Afghanistan

[wayneL]

I agree that it is up to the Afhanis to determine their system of government, though I am not sure they got a lot of choice in the matter.
As to America getting out of the middle east, that should alo include getting out of the Phillipines, Japan, Gunatanimo Bay which belongs to Cuba, Germany, and all the other overseas bases they hold.
However, I wish I could share your optimism of the future.
The expert thinking 20 years ago was that China would become liberal as it became a part of the Western influenced commercial trade mechanisms.
A more affluent China would want all the things we Westerners take for granted, rather than being vassals of the State.
Look how thats turned out.
China is more repressive and belligerent than ever.
My fear is that the Taliban will take a leaf out of the Chinese play book use the one party authoritarian rule over everything in the lives of Afganhis .
Being able to allow citizens to have state controlled mobile phones, Sharia Law, disallowing any other form of religion or politics, controlling all the military weaponry. These things would appeal to the Taliban.
Mick

In fact it seems the opposite is happening. Western governments are becoming increasingly, and very quickly, more like the CCP.

 

[mullokintyre]

And to add to some of the delicous irony that eminates from the UN comes the news that convention states that the Taliban will likely inherit the various UN seats that the country had before the Taliban took over.
One of them is on The Commission for the Status of Women.
I am sure the women of Afghanistan will be thrilled by that.

From Singapore Daily news

However, incoming governments, even those that were established in less-than-diplomatic methods, typically inherit their predecessor’s posts, the former ambassador added, noting rejection is rare.

“It’s unusual and hasn’t often been successful,” Bolton, a controversial figure who served as U.N. ambassador under former President George W. Bush and national security adviser to former President Donald Trump, continued. “I think the most likely outcome is the Taliban gets seated.”

Of particular concern is the Afghan seat on the Commission for the Status of Women. Afghanistan secured the seat in 2020, receiving a sufficient 39 votes.

The U.N. describes the Commission for the Status of Women as the “principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.” The commission’s stated goal is to “agree on further actions to accelerate progress and promote women’s enjoyment of their rights in political, economic, and social fields.”

Mick

 

[mullokintyre]

From ABC NEWS

There is "very, very credible" intelligence that militants are planning an imminent attack on those gathering at Kabul airport in an attempt to flee Afghanistan, British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey says.
Late on Wednesday local time, Britain's foreign ministry advised people not to travel to the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport where thousands are waiting for flights out of the country ahead of an August 31 deadline when the United States and its allies will pull out their remaining troops.

Mr Heappey confirmed that intelligence of a possible suicide bomb attack by Islamic State militants had become "much firmer".

"There is now very, very credible reporting of an imminent attack, and hence why the Foreign Office advice was changed last night, that people should not come to Kabul Airport, they should move to a safe place and await further instructions," Mr Heappey told BBC radio.

The same sort of credible intelligence that thought the Taliban would take 90 days to take Kabul rather than the 9 days it did take them.
The same sort of credible intelligence that could not uncover the planned 9/11 attacks in the USA.
The same sort of credible intelligence that said Saddam Hussain had WMD's.
Their spooks have a total lack of credibility.
Mick

 

[The Triangle]

August 26, 2021 Afghanistan-Taliban news

At least 13 US service members and a number of Afghan civilians were killed in an attack at Kabul's airport, the Pentagon says. Follow here for the latest news.

edition.cnn.com

The Americans are making a habit of leaving their own who serve to die for no reason. How hard is it to secure an airport for a few months to evacuate your own people when you spend trillions on weapons and soldiers???

sleepy creepy joe - good job...

 

[Knobby22]

August 26, 2021 Afghanistan-Taliban news

At least 13 US service members and a number of Afghan civilians were killed in an attack at Kabul's airport, the Pentagon says. Follow here for the latest news.

edition.cnn.com

The Americans are making a habit of leaving their own who serve to die for no reason. How hard is it to secure an airport for a few months to evacuate your own people when you spend trillions on weapons and soldiers???

sleepy creepy joe - good job...

There is no way they can hold it unless they go back in with full force and restart the war.
Talban said out by the 28th, it will take two days to evacuate the American troops. Isis will continue sending suicide bombers.

Unlike the UK and US, Australia has already left, pretty much quit straight away as soon as the first bomb went off.
We knew we had people to get out but left it all too late.
I am really disappointed with lots of elements of this withdrawal.

 

[DB008]

NOW - Biden: “THEY gave me list here. The first person I was instructed to call on…”

JUST IN - Biden says he takes responsibility, then blames former President Trump for the current situation in #Afghanistan.



What a joke.

 

[mullokintyre]

View attachment 129484​

NOW - Biden: “THEY gave me list here. The first person I was instructed to call on…”

JUST IN - Biden says he takes responsibility, then blames former President Trump for the current situation in #Afghanistan.



What a joke.

After the fall of Kabul Biden found time to call the leaders of Britain Germany, Canada, and even spain .
But nothing from the US for Scomo.
Just shows how important the US admin thinks its relationship with Australia really is.
Bet John Howard regrets his deputy Sheriff comment now.
US will dump anyone and everyone when it suits.
Next time we get asked to join the coalition of the willing, we can tell em to F off.
mick

 

[noirua]

Unknown to many is that people are chartering their own planes to Kabul to pickup animals and possessions.

Afghanistan: Pen Farthing 'on his way home with his dogs and cats' after charter plane picks them up from Kabul

British troops loaded up around 200 dogs and cats on the plane, which landed in the Afghan capital on Saturday afternoon.

news.sky.com

 

[noirua]

 

[basilio]

The US targeted a drone strike on a vehicle carrying suicide bombers to the airport. The strike was also announced by the Taliban. They are clearly supporting US intelligence on stopping these attacks and are supporting if not directing the strikes.

The last attack killed 180 Afgans as well as Taliban soldiers and US marines.

US drone strike targets vehicle with suspected ISIS-K suicide bombers aboard in Kabul

The strike hit a vehicle carrying "multiple" suicide bombers before they could mount an attack at Kabul's international airport, according to US military officials.

www.abc.net.au

 

[mullokintyre]

Who would trust US intelligence?
How do we know it was ISIS suicide bombers?
Did they have labels on them?
The video footage shows a damaged car and house, and looks as if the drone strike on the car when it was still at the house.If it was fulkl of suicide bombers, you would think that the explosives in the car would have gone up as well.
Could well end up like the fake footage from the gas strike in Douma that US intelligence says was an ISIS gas attack in Syria.
I am very wary of anything coming from so called US intelligence.
Mick

 

[moXJO]

After the fall of Kabul Biden found time to call the leaders of Britain Germany, Canada, and even spain .
But nothing from the US for Scomo.
Just shows how important the US admin thinks its relationship with Australia really is.
Bet John Howard regrets his deputy Sheriff comment now.
US will dump anyone and everyone when it suits.
Next time we get asked to join the coalition of the willing, we can tell em to F off.
mick

They were quick to fill the void when China targeted our trade. We should back away from these war mongering idiots. Guaranteed they will find another war in the next 4 years. Looking like a rerun on the 'war on terror'.
Scomo needs to sit the hell down and dislodge his nose from America's ass.

 

[moXJO]

The strike was also announced by the Taliban. They are clearly supporting US intelligence on stopping these attacks and are supporting if not directing the strikes.

Taliban and Isis are enemies Isis wants to grab power where it can. I suspect this was a reason we saw so many weapons left by the US. As I said previously " I suspect a deal was done".

 

[basilio]

Who would trust US intelligence?
How do we know it was ISIS suicide bombers?
Did they have labels on them?
The video footage shows a damaged car and house, and looks as if the drone strike on the car when it was still at the house.If it was fulkl of suicide bombers, you would think that the explosives in the car would have gone up as well.
Could well end up like the fake footage from the gas strike in Douma that US intelligence says was an ISIS gas attack in Syria.
I am very wary of anything coming from so called US intelligence.
Mick

Give us a break.

Did you read the story Mull ?The car did go up as well. It was full of explosives. The US and the Taliban are hand in glove trying to get the US out of Afganistan with a minimum of fuss. This is one occasion when both parties are in lock step to destroy a very dangerous mutual enemy.

