Afghan war debacle - All of these are true
1. Trump & Pompeo negotiated a deal in Doha that was a lose/lose situation with the Taliban. That deal in Feb '20 attempted to force peace deals between the Afghan govt and the Taliban and also get our troops out pronto.
2. The Afghanistan war was never winnable and a debacle for any president who inherited it. At this point if the Afghan govt can't get their own people to fight for country we shouldn't be there in any capacity.
3. Yes Biden inherited a deal, but it looks weak blaming Trump. People who have half a brain and don't rely on cable news can see we've spent enough $ and lost enough lives. Polish the turd as much as possible and wash your hands of it.
Replies to: Afghan war debacle - All of these are true
so whats your point?
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The debate over this is ridiculous. Any plan to leave (escape from) Afghanistan would have left
the Taliban free to take over the country at their own pace - The US and UN have given the installed gov't all that was needed
to defend itself and create its own authority. It's their country, they must do it on their own.
Having no intel on how quickly the Taliban would reassert itself makes sense. The Afghan gov't would have made
an assessment on this and if they got it wrong - that's their battle to fight.
We're out - The only thing I hope is, all those who supported the US and UN during these long years, who were
promised asylum elsewhere do get out as promised.
Pls learn some history. Secular Afghanistan gov of post USSR withdrawal didn't allow Muslin to "take
over the country at their own pace" Just one example, Afghanistan athletics even attended Olympic Game in Soul months after USSR began withdrawal process.
Oh boy - another of the experts on board.
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Ridiculous? Yes, how dare people ask Blinken to explain just why they were so wrong...
It just is. As you noted below - Saigon! The US got that wrong too.
The US military knew the strength of the Afghan army as well as the determination of the Taliban. The Taliban have been in wait for
years knowing these days would come. They were all set to fill the void once the US/UN departed. Everyone knew this - there
is and was no secret. The inevitability of this was known years ago.
The thing about it is, the Afghan's knew this too.
Blinken and Co. got the time-line wrong - really no explanation needed - they just have very short term memory and short-sighted
view of an outcome. No debacle, just didn't go the way they wanted it to.
Not better preparing for the real time line is the legit criticism.
They had no contingency planning for a rapid complete collapse.
That will now be in the playbook.
Something like this was bound to happen. Just man up and own it. In time it will be shown to have been the right choice.
It just emphasizes how dumb our foreign policies are. We hold gov't's 4 to 8 years
with zero to little experience in world affairs - we have a big military so we don't need to think beyond expediency. ( take a look at this board -
so many on here are world affair experts suddenly and yet they still can't find Afghanistan on a map. But they're willing to shout, "blow'em up
shoot them - send the military in" noting none would be on the front lines.)
It's always the same no matter who is in charge. Look at our consulates around the globe. We have ambassadors who are appointed by
POTUS's and all they've ever done was run a toy store. Bad stuff. Blinken has been around and is better than most (experienced) so it's just
his inability to get the time-line correct. The Biden admin got that wrong. Do better.
Not before Joe gets beat over the head by his July presser & and embassy evac photos.
That's going to live in the memory for a long time and his opponents will take great pleasure in punishing him for it.
Gary Hart on the Monkey Business boat. Dukakis in his tank. Trump and Sharpie Gate. Be difficult to shake this imagery. Optics optics optics....
Oh MAS et al are already sporting wood over it.
Difference is unlike the cult with Orange, no one is saying he’s blameless here.
.
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He was wrong. Everybody was wrong.
There was no reason to think the government and army would collapse essentially without a fight, especially since they are going to be the ones that pay the price.
Even Najibullah’s government lasted a few years.
What happened to the “elite units”? Or Dostum’s guys? Or the remnants of the northern alliance?
It is amazing. But it is their tragedy, not ours.
It’s our tragedy also - a big one, and yet another IC failure.
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According to Wa Po, they traded surrender for money. What a clusterfuck.
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MMmm, just stupid Americans thinking they could buy and barter their way out of a tough situation.
Americans always think that's the cure. It rarely if ever is.
We get involved in shite that we don’t even have a clue about.
Then we try to deal with it our way like money, nation building etc.
In the meantime the tribal savages who play the long game just bide their time and smile, and sometimes make a little money off it.
I don't disagree - We should have wiped out Al-Q and moved out. But there was money to be made.
Iraq - "the quagmire" but when there was money to be made, invade!
Bad attitude. Take the high road, admit the speed surprised you, and take ownership.
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Leaving Afghanistan was a reasonable decision, even with the Taliban resuming power.
Nevertheless, President Biden is responsible for the safe withdrawal of US personnel/assets + Afghan nationalists who helped us.
And it is becoming clear that we have failed to meet those obligations. Biden has to own that failure.
fair and objective comment.
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"Seasoned, competent, and experienced professionals are now running the country. "
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I have been very clear that this withdrawal will be a humiliating chapter in Biden’s Administration.
So have a beer and celebrate, while the catastrophe unravels.
I remain fiercely objective and forthright when criticism is warranted.
Nice bitch slapping.
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Well then, you'll have to admit at some point that incompetence is rampant within our gov.
Nothing has changed on that front, nor is likely to change in the future.
Blinken will just get a wink and a nod from most of the media...
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Too early to give him a Nobel (or an Emmy)?
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Secretary of State Blinken wants the UN to investigate racism in America
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"Seasoned, competent, and experienced professionals are now running the country. "
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General CRT Milley,Lloyd Raytheon Austin are both piss boy fake soldiers
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This is correct. The failure was in the setting of a deadline for PR and how it was handled...
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Well yeah, but pulling out 2,500 troops doesn’t take long. If we did it in the middle of the night
without telling anyone, that could even be worse.
Bottom line is the options were maintaining a small presence indefinitely or giving our allies fair warning that we are leaving with some type of deadline.
We fled Bagram at 1 AM and didn't even inform the Afghan commander there.
I don't see how any American can watch this complete fucking debacle without feeling profoundly depressed.
If this is the inevitable result of a withdrawal, then we should have stayed. This is about the worst possible outcome. These Taliban shitbirds are going to get right to work planning the next humiliation for us.
Good example. Of course it’s profoundly sad and the consequences are bad.
Leaving a small force was the recommended Pentagon option.
He needs to explain and own it and then move on. In the long run, I still feel it was the correct choice.
He had to send 4,000 troops back in...
(EDIT: Now 6000)
Link: Biden's Afghanistan Exit Raises Questions About His Foreign-Policy Record
He needs to own it like Kennedy did with the Bay of Pigs.
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Our wars in other countries are always unwinnable.
No people on earth wants to be ruled by others... or their Vichy surrogates.
We are aliens in these strange lands.
Leave the neo-colonialism to the Chinese.
It's their turn to commit our ancient errors.
we did what we had to do.
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General Dynamics and Lockheed along with their investors,always 🥇 win
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We never see the world for what is. We always try to make it into what we want it to be.
This is the outcome when we realize our mistakes.
You are correct, especially among the military and political elite class
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Re: We never see the world for what is. We always try to make it into what we want it to be.
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Agreed 100%. We live in Plato's cave.
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Biden owns it cause it’s on his watch. He needs to recognize that. But the hand wringing and emoting
here from many who have been calling for a complete withdrawal for years is redunkulous.
Except neocon, we all support withdrawal. The issue is how to prepare and handle this withdrawal
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So "the prep" is the issue here? You feel preparation would've been better whether there was R or D
at the end of the name?
I think the overall glaring issue is how the Afghans have simply rolled over for the Taliban.