US, NATO Outta Afghanistan 2021

[Weinie]

Honestly, what can the president really do about the Taliban deadline at this point?

From what I've gathered the general consensus is that the Taliban could start dropping mortars and rockets on that airfield at any time and make this airlift basically impossible, or just light the place up with small arms fire from nearby heavily populated civilian buildings causing total chaos, they have it surrounded and they have eyes on. They were more capable, or at least more motivated, than the ANA. Right now it seems pretty obvious who is in control unless I'm missing something. It certainly seems this withdrawal is so badly botched at this point, what other choice is there? It certainly seems getting out of there at this point, before it gets worse, is pretty much the only option short of a full on re-invasion on mass aerial bombing which is definitely not going to happen. Of course this is from a keyboard far away from Afghanistan, so perhaps some others may have different opinions, but it seems like this "withdrawal" just did not go well, does anyone have any other ideas?

I suspect that there has been some negotiations behind the scenes, which explains why the Taliban haven't lit up the airport. As well, it suits the Taliban to have a 31 August deadline for withdrawal, with no actions before that date. It is a win/win for them.

 

[Mills Bomb]

Early I had asked if anyone knew anything about the Afghan troops stationed between the Tally and us at the airport, acting as a buffer zone at/near the North gate. Any sense if the US will take these guys with them on the last flights or just leave them to their fate? If leaving them, why the hell are these guys still there doing this job, why not big out now, in the chaos and hope for the best.

I agree, but, it would probably make further negotiations tough at this point as well...

 

[CBH99]

I suspect that there has been some negotiations behind the scenes, which explains why the Taliban haven't lit up the airport. As well, it suits the Taliban to have a 31 August deadline for withdrawal, with no actions before that date. It is a win/win for them.

Agreed.

It gives the west time to evacuate whoever we need to evacuate, and for the Taliban to consolidate & organize their forces in the city, for when their new government starts to implement its policies & goals.

 

[Czech_pivo]

I don't know anything about this.

Reading up on 2 Para, they make it seem like its them at the entry point and 5 feet out from them its the Taliban.

So for them at least, there is no buffer zone.

I think I found my answer.
This is from yesterday and it talks about roughly 600 Afghan special forces at the airport, North gate I’ve read elsewhere, acting as a buffer between the Tally and us. US is considering taking them out with them at the end.

Google News

Comprehensive up-to-date news coverage, aggregated from sources all over the world by Google News.

news.google.com

 

[CBH99]

Early I had asked if anyone knew anything about the Afghan troops stationed between the Tally and us at the airport, acting as a buffer zone at/near the North gate. Any sense if the US will take these guys with them on the last flights or just leave them to their fate? If leaving them, why the hell are these guys still there doing this job, why not big out now, in the chaos and hope for the best.

That is one hell of a good question.

There has been some negotiations behind the scenes with the Taliban, hence the airport reopening and them not lighting everybody up/mortaring the flight line and crowds.

Whether anybody negotiated an extraction on behalf of the ANA guys still assisting us around the airport, no idea. (I mean the Taliban did promise not to retaliate against anybody who helped us after all…so they should be totally fine come September 1st… )

 

[CBH99]

I think I found my answer.
This is from yesterday and it talks about roughly 600 Afghan special forces at the airport, North gate I’ve read elsewhere, acting as a buffer between the Tally and us. US is considering taking them out with them at the end.

Google News

Comprehensive up-to-date news coverage, aggregated from sources all over the world by Google News.

news.google.com

I hope so, as the Afghan special forces are one of the only elements of ANSF that have pulled their weight and have been genuinely effective.

My guess is they leave with the yanks. Otherwise, you pose a great question - why stick around?

 

[Weinie]

That is one hell of a good question.

There has been some negotiations behind the scenes with the Taliban, hence the airport reopening and them not lighting everybody up/mortaring the flight line and crowds.

Whether anybody negotiated an extraction on behalf of the ANA guys still assisting us around the airport, no idea. (I mean the Taliban did promise not to retaliate against anybody who helped us after all…so they should be totally fine come September 1st… )

They fucking better, and if not, light them up hard.

 

[OldSolduer]

Agreed.

It gives the west time to evacuate whoever we need to evacuate, and for the Taliban to consolidate & organize their forces in the city, for when their new government starts to implement its policies & goals.

Don’t forget the stoning of women, beheading of apostates and various other reforms. TV and radio strictly controlled if allowed at all.
Barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen.

 

[CBH99]

Don’t forget the stoning of women, beheading of apostates and various other reforms. TV and radio strictly controlled if allowed at all.
Barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen.

Have to consolidate forces in the capital, get them organized to control entry points, checkpoints inside the city, and enough forces & equipment to slowly start venturing out to reinforce and control surrounding areas.

Evil pricks? Absolutely. But unfortunately ones who seem to have decent organizational skills.

 

[ArmyRick]

Anybody noticed the stunning silence from the "woke" or "progressive" crowd being silent on this whole situation in Afghanistan?

No demonstrations for womens rights, equality, LGBT acceptance, education, etc.

 

[The Bread Guy]

One detailed take from the inside ....