 

[moXJO]

This guy has huge balls. Just threw his life away for justice. Have to respect after 17 years of service and walking away with nothing. He has already been relieved of duty.

 

[moXJO]

Give us a break.

Did you read the story Mull ?The car did go up as well. It was full of explosives. The US and the Taliban are hand in glove trying to get the US out of Afganistan with a minimum of fuss. This is one occasion when both parties are in lock step to destroy a very dangerous mutual enemy.

You do remember the videos wikileaks posted back in the day of military engagements with suspected terrorists?

Media doesn't mean sht.

 

[mullokintyre]

Give us a break.

Did you read the story Mull ?The car did go up as well. It was full of explosives. The US and the Taliban are hand in glove trying to get the US out of Afganistan with a minimum of fuss. This is one occasion when both parties are in lock step to destroy a very dangerous mutual enemy.

The story says one thing, the Vision says another. I read the story, I looked at the vision. The two don't add up.
The car in the vision looks like its been burned, but it does not look like it was full of explosives.
Unless the Vision is another car that was not related, but I can only go on what I see.
Why put the vision in the story if it is not the car that was targeted?
One might expect that a car full of explosives hit by drone rocket would be pretty much destroyed.
If indeed the car was hit in a driveway, it would explain the deaths of the civilians that were quoted in the article.
Look and read with your eyes open.
Mick

 

[sptrawler]

As for brokering a deal, wasn't it Trump that brokered a deal with the Taliban, due to the pressure from the media and general public wanting to get the troops out of the middle east?
Trump didn't want a rapid removal of the troops, but an orderly withdrawl. He still gets the blame, for this Biden fiasco. ?

Taliban dismiss Donald Trump’s Afghanistan strategy as nothing new

The Taliban dismissed Donald Trump's strategy for Afghanistan as vague and "nothing new" today after the US president cleared the way for thousands more American troops to be sent to the war-torn country.

www.financialexpress.com

From the 2017 article:
Trump backtracked from his promise to rapidly end America’s longest war in his first formal address to the nation as commander-in-chief late Monday, though he did not offer specifics. He said he had concluded “the consequences of a rapid exit are both predictable and unacceptable”, leaving a vacuum that terrorists “would instantly fill.” A senior Taliban commander told AFP that Trump was just perpetuating the “arrogant behaviour” of previous presidents such as George Bush. “He is just wasting American soldiers.

And from 2019

The breakdown of US–Taliban talks buys time to reset the Afghanistan strategy | The Strategist

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he had called off talks with the Taliban at Camp David. The meeting had probably been arranged to finalise a deal for the start of a US ...

www.aspistrategist.org.au

From the article:
Trump will have to wait to bring the US troops home. He has sought peace, but with an enemy that only wants to demonstrate US weakness. That’s a mistake the Taliban will wish they hadn’t made, but for which the Afghan people will be grateful.


Well all the Taliban had to do was wait until Trump was gone, then wipe their feet all over the U.S.

 

[basilio]

The story says one thing, the Vision says another. I read the story, I looked at the vision. The two don't add up.
The car in the vision looks like its been burned, but it does not look like it was full of explosives.
Unless the Vision is another car that was not related, but I can only go on what I see.
Why put the vision in the story if it is not the car that was targeted?
One might expect that a car full of explosives hit by drone rocket would be pretty much destroyed.
If indeed the car was hit in a driveway, it would explain the deaths of the civilians that were quoted in the article.
Look and read with your eyes open.
Mick

Point taken. There is more information and pictures about this incident.
The story in The Guardian shows a totally destroyed car. This wasn't the one shown in the ABC story.

Reports children killed in US attack on suicide bombers – as it happened

Reports of ‘powerful explosion’ thought to have been rocket attack in Afghan capital, following warnings from US of ‘specific, credible’ threats

www.theguardian.com

 

[mullokintyre]

The wreckage shown in the second last photograph has a caption of a destroyed vehicle inside a house.
Its certainly mangled, whatever it was.
If you look at the photograph, it would appear that the wreckage to be just to the right of the burnt out car that was in the Video.
The house surroundings appear very similar.
Once again, it just doesn't add up.
Perhaps the remains of the car were dragged into the house, but it does not explain the damage to the other car and the house.
Mick