Race to oblivion ! Afghanistan vs. South Vietnam edition

[Blarg]

54 minutes ago, mmc said:

 

It's like they never left.

[fan_since79]

Taliban shooting at people trying to enter or leave Kabul airport.

https://rumble.com/vl8uhr-taliban-shooting-at-people-trying-to-enter-or-leave-kabul-airport.html

[fan_since79]

Saigon Redux

[Taylor]

38 minutes ago, Lhalo said:

Deflect!

Isn't it related, though? If Biden hadn't used Jewish space lasers to change tens of thousands of votes, Trump would still be president and his plan to pull out of Afghanistan would have gone smoother.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Everyone keeps saying Saigon. I think the visuals right now are more Da Nang than Saigon

[Taylor]

2 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Everyone keeps saying Saigon. I think the visuals right now are more Da Nang than Saigon

It reminds me more of a kid's Lego town after their cat stomps through it.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Among the other things we left behind, i read an F-15 simulator was left behind. No idea if real or not.

But I imagine plenty will be sold to china.....

[fan_since79]

Politico is turning on Biden. 

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2021/08/16/bidens-stubborn-streak-paved-the-way-for-havoc-in-afghanistan-493986?nname=playbook&nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nrid=00000154-efc4-d4c8-a757-ffcdacfd0000&nlid=630318

[arch stanton]

3 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Among the other things we left behind, i read an F-15 simulator was left behind. No idea if real or not.

But I imagine plenty will be sold to china.....

Completely useless without initialization files which they would never leave behind

[fan_since79]

Taliban may already have the airport, or at least the civilian side.

https://mobile.twitter.com/SaudObserver/status/1427311491678670856

[T.G.]

What a cluster-f.  The sad thing is that a lot of time and energy is being spent on who to blame and not how to fix the situation (if that's even possible).  What a horrendous state of affairs.

[fan_since79]

It's always about the spin and who to blame. 

Unless the administration has already made a deal to give billions of dollars to the Taliban in return for a relatively peaceful transfer of power, as opposed to full scale massacres, this crisis will get far worse. Heaven help us (and Biden) if videos pop up of Taliban savages beheading captured American troops. What to do in response? Short of nuking the place, I have no idea.

Please God it will not get to that.

[Taylor]

5 minutes ago, True Grich said:

What a cluster-f.  The sad thing is that a lot of time and energy is being spent on who to blame and not how to fix the situation (if that's even possible).  What a horrendous state of affairs.

We should have never been there in the first place. Every president since Bush has contributed to the situation. It should be our responsibility now to care for the people of Afghanistan, including allowing refugees.

[Amazing Larry]

1 minute ago, Taylor said:

We should have never been there in the first place. Every president since Bush has contributed to the situation. It should be our responsibility now to care for the people of Afghanistan, including allowing refugees.

Ok you can pay for that.

[Taylor]

Just now, Lhalo said:

Ok you can pay for that.

Getting our soldiers out of of Afghanistan will free up some money for humanitarian aid. We could probably also do without a couple $15B tanks that shoot fireworks or whatever 

[Kevin]

31 minutes ago, fan_since79 said:

Saigon Redux

I get that combat is a scary thing and it takes guts to pick up a weapon and fight back.

Having said that, if they really don't want to deal with the Taliban, you're going to have to fight. Hanging onto the wing of a C-130 will result in death. Picking up a weapon and fighting will most likely have the same result but at least take out a few of them while you can and maybe a show of force will give you some sort of chance. Unfortunately, that opportunity seems to have come and gone. 

[Amazing Larry]

Just now, Taylor said:

Getting our soldiers out of of Afghanistan will free up some money for humanitarian aid. We could probably also do without a couple $15B tanks that shoot fireworks or whatever 

Humanitarian aid never goes to the people who need it.

[Taylor]

Just now, Lhalo said:

Humanitarian aid never goes to the people who need it.

Never?

[Kevin]

1 minute ago, Lhalo said:

Humanitarian aid never goes to the people who need it.

 

1 minute ago, Taylor said:

Never?

 

[failos]

At least the Iraqis were able to defeat ISIS when they nearly took over the country…this Afghanistan stuff is pathetically sad.

[Taylor]

1 minute ago, failos said:

At least the Iraqis were able to defeat ISIS when they nearly took over the country…this Afghanistan stuff is pathetically sad.

Afghanistan was about making money for weapons contractors. Iraq was about building a foreign government the U.S. could control ... and making money for weapons contractors.

[failos]

Just now, Taylor said:

Afghanistan was about making money for weapons contractors. Iraq was about building a foreign government the U.S. could control ... and making money for weapons contractors.

That’s true in some regards, but I think the point I’m trying to make is that the Iraqis and their government were united in defeating ISIS (in addition to having a somewhat competent military). With Afghanistan, it seems like a good chunk of their population want the Taliban to take over.

[ten ocho recon scout]

17 minutes ago, Taylor said:

Afghanistan was about making money for weapons contractors.

The whole Al Qaeda thing had something to do with it

[Kevin]

4 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

The whole Al Qaeda thing had something to do with it

Bush did demand that the Taliban hand over Bin Laden, between September 12th and October 7th, 2001 and they refused. If they had turned him over and driven Al Qaeda out themselves...it would be interesting to see what would have happened next. Of course Al Qaeda did a favor for the Taliban on September 9th by killing Ahmad Shah Massoud so it seems like they were bound to Al Qaeda, regardless. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

6 minutes ago, Kevin said:

Bush did demand that the Taliban hand over Bin Laden, between September 12th and October 7th, 2001 and they refused. If they had turned him over and driven Al Qaeda out themselves...it would be interesting to see what would have happened next. Of course Al Qaeda did a favor for the Taliban on September 9th by killing Ahmad Shah Massoud so it seems like they were bound to Al Qaeda, regardless. 

The Massoud hit was likely due to the upcoming 9/11 attacks. Taliban was sort of stuck after that. Omar and UBL had a bromance, but the Taliban as a whole werent huge on AQ being there.

People get lazy and confuse the two. Get lazy and lump different groups together. But the two groups were separate. The involvement was the Taliban hosting AQ, and refusing to cooperate with us after 9/11.