Afghanistan

[Yel]

It's difficult to say (and really a waste of time now anyway, what's done is done).

Fundamentally you might say that Trump's deal with the Taliban was a bad idea, because it let a load of them out of the jails, also should never negotiate with terrorists etc. However that very same Trump deal with the taliban is precisely why we've had these last few weeks to get on and do the mass evacuation in (relative) calm (except for the separate Isis-K lot causing the trouble yesterday) rather than a full-on instant warzone, and has meant that loads of countries have each been able to get tens of thousands of citizens out safely. So Trump probably deserves credit overall for that deal strategy?

But who knows really. Trump said he would get out by May, Biden extended things to now. Trump probably would have kept the bigger and better Bagram open as an alternative airfield, Biden just binned that off and totally abandoned it without really telling anyone in July, forcing everything to go through the Hamid Karzai airport. Trump's withdrawal might have been faster but more orderly, Biden's has been chaotic and stuck two fingers up at other countries needing the airport as well. We'll never know.

Yep we will never really know but to me it does seem like Biden made the absolute worst of what he inherited and has been shameful since with claims like it was always going to happen like this and it was all unavoidable.

I agree trump would have probably kept open bagram airfield open aka what was the most secure and guarded airport until recently. That would have reduced much of the chaos and saved more lives.

 

[Sheila Bloom]

I think people were wanting him to storm in and say ‘no’ we want more time and the taliban would just well, have to accept it.

Unless it’s because they are winding things up now, when the 31st isn’t until Tuesday. But the line has always been so long as it’s safe to do it until then. And its not safe now so theyve had to move things on, however shocked we all are and upset at people being left behind.
But I think things will go on until then, it just won’t be reported so widely because it will be all the classified stuff, the military ops etc done between now and then when they have got the civilians etc out.

but I’ll be honest, I can’t work Biden out at all, so whether he’s just bleeping everyone over to get thing done by a 9/11 deadline as I read, or whther the US have just rogue because they can, I dunno. But his decision making seems increasingly wobbly to me, not just in this matter

Wobbly?! Talk about the biggest understatement of the year.. He is an abomination. Stupid old wick

 

[Merpedy]

Apparently the US gave the Taliban a list of names of all the people they wanted to evacuate. Which could effectively turn into a hit list when the US pulls out
Also we have ducked up too:
View attachment 733253

Has our Ambassador left?

U.S. officials provided Taliban with names of Americans, Afghan allies to evacuate

The White House contends that limited information sharing with the Taliban is saving lives; critics argue it's putting Afghan allies in harm's way.

www.politico.com

US under fire for trusting Taliban with list of names of aides they want to evacuate

The decision to share a list has reportedly led to behind-the-scenes outrage among lawmakers and US defense officials

www.independent.co.uk

They've also been wilfully handing over some information which has caused a lot of anger

Honestly, even if it has worked, it's such a stupid thing to admit

 

[thegirlscout]

U.K. is pulling out with 150 Brits and 1,100 eligible Afghans still left behind.

 

[freda19]

U.K. is pulling out with 150 Brits and 1,100 eligible Afghans still left behind.

Here we go then. Start the count down to hostage videos and demands that the guys know can't be met by the west without putting more lives at risk.

 

[freda19]

No idea how true/reliable this is , from twitter

 

[emm]

I didn't realise trump was back on some platforms, he released this a few days ago

whoever's doing his pr now is very good, looks much more professional and keeping the focus off trump himself is clearly a good thing. I would never vote trump if I was American but I imagine this kind of thing would start to convince even people who didn't vote him before

No idea how true/reliable this is , from twitter

if this is true they shouldn't be highlighting it

 

[WhatwouldPrinnyDo]

My last thought on the whole Pen Farthing debacle, and genuine question- could people not have travelled in the hold instead of animals? I get it’s potentially not pleasant conditions but I think the majority would put up with anything just to get out of that country at any cost. Just feel it’s unbearable that 1,000 people are being left behind.
Also, what will his employees do now for employment if the animals have been removed? I very much doubt the Taliban are going to allow Afghans to just leave willy nilly after the deadline, as they’ll have a massive exodus and brain drain which will undermine the rebuilding of their country. Apparently, the specialist airport staff and air traffic controllers have all evacuated already.

 

[Chita]

 

[Rita Chevrolet]

View attachment 733495

Chita they're back inside the airport this time just awaiting the aircraft! They should be off today

I wonder why if Pen can arrange a private charter jet to fetch him, his crew, the animals and other refugees (about 170 of them), why could the respective govts not do that??

 

[Chita]

Chita they're back inside the airport this time just awaiting the aircraft! They should be off today

I wonder why if Pen can arrange a private charter jet to fetch him, his crew, the animals and other refugees (about 170 of them), why could the respective govts not do that??

On Talk Radio last night they said Pen's plane had been organised and paid for by an un-named wealthy benefactor.

Maybe that person has also financed others but because of Pen's high profile he's the one getting the coverage because the Animal rights activists can get press interviews on radio and telly etc because they are often high profile celebs like Peter Egan and Ricky Gervais.

We'll find out more as people get out of that hell hole.

 

[Underthetabletop]

Well, now he’s back maybe he can either crack on with what he’s doing and let the gov sort out the people they didn’t have time to process because of dealing with his Twitter crew, or he can help in some way towards resettlement of refugees. But probably not because they weren’t his staff. The next fuss will probably about getting his wife over here as she went back to Norway, and the rules have changed since Brexit.
Although I’d love to know if he used his care and military skills to help after the blast, or if, as it appeared, he fecked off as quick as he could in his vans and still had to try and gain some more attention by claiming to have been shot at- whilst people were dying and being run to safety in manky wheelbarrows……
sorry, that’s harsh, but we have effectively given 150 British hostages to the Taliban. And 1,100 Afghans. And that’s just from outside! And things will only get worse now the US have done a drone strike on the isis hq. They should be the priority now, and his supporters need to get behind them.

