US, NATO Outta Afghanistan 2021

[Colin Parkinson]

F**K of Cluster. You get the government you voted for, this is almost on par with the 1842 British defeat on the retreat from Kabul

As US military sticks to airport, British and French forces are rescuing their citizens in Kabul: reports

Reports of NATO allies conducting extractions is prompting Americans to why we aren't doing the same.

www.militarytimes.com

 

[dimsum]

“Some of our NATO allies have already figured out better solutions. Some, like the French, are just going out with their Special Forces and getting their people by whatever means necessary. Mr. President, if the French can do it, so can we,” Zeller wrote.

For a country that 20 years ago talked about "Freedom Fries" and joked about white French flags, that's gotta sting.

 

[suffolkowner]

Assabiya Wins Every Time

Twenty years, $2 trillion, and the most powerful army in the world were no match for the one thing the Taliban has—and that current American leadership has lost

www.tabletmag.com

they always come from the desert/hinterland eh?

How to Overthrow an Empire – and Replace It with Your Own

Imagine … You are an heir of a Noble House. Your enemies, who include the emperor and a powerful noble, have assassinated your father and destroyed your House. You have escaped, but you have no l…

peterturchin.com

 

[Altair]

F**K of Cluster. You get the government you voted for, this is almost on par with the 1842 British defeat on the retreat from Kabul

As US military sticks to airport, British and French forces are rescuing their citizens in Kabul: reports

Reports of NATO allies conducting extractions is prompting Americans to why we aren't doing the same.

www.militarytimes.com

The french have not been shy in exercising their military force and the Britain known how to retreat from Afghanistan from experience.

Give America time, by their 3rd or 4th retreat from Afghanistan they will know what to do.

 

[MilEME09]

With battle lines now drawn, the question is, who makes the first move? Will the Northern Alliance move to retake Kabul?

 

[Altair]

With battle lines now drawn, the question is, who makes the first move? Will the Northern Alliance move to retake Kabul?

I hope they are not that dumb.

Hopefully they just do what the taliban was able to do, harass, bled out, melt away, for a few years.

Make the taliban bleed trying to hold their gains. Any move they make now is against a battle hardened force that outnumber them.

 

[MilEME09]

I hope they are not that dumb.

Hopefully they just do what the taliban was able to do, harass, bled out, melt away, for a few years.

Make the taliban bleed trying to hold their gains. Any move they make now is against a battle hardened force that outnumber them.

That depends on their assets, how experienced their fighters are, and how much ANA kit they have snagged, and are probably still pillaging or redirecting to them. They have an estimated 10k fighters, that is a very large force if they felt they could take the ground and hold it without major loss, they probably will.

 

[Weinie]

Assabiya Wins Every Time

Twenty years, $2 trillion, and the most powerful army in the world were no match for the one thing the Taliban has—and that current American leadership has lost

www.tabletmag.com

Great post Kirkhill.

 

[Altair]

That depends on their assets, how experienced their fighters are, and how much ANA kit they have snagged, and are probably still pillaging or redirecting to them. They have an estimated 10k fighters, that is a very large force if they felt they could take the ground and hold it without major loss, they probably will.

The taliban number 75k about?

With a large number of those forces making their way to Kabul?

I wouldn't imagine they have enough men at arms to win outright, nor enough structural organization to take advantage of the current situation. Their best chance would probably be retaking all the non pashtun cities in the north, consolidate, and go from there. Especially once the USA and the west are fully gone, and then the USA can back the opposition without fear or things going sideways at HKIA

 

[Pelorus]

For a country that 20 years ago talked about "Freedom Fries" and joked about white French flags, that's gotta sting.

That would imply that those who beat the drum the hardest about Freedom Fries possess any sort of ability for self-reflection or shame.

 

[daftandbarmy]

For a country that 20 years ago talked about "Freedom Fries" and joked about white French flags, that's gotta sting.

I have no doubt that the US troops are ready and willing. It's their political leadership that's letting them down, sadly.

 

[FJAG]

I have no doubt that the US troops are ready and willing. It's their political leadership that's letting them down, sadly.

When one lives in the glass house that is Canada one shouldn't throw risk averse stones at other governments.

Getting every eligible Afghan to safety is now 'almost impossible,' Trudeau says​

​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-afghanistan-afghans-evacuation-taliban-1.6146764

 

[MilEME09]

When one lives in the glass house that is Canada one shouldn't throw risk averse stones at other governments.

gee if only we had a well funded airforce...........

 

[daftandbarmy]

When one lives in the glass house that is Canada one shouldn't throw risk averse stones at other governments.

They must be 'asking too much' again.

 

[Halifax Tar]

When one lives in the glass house that is Canada one shouldn't throw risk averse stones at other governments.

I would imagine the Afghans are just experiencing this differently

 

[OldSolduer]

When one lives in the glass house that is Canada one shouldn't throw risk averse stones at other governments.

Agreed - just pointing it out

 

[dimsum]

gee if only we had a well funded airforce...........

I don't think the number of aircraft is the issue. 5000 planes won't change whether the Taliban allow access to the airport, or if it's safe enough for them to land/take off.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I have no doubt that the US troops are ready and willing. It's their political leadership that's letting them down, sadly.

Just to play the devil's advocate, as some have done in other threads, this assumes that all we see in the bought-and-paid-for media that's being relied on for information is 1) all that the media sees/knows and/or 2) everything going on behind the scenes (esp. with units who prefer a lower profile)

 

[daftandbarmy]

Nice haul of goodies. Maybe we can trade them for some parkas?

Planes, guns, night-vision goggles: The Taliban's new U.S.-made war chest​

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About a month ago, Afghanistan’s ministry of defense posted on social media photographs of seven brand new helicopters arriving in Kabul delivered by the United States.

“They’ll continue to see a steady drumbeat of that kind of support, going forward,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters a few days later at the Pentagon.

In a matter of weeks, however, the Taliban had seized most of the country, as well as any weapons and equipment left behind by fleeing Afghan forces.

Video showed the advancing insurgents inspecting long lines of vehicles and opening crates of new firearms, communications gear and even military drones.

“Everything that hasn’t been destroyed is the Taliban’s now,” one U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

Current and former U.S. officials say there is concern those weapons could be used to kill civilians, be seized by other militant groups such as Islamic State to attack U.S.-interests in the region, or even potentially be handed over to adversaries including China and Russia.

President Joe Biden’s administration is so concerned about the weapons that it is considering a number of options to pursue.

The officials said launching airstrikes against the larger equipment, such as helicopters, has not been ruled out, but there is concern that would antagonize the Taliban at a time the United States' main goal is evacuating people here.

Another official said that while there are no definitive numbers yet, the current intelligence assessment was that the Taliban are believed to control more than 2,000 armored vehicles, including U.S. Humvees, and up to 40 aircraft potentially including UH-60 Black Hawks, scout attack helicopters, and ScanEagle military drones.

“We have already seen Taliban fighters armed with U.S.-made weapons they seized from the Afghan forces. This poses a significant threat to the United States and our allies,” Representative Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, told Reuters in an email.

Planes, guns, night-vision goggles: The Taliban's new U.S.-made war chest

About a month ago, Afghanistan's ministry of defense posted on social media photographs of seven brand new helicopters arriving in Kabul delivered by the United States.

www.reuters.com

 

[Altair]

Nice haul of goodies. Maybe we can trade them for some parkas?

Planes, guns, night-vision goggles: The Taliban's new U.S.-made war chest​

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About a month ago, Afghanistan’s ministry of defense posted on social media photographs of seven brand new helicopters arriving in Kabul delivered by the United States.

“They’ll continue to see a steady drumbeat of that kind of support, going forward,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters a few days later at the Pentagon.

In a matter of weeks, however, the Taliban had seized most of the country, as well as any weapons and equipment left behind by fleeing Afghan forces.

Video showed the advancing insurgents inspecting long lines of vehicles and opening crates of new firearms, communications gear and even military drones.

“Everything that hasn’t been destroyed is the Taliban’s now,” one U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

Current and former U.S. officials say there is concern those weapons could be used to kill civilians, be seized by other militant groups such as Islamic State to attack U.S.-interests in the region, or even potentially be handed over to adversaries including China and Russia.

President Joe Biden’s administration is so concerned about the weapons that it is considering a number of options to pursue.

The officials said launching airstrikes against the larger equipment, such as helicopters, has not been ruled out, but there is concern that would antagonize the Taliban at a time the United States' main goal is evacuating people here.

Another official said that while there are no definitive numbers yet, the current intelligence assessment was that the Taliban are believed to control more than 2,000 armored vehicles, including U.S. Humvees, and up to 40 aircraft potentially including UH-60 Black Hawks, scout attack helicopters, and ScanEagle military drones.

“We have already seen Taliban fighters armed with U.S.-made weapons they seized from the Afghan forces. This poses a significant threat to the United States and our allies,” Representative Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, told Reuters in an email.

Planes, guns, night-vision goggles: The Taliban's new U.S.-made war chest

About a month ago, Afghanistan's ministry of defense posted on social media photographs of seven brand new helicopters arriving in Kabul delivered by the United States.

www.reuters.com

Yeah, for the planes and any other heavy weapons, it will be like what happened with ISIL. They may work for a little while, then lack of maintenance and replacement parts will render them useless.