night?

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/britons-flee-afghanistan-as-taliban-close-in-q99sth9bz

[emlouwat]

Twitter reports that the Taliban are surrounding Kabul airport

[PicsInRed]

@emlouwat

Twitter reports that the Taliban are surrounding Kabul airport

If those reports are accurate then that is terrible news, as it suggests they don't intend for evacuees to leave.

[emlouwat]

It is Twitter though so may not be entirely true. Just seen on Flightradar24 that RAF plane has stopped in Al Minhad air base UAE about 10 mins ago. Assume for refuelling.

[FlorisFigure]

The video of the fighting seems to have been taken in Lebanon, not Kabul.