Chita they're back inside the airport this time just awaiting the aircraft! They should be off today

I wonder why if Pen can arrange a private charter jet to fetch him, his crew, the animals and other refugees (about 170 of them), why could the respective govts not do that??

the govs can’t just fund charter planes, I know they have used their mates for Covid stuff, but can you image the uproar if it came out they paid say, Richard Branson to evacuate refugees. Certain papers would have them over a barrel.
And they would have to pay more because what pilot would want to risk it. They might to be part of the ark story, but for normal people….

 

[NeverEnough]

It really is depressing reading social media this morning. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people now facing imminent arrest, torture or execution. Human Rights violations aplenty incoming. And Trump and Biden fans are just tearing strips off each other over which of their septuagenarian heroes would be the least disastrous. Why is it always someone’s “fault”? Why is it always that freakin’ simple? The roots of the Afghanistan conflict lie in 9/11 and Bush took America there in the first place. Maybe he is to “blame”? The roots of 9/11 lie in the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Maybe we should dig up the corpse of Leonid Brezhnev and demand it’s social media accounts are frozen. (Seems to be the ultimate sanction these days ). bleeping hell let’s go back to the Sassanid Persia conquest 2500 years ago. Those bloody Iranians. Mental. Utterly bloody mental and of no use whatsoever.

What about all these billionaires who claim to “love America” and could have chartered a fleet of planes out of small change? Seemed to have gone missing. How many virtue signalling SJWs are currently giving up their spare rooms to house Afghan refugees who have literally nothing? I guess “no selfie no point”?

Welcome to the West Afghan refugees. Good luck.

 

[Underthetabletop]

Wobbly?! Talk about the biggest understatement of the year.. He is an abomination. Stupid old wick

I was trying to be polite, I could have used a lot harsher words, but he’s someone’s grandad and I wouldn’t have wanted my grandad to be called names at that age. That said, my grandad knew at that age to just enjoy retirement, a trip to town was enough for him not trying to run the world

 

[whathastheworldcometo]

I find it ironic that so many people now complain about Biden being too old when he was effectively used to get rid of Trump.

He was hardly going to age backwards, was he?

I don't like Trump and think he shouldn't be president, but people voted for Biden knowing his age and think it is not fair to hold it against him now.
They got what they voted for.

I still find it hard to believe that there were no other presidential candidates.

 

[Underthetabletop]

There should be an upper age limit. They wouldn’t let an 18 year old run for any job like this (that said, given the level of influence american parents appear have in their kids lives, maybe it would be a good idea, puppet and all that….) But the reality is, money talks and the only people who can back presidential runs seriously are rich old men and they will only support rich old men in their network…. Hilary was an anomaly to the system and only back because of her connections, and god knows how Obama got through!
It’s times like this I’m grateful for the flawed British system. It’s crap and we have career mps in safe seats, but it’s a lot more responsible and accountable then this system.

 

[Yel]

I don't like Trump and think he shouldn't be president, but people voted for Biden knowing his age and think it is not fair to hold it against him now.
They got what they voted for.

Maybe it's the same people as before saying he was too old saying it again now?

For lots of things there should be an age limit (like driving!) but implementing it is difficult

 

[whathastheworldcometo]

Maybe it's the same people as before saying he was too old saying it again now?

For lots of things there should be an age limit (like driving!) but implementing it is difficult

Yes, maybe.

I wouldn't even see age as the problem - I think TQ is fairly level headed and she is 95 and also has some limited say in government decisions - but more general health and there were some signs of Biden being confused during the election campaign.

 

[NeverEnough]

I find it ironic that so many people now complain about Biden being too old when he was effectively used to get rid of Trump.

He was hardly going to age backwards, was he?

I don't like Trump and think he shouldn't be president, but people voted for Biden knowing his age and think it is not fair to hold it against him now.
They got what they voted for.

I still find it hard to believe that there were no other presidential candidates.

In my opinion a lot of people voted for Biden in the hope that he would wobble off into retirement after a couple of years, leaving us with Kamala Harris. Because that’s ultimately what they wanted, a black female president, irrespective of her actual ability, and without having to go through such boring details like actually winning an election in her own right.

And should this actually happen how good, bad or indifferent she is at her job will become irrelevant. Her supporters will claim she is the greatest president in history (see Obama), whilst those opposed will go back to their compounds in rural Iowa to prepare for Armageddon.

Think the first female Dr Who on a global scale.

 

[whathastheworldcometo]

In my opinion a lot of people voted for Biden in the hope that he would wobble off into retirement after a couple of years, leaving us with Kamala Harris. Because that’s ultimately what they wanted, a black female president, irrespective of her actual ability, and without having to go through such boring details like actually winning an election in her own right.

And should this actually happen how good, bad or indifferent she is at her job will become irrelevant. Her supporters will claim she is the greatest president in history (see Obama), whilst those opposed will go back to their compounds in rural Iowa to prepare for Armageddon.

Think the first female Dr Who on a global scale.

I suspect the same and wonder why they haven't put up Kamala as a candidate.

Because she was a black woman as supposed to a white man? This is really sad.

I don't think she has what it got to be president, the video of her answering questions didn't come across well.
She has a nervous laugh, is very "American" in the way she responds to questions and phrases things (makes it hard to relate to her for me as a European) and I just don't think she has a lot of charisma.