Afghanistan

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This quote from Biden on July 8 has aged terribly.

“The drawdown is proceeding in a secure and orderly way, prioritizing the safety of our troops as they depart.“

In fact the whole press conference, in which journalists repeatedly asked questions about the risk of a Taliban takeover, shows how badly handled the whole thing has been. surely questions must be asked of the intelligence services?

or did they know but choose to press ahead anyway?

either way, the US is emerging badly from this.
They knew, I'm a bit fed up with this belief by most of the world that governments are fools and don't have any idea what they are doing. They know exactly what they are doing and what the consequences will be. IMO all planned and all going to plan
 
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This quote from Biden on July 8 has aged terribly.

“The drawdown is proceeding in a secure and orderly way, prioritizing the safety of our troops as they depart.“

In fact the whole press conference, in which journalists repeatedly asked questions about the risk of a Taliban takeover, shows how badly handled the whole thing has been. surely questions must be asked of the intelligence services?

or did they know but choose to press ahead anyway?

either way, the US is emerging badly from this.
Indeed, and a phased withdrawal could have taken years - with it being on hold (or even effectively shelved) if the risks were too high.

Why the huge rush? I am questioning the motives / sanity of this.
 
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America knew long ago what would happen when they pulled out (note John F. Sopko was the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction)
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Also there is the arrogance of the US who thought they could implement their version of government into a completely different country and culture.
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I find it interesting that even the US officials didn’t believe in the people there were training. No doubt there were/are decent and upstanding Afghans who wanted/want to help their country but here in this Washington Post article I’m reading from 2019 even back then they knew that the armed forces weren’t strong enough.
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This quote from Biden on July 8 has aged terribly.

“The drawdown is proceeding in a secure and orderly way, prioritizing the safety of our troops as they depart.“

In fact the whole press conference, in which journalists repeatedly asked questions about the risk of a Taliban takeover, shows how badly handled the whole thing has been. surely questions must be asked of the intelligence services?

or did they know but choose to press ahead anyway?

either way, the US is emerging badly from this.
I don't see how there is any way security service wouldn't know, don;t they have experts in the region advising them about this?

They knew, I'm a bit fed up with this belief by most of the world that governments are fools and don't have any idea what they are doing. They know exactly what they are doing and what the consequences will be. IMO all planned and all going to plan
agreed, politicians always just seem to have such short term thinking only willing to do waht will work to be re-elected. I read something earliet about the fact that the last 20 years haven't been a total waste as afghans are more educated, healthier, there is more civil society... Iw ould like to be so optimistic but from how quickly the taliban have taken over I just do not know
 
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So in the recent statements from the Taliban women will be allowed to go about their business as long as it falls under Sharia law. Errrrr.... great. Apparently the current Afghanistan isn't quite Islamic enough for them.
 
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These women are so brave!
Taliban's know the world is watching them right now. They're going to keep a low profile until the intense media coverage and chaos has died down a bit. There's no way they would let these women protest under normal circumstances. They're just putting a front now until they've 100% secured their new status and foreign involvement chaos has diminished, then they'll put their true plans into motion.
 
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These women are so brave!
sad that no men are standing by them tbh

So in the recent statements from the Taliban women will be allowed to go about their business as long as it falls under Sharia law. Errrrr.... great. Apparently the current Afghanistan isn't quite Islamic enough for them.
apparently women have been alowed to continue in healthcare ( presumably because of covid etc) but have been pushed out everywhere else. Regardless of their views, the Taliban are just driving educated people out and destroying the economy, their statements are just trying ot keep these people in the country, which they would be fools to do so. I feel so sorry about the people who cannot leave.

Taliban's know the world is watching them right now. They're going to keep a low profile until the intense media coverage and chaos has died down a bit. There's no way they would let these women protest under normal circumstances. They're just putting a front now until they've 100% secured their new status and foreign involvement chaos has diminished, then they'll put their true plans into motion.
and even now there pretence is slipping, the video with (cannot remember her name, UK journalist) being told to stand back as she was a woman..) there really is VERY little time they can hold this
 
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and even now there pretence is slipping, the video with (cannot remember her name, UK journalist) being told to stand back as she was a woman..)
Clarissa Ward I think she’s called, who works for CNN? I’ve read from some women that they think the Taliban will hold a pretence for a bit and then go back to their old ways.
All this talk about the war, etc has made me think of that photographer that was captured and hasn’t been seen for years, John Cantlie. I wonder how he is.
 
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Clarissa Ward I think she’s called, who works for CNN? I’ve read from some women that they think the Taliban will hold a pretence for a bit and then go back to their old ways.
All this talk about the war, etc has made me think of that photographer that was captured and hasn’t been seen for years, John Cantlie. I wonder how he is.
2012 he was captured.
I wonder is he still alive?? Poor man.
 
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They had some horrific was of murdering people. Horrendous, stuff that is the worst kind of nightmare.
They knew it would hurt all of us around the world. They wanted to do maximum damage to other human beings. They knew we'd feel helpless watching those victims, unable to hold them or help them or comfort them. And they loved that we felt that way.
 
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There is no way the Taliban is not going to be brutal. Clarissa Ward was talking to them yesterday in Kabul and they were chanting "death to America" and saying that "jidhad will rule the world." They are a bunch of brainwashed lunatics.
is that the women from cnn? Who said,”they’re just chanting death to America but they seem friendly at the same time.”
 
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A bit offtopic, either a glitch or BBC news deleted an article about the cultural vandalism by the Taliban a few days ago. Odd


Cultural vandalism is a huge problem in war zones. Granted it’s not one of the biggest issues the country faces but massive swathes of their culture and heritage can be destroyed, wiped out or sold on the black market. The international council of museums has given a statement about the situation.

Also this article on Wikipedia gives a helpful outline of what has been destroyed, all those generations of culture have gone.


I do fear for the people who have worked to protect these sites because they will be in the Taliban’s crosshairs. This happened in Syria around 6 years ago. The curator refused to give ISIS information and they beheaded him.
 
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Cultural vandalism is a huge problem in war zones. Granted it’s not one of the biggest issues the country faces but massive swathes of their culture and heritage can be destroyed, wiped out or sold on the black market. The international council of museums has given a statement about the situation.

Also this article on Wikipedia gives a helpful outline of what has been destroyed, all those generations of culture have gone.


I do fear for the people who have worked to protect these sites because they will be in the Taliban’s crosshairs. This happened in Syria around 6 years ago. The curator refused to give ISIS information and they beheaded him.
All I can say is that the devotion of the faithful must be a very delicate flower indeed if it can’t survive the existence of some ruins that predated even the birth of the prophet.

Perhaps it was the thought of Queen Zenobia leading her nation which so offended their sensibilities?
 
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It's a heartbreaking situation. Them people clinging onto the plane just shows you how desperate these people are. I think like IF they were to pull out it should have been more gradually bit by bit, not just so sudden. The Taliban claim they are reformed now, not like the old Taliban from 2 decades ago and that they will let women have rights to education and work etc.

I'd like to believe that true but we'll see if it's all just sweet talk at the moment. If they are so called calmer now why did I see a poster of a women on a salon shop window sprayed over or was it taken down, the other day?? She didn't look inappropriate or anything 🤔
 
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