Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » Who dropped the ball? Afghan troops or the US? Now the US sends BACK IN thousands of more troops. Merry-go-round anyone?
RosieG

Who dropped the ball? Afghan troops or the US? Now the US sends BACK IN thousands of more troops. Merry-go-round anyone?

Caged hamsters running in circles ENDLESSLY going nowhere?

This is ridiculous.

Posted - August 19, 2021
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Responses


  • 6023
    I would say the fault lies mainly with the Afghan government.
    They obviously failed to "win the hearts and minds" of their own people ... allowing the Taliban to maintain and grow its network of followers.

    The US military shares fault in that we did not equip the military/police well enough.
    Their military was using the same vehicles the Taliban were ... altered civilian SUVs and trucks, with no protection against small-arms fire.
    We also failed to help their government "wins the hearts and minds" of the people, other than in the cities.  
    Both US and Afghan government basically left the rural areas to the Taliban.
      August 19, 2021 7:46 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Am I right to feel hugely embarrassed at SENDING BACK IN THOUSANDS OF TROOPS? Or shamed that there was no  plan being executed in advance in timely fashion? I know we did not expect complete collapse n 11 days. But is that a sufficient enough reason to be in this gawdawful mess Walt? Should you always have a PLAN B just in case the A plan doesn't work? Too confusing to figger out. Thank you for your informative and helpful reply. Are you embarrassed too? I know what a silly thing to think about now. Even so...... This post was edited by RosieG at August 19, 2021 7:53 AM MDT
      August 19, 2021 7:53 AM MDT
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  • 19938
    We provided the Afghan government's military with plenty of good equipment which is now in the hands of the Taliban.  They had NO Air Force - we stood up an Air Force for them.  This is now in the hands of the Taliban.  We send OUR troops and the troops of our allies to fight for THEM, the least they could do is fight for themselves.  We need to stop backing these corrupt and inept governments.  The Afghans ate still mentally and physically living in the 16th Century.  How could we possibly imagine that we could turn them into a 21st Century country?  We should have begun evacuating our troops after we got Bin Laden.  
      August 19, 2021 8:15 AM MDT
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  • 6023
    The Air Force doesn't hold ground.

    Their "ground pounders" were dying because they had unarmored vehicles that couldn't stop small-arms fire.  Let alone rockets.
    An IED designed to disable an US armored vehicle totally vaporizes an unarmored Afghan military vehicle.
    The Afghan military was fighting and dying because the US wouldn't give them armored vehicles.
      August 19, 2021 9:55 AM MDT
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  • 19938
    So, you're saying that after a trillion dollars was spent there, their military had no upgraded equipment?

    EDIT:

    https://thehill.com/policy/defense/568493-billions-in-us-weaponry-seized-by-taliban 
     
    TheHill.com
     

    Billions in US weaponry seized by Taliban

    BY REBECCA KHEEL - 08/19/21 06:00 AM EDT 5,885
     

    Billions of dollars of U.S. weapons are now in the hands of the Taliban following the quick collapse of Afghan security forces that were trained to use the military equipment.

    Among the items seized by the Taliban are Black Hawk helicopters and A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft.

    Photos have also circulated of Taliban fighters clutching U.S.-made M4 carbines and M16 rifles instead of their iconic AK-47s. And the militants have been spotted with U.S. Humvees and mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles."
    ***

    https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-08-16/billions-spent-on-afghan-army-ultimately-benefitted-taliban

    "Built and trained at a two-decade cost of $83 billion, Afghan security forces collapsed so quickly and completely — in some cases without a shot fired — that the ultimate beneficiary of the American investment turned out to be the Taliban. They grabbed not only political power but also U.S.-supplied firepower — guns, ammunition, helicopters and more.

    "The Taliban captured an array of modern military equipment when they overran Afghan forces who failed to defend district centers."

    "A U.S. defense official on Monday confirmed the Taliban's sudden accumulation of U.S.-supplied Afghan equipment is enormous. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and so spoke on condition of anonymity. The reversal is an embarrassing consequence of misjudging the viability of Afghan government forces — by the U.S. military as well as intelligence agencies — which in some cases chose to surrender their vehicles and weapons rather than fight."









    This post was edited by SpunkySenior at August 19, 2021 10:26 AM MDT
      August 19, 2021 10:14 AM MDT
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  • 6023
    According to US soldiers who had served in Afghanistan, interviewed on NPR, the Afghan military/police forces did not have armored ground vehicles and were using the same types of vehicles as the Taliban.  IE: Unarmored SUVs and trucks.
      August 19, 2021 11:53 AM MDT
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  • 19938
    Then where did all the money we spent over there go?
      August 19, 2021 12:32 PM MDT
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  • 6023
    I don't know.  I haven't heard any GAO personnel interviewed about that.
      August 19, 2021 1:21 PM MDT
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  • 19938
    Check this out:

    " 1 big thing: Taliban grab U.S. war chest Military vehicles transferred by the U.S. to the Afghan National Army in February. Photo: Afghanistan Ministry of Defense/via Reuters  

    Military vehicles transferred by the U.S. to the Afghan National Army in February. Photo: Afghanistan Ministry of Defense/via Reuters

     

    The Taliban just gained a massive new war chest, complete with U.S.-made Humvees, planes, helicopters, night-vision goggles and drones, Reuters reports.

    • Video shows the advancing militants inspecting lines of vehicles and opening crates of new firearms, communications gear and even military drones.

    The Biden administration is so concerned about the weapons that launching airstrikes against the larger equipment, such as helicopters, hasn't been ruled out, officials told Reuters.

    • But there's concern that could antagonize the Taliban at a time when the main U.S. goal is evacuating people.

    Another U.S. official said that according to the current intelligence assessment, the Taliban are believed to control:

    • More than 2,000 armored vehicles, including U.S. Humvees.
    • Up to 40 aircraft — potentially including UH-60 Black Hawks, scout attack helicopters and ScanEagle military drones.

    "Everything that hasn't been destroyed is the Taliban's now," one U.S. official told Reuters.

    • Officials aren't just worried about the Taliban using the weapons against civilians. They're also concerned the equipment could be seized by ISIS or handed over to China or Russia."

    https://mail.yahoo.com/b/folders/1/messages/AAwFkLtnVYipYR7A7QWCKNrJ_CQ?.src=ym&%3Breason=myc&%3BfolderType=INBOX&folderType=INBOX&showImages=true&offset=0
      August 19, 2021 4:51 PM MDT
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