When did the Taliban Make a Comeback???

a reply to: xpert11

I can only agree with what you've said.
Surely there must have been other options?

My points were that ISIS and The Taliban are the same beast just in a different dress - many of the people involved are simply changing dress.
They pose a very real and similar threat.

The resurgence of The Taliban was so predictable and only a complete moron couldn't have foreseen it.

Most of The Taliban's funding comes from The Opium Trade - who is complicit in that is another discussion altogether - but as you say some comes from Pakistan.
But large amounts also come from sources in Saudi Arabia who are sympathetic to The Taliban and who wish to counter any influence Iran may seek to gain in the region.

This may well come back to bite us in the arse.

I find it no surprise that some conveniently overlook Trumps role in all this and seek to lay all the blame on Biden.

originally posted by: jjkenobi
a reply to: ElGoobero

As soon as Democrats were in charge again. They got to get their war industry fired up again so they can profit from it.

Because Democrats are known for buying shares in Boeing and Black Water.

a reply to: Freeborn

People tend to bury unwanted trauma. For example, in the 70s, U.S. Army's focus is on defending NATO from the Soviets. Ye,t they never sought to ensure the lessons from Vietnam are institutionally retained and passed on to the next generation of leaders. So that explains why many counter-insurgency principles are re-learned the hard way in Iraq.

The other issue is that people only see what is in front of them or subscribe to one school of thought. Now that there is a renewed focus on Great Power Competition, the threat from terrorist organisations and the effects of the Arab Spring are discounted. In reality, the menu of security challenges is more diverse than the Cold War environment offered. Any failure to grasp that point is a road to disaster.

World leaders are unwilling to confront unpalatable choices. Heck, for all his flaws, Churchill swallowed bitter pills at times. In 1940, he had no qualms with Operation Catapult, the sinking of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir. Yet Obama foolhardily left Iraq to ISIS and "invited" Iran into Syria. His successor, Trump, filled his cabinet with "yes men" who wouldn't question his policies.

Interesting Google Search turns up some Interesting things about China and Afghanistan . . . .

Hmmm😃


china contractors in afghanistan

originally posted by: xpert11

There is an element of truth in that statement. I do not doubt that China aims to develop the infrastructure required to exploit Afghanistan's natural resources. But, no doubt, the Taliban are content to take their slice of the financial windfall from Chinese mining enterprises.

I suspect that the Taliban convey through back-channels to the U.S. that ISIS and other "unfriendly" non-state actors are not welcome in their backyard. To what extent they are capable of dealing with these threats is an interesting question.

China has no issues with the Taliban enslaving the population while they plunder 20 trillion dollars in natural resources.

Pretty amazing how quickly the afgan army folded once America pulled out.
$89 billion spent on building military infrastructure, hardware, weapons and training for the afgan army.
Is watching taliban forces snatch young girls away from your people's families not enough motivation to fight for your people? I don't get how they desert after three weeks.

They ways wars are fought need to be revised.

If there are that many of the enemy that can take over the country just a month after exiting,

There is failure at many levels

There is satellite video of a carvan of Taliban about to enter a city. Why are they not bombed.?
Why are carvans of Taliban allowed to travel freely?

We saw the same with ISIS...planes coming back without dropping a single bomb as they flt over miles long of ISIS fighters.

Very weird.

And the Democrats step.up.the weirdness 10 fold

Please see the stuff I dug up in this other thread ... www.abovetopsecret.com...
meanwhile, the Taliban have been pushing Sharia Law and engage in abusive slavery of children.
One of the articles I posted in above thread explains somewhat the rise of Taliban ... and I’ve given mu
Personal comments as well.

Please see the stuff I dug up in this other thread ... www.abovetopsecret.com...
meanwhile, the Taliban have been pushing Sharia Law and engage in abusive slavery of children.
One of the articles I posted in above thread explains somewhat the rise of Taliban ... and I’ve given mu
Personal comments as well.

originally posted by: Bloodworth
They ways wars are fought need to be revised.

If there are that many of the enemy that can take over the country just a month after exiting,

There is failure at many levels

There is satellite video of a carvan of Taliban about to enter a city. Why are they not bombed.?
Why are carvans of Taliban allowed to travel freely?

We saw the same with ISIS...planes coming back without dropping a single bomb as they flt over miles long of ISIS fighters.

Very weird.

And the Democrats step.up.the weirdness 10 fold

The way wars are fought were revised after WWII. The actual warfighters became hamstrung by the politicians. We are not allowed to win.

When democrats came into power. They have always been around, just waiting for weakness and democrats are it. They struck with full force, destroying 20 years of hard fought gains and capturing some pretty advanced US hardware in the process.

Defeating them again wouldn't be nearly as easy.

All thanks to democrats and their poor planning, poor strategy, poor tactics.

Biden did this. Every death will be on his & his party's hands. Mismanaged the withdrawal. Mismanaged the combat situation. Will take years of GOP effort to fix & undo the mess they've caused overseas and domestically.

originally posted by: ElGoobero
I thought the Taliban was old news / dustbin of history.
now they seem to be capturing capitals and stuff every week.

when did this happen?
were they always there? hibernating? waiting for US troops to leave?

I'm surprised--and a bit troubled--watching them taking over Afghanistan.

are any Caliphate guys still around in Iraq?

Funny, CNN just said President Biden is squirreled away at camp David and not communicating.


They're wondering why he does not come back to the White house, now that the weekend is almost over and Afghanistan is turning out to be a disaster for him and his administration.

a reply to: carewemust

My lord. This guy spends more time in the hammock taking naps than anyone I've ever seen. #SleepyPOTUS

originally posted by: JBurns
When democrats came into power. They have always been around, just waiting for weakness and democrats are it. They struck with full force, destroying 20 years of hard fought gains and capturing some pretty advanced US hardware in the process.

Defeating them again wouldn't be nearly as easy.

All thanks to democrats and their poor planning, poor strategy, poor tactics.

Biden did this. Every death will be on his & his party's hands. Mismanaged the withdrawal. Mismanaged the combat situation. Will take years of GOP effort to fix & undo the mess they've caused overseas and domestically.

Trump negotiated the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban not the Afghan government. The exact same would have happened with his deal with them only even quicker as it was timed when the historical Spring Offensive occurs in Afghanistan.

It was always going to happen regarldess of who was in the Whitehouse as it's the way Empires have always fallen in Afghanistan.

There never were any hardfought gains, just a lot of people who died for nothing. The Taliban still controlled nearly 50% of districts in Afghanistan throughout the US occupation and pretty much 100% of districts outside the greenzones. They were never defeated, they'd just temporarily hide when forces swept through villages and re-emerge as soon as they'd left.

Not a criticsm of US troops (I lost mates in UK forces via IEDs there) as the country is impossible to fight in due to terrain, conditions and culture - Afghanistan is a tough country and people need to be incredibly strong and resilient to make it to adulthood - it's impossible to defeat an enemy when you're spending $150,000 - $1.5m per missile to bomb mud huts.

Taliban fighters were called ghosts as they'd fire a few shots at troops and then flee on motorbikes removing pretty much every trace they were there - they know that they can defeat invading forces by playing the long slow game and bankrupting countries or making them war weary until they admit defeat.

a reply to: bastion

LOL read the Treaty 😃

a reply to: bastion

Trump negotiated the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban....

The usual suspects choose to gloss over that fact or more often than not simply ignore it.

Trump or Biden in The White House the abandonment of the Afghan people was always going to result in the return to power of The Taliban.

What a complete and utter waste.

originally posted by: xuenchen
a reply to: bastion

LOL read the Treaty 😃

I have. I don't see your point. Trump and the Taliban signed the Treaty which lifted US sanctions on the Taliban and agreed to release 5000 prisoners. If they didn't want to give the Taliban legitamcy, power and influence the US would have negotiated the treaty with the actual Afghan government like they're meant to.

Mike Pompeo asked Taliban chief, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, to 'please keep your promises to cut ties with Al qu'eda' when it was signed which was a try I suppose but obviously never going to happen in the real world.

a reply to: bastion

One overlooked problem is the Treaty calls for a May 1 withdrawl.

Biden seems to have changed that to Sept 11 Hmmmmmmm😃

They ran across the border into Pakistan and gave them shelter. Pakistan is NOT our friend!

a reply to: SuicideKing33

Trump negotiated the deal to remove US troops by a deadline. Remember “amerikkka first”??! Lol. The hens come home to roost. You reap what you sow. 😘