... I am a three-star general in the Afghan Army. For 11 months, as commander of 215 Maiwand Corps, I led 15,000 men in combat operations against the Taliban in southwestern Afghanistan. I’ve lost hundreds of officers and soldiers. That’s why, as exhausted and frustrated as I am, I wanted to offer a practical perspective and defend the honor of the Afghan Army. I’m not here to absolve the Afghan Army of mistakes. But the fact is, many of us fought valiantly and honorably, only to be let down by American and Afghan leadership.

Two weeks ago, while battling to hold the southern city of Lashkar Gah from the Taliban, President Ashraf Ghani named me commander of Afghanistan’s special forces, the country’s most elite fighters. I reluctantly left my troops and arrived in Kabul on Aug. 15, ready to fight — unaware how bad the situation already was. Then Mr. Ghani handed me the added task of ensuring the security of Kabul. But I never even had a chance: The Taliban were closing in, and Mr. Ghani fled the country.

There is an enormous sense of betrayal here. Mr. Ghani’s hasty escape ended efforts to negotiate an interim agreement for a transition period with the Taliban that would have enabled us to hold the city and help manage evacuations. Instead, chaos ensued ...

... So why did the Afghan military collapse? The answer is threefold. First, former President Donald Trump’s February 2020 peace deal with the Taliban in Doha doomed us. It put an expiration date on American interest in the region. Second, we lost contractor logistics and maintenance support critical to our combat operations. Third, the corruption endemic in Mr. Ghani’s government that flowed to senior military leadership and long crippled our forces on the ground irreparably hobbled us ...

Also attached in case link doesn't work for you.

The author's Twitter feed stops 8 Aug.

 

[OldSolduer]

Anybody noticed the stunning silence from the "woke" or "progressive" crowd being silent on this whole situation in Afghanistan?

No demonstrations for womens rights, equality, LGBT acceptance, education, etc.

Come to think of it….

 

[Brad Sallows]

So how many Canadian and European soldiers are you willing to let die just so you can say 'Fuck You' to the taliban?

The last year-plus, the number of foreign soldiers has been relatively low, with relatively few fatalities, and the country was approximately stable. Some have argued that an indefinite presence of that magnitude was bearable and worth the cost (not that they were paying the iron price part of it).

The 31 Aug deadline was set by Biden, not the Taliban. They're just helping him stick to it. They've probably seen him on TV and are worried he might forget.

 

[Journeyman]

If anyone is interested in the actual 29 Feb 2020 Trump/Taliban agreement on the withdrawal of US/Coalition forces, including timelines, it's available here. Enjoy.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Anybody noticed the stunning silence from the "woke" or "progressive" crowd being silent on this whole situation in Afghanistan?

No demonstrations for womens rights, equality, LGBT acceptance, education, etc.

Attacking Israel incessantly has exhausted the woke crowd and the massive closure of Starbucks and other safe spaces have left them emotionally shattered. Can't someone please think of the non-binary children!!!!

 

[dapaterson]

After twenty years, four US presidents, and trillions of dollars, we've successfully replaced the Taliban with the Taliban.

 

[The Bread Guy]

If anyone is interested in the actual 29 Feb 2020 Trump/Taliban agreement on the withdrawal of US/Coalition forces, including timelines, it's available here. Enjoy.

Thanks for that! Still online, unlike the GOP's online bragging over said agreement

 

[Altair]

2 US lawmakers' Kabul trip prompts Biden administration fury

Two members of Congress flew unannounced into Kabul airport in the middle of the ongoing chaotic evacuation, and their visit Tuesday stunned State Department and U.S. military personnel who had to divert resources to provide security and information to the lawmakers.

apnews.com

Troops on the ground must have loved this.

 

[brihard]

2 US lawmakers' Kabul trip prompts Biden administration fury

Two members of Congress flew unannounced into Kabul airport in the middle of the ongoing chaotic evacuation, and their visit Tuesday stunned State Department and U.S. military personnel who had to divert resources to provide security and information to the lawmakers.

apnews.com

Troops on the ground must have loved this.

Sorta seems like a situation that’s been ripe for a bit of oversight and fact finding.

 

[KevinB]

If anyone is interested in the actual 29 Feb 2020 Trump/Taliban agreement on the withdrawal of US/Coalition forces, including timelines, it's available here. Enjoy.

Do I get to sue for breach of contract?

Sorta seems like a situation that’s been ripe for a bit of oversight and fact finding.

Just a tad.

Honestly, what can the president really do about the Taliban deadline at this point?

From what I've gathered the general consensus is that the Taliban could start dropping mortars and rockets on that airfield at any time and make this airlift basically impossible, or just light the place up with small arms fire from nearby heavily populated civilian buildings causing total chaos, they have it surrounded and they have eyes on. They were more capable, or at least more motivated, than the ANA. Right now it seems pretty obvious who is in control unless I'm missing something. It certainly seems this withdrawal is so badly botched at this point, what other choice is there? It certainly seems getting out of there at this point, before it gets worse, is pretty much the only option short of a full on re-invasion on mass aerial bombing which is definitely not going to happen. Of course this is from a keyboard far away from Afghanistan, so perhaps some others may have different opinions, but it seems like this "withdrawal" just did not go well, does anyone have any other ideas?

It took the Northern Alliance with 5th SFG assistance (and OGA personnel) less than two weeks to remove the Taliban after 9/11
There are currently more assets in theatre than then.
IF the USG had the will - clearing the TB would not take long -- but it could be a little messy.