again if that was the mission we would have left after two weeks.â
the long term mission was the defeat the Taliban and stabilize Northern Alliance as the new government.
I think at this time, it might be worth pointing out that Trump negotiated a 5/1 withdrawal, with the Taliban (Afghan government was not present) at Camp David
Trump wanted out, the American people want out; I think Biden had made a tough decision, but there will be consequences
Afghanistan is a losing effort without a commitment the size over 50,000 + and MASSIVE 2 Trillion + investment in infrastructure the country is almost impossible to hold for a centralized power, there is only a single road connecting the major cities and provinces and its almost gone.
once that road is gone the capital and the power of the central government will collapse, Taliban operate on decentralized organization each unit act independent they are pretty much a series of warlords who share the same name.
the West (Mostly the US) has invested Trillions into trying build a central power in Afghanistan but even that wasnât enough, we had control for a few years but without consented commitment and the lack of infrastructure made Afghan army sitting duck unable to deal with Taliban who are adapt to fighting in the rough climate.
Bush was dumb to invade Iraq, the split of forces greatly aided the Taliban, most backers pulled their investment in Afghanistan and its slowly being a losing battle since.
The world is not short of countries for terrorist groups to hide in.
Soviets would have won if we werenât supplying the jihadists with weapons. They have a different perspective with human rights than western countries.
We realized after 20 years that was being used as another excuse to stay forever.
Wars and occupations are not the same.
We had won the war very early on. What happened after was an occupation in an attempt to nation build, and all the presidents that supported it R and D alike were stupid for doing so.
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Doubtful, they would have been in the same boat as America, they won the first wave but the long lasting inability to maintain centralized power would have slowly killed them.
at the time of the soviet invasion there was no major roads built, there was no way for Russia to move their military around, they would be stuck in Kabul which is why they tried to build the Ring Road because they simply couldnât move their army around on a bunch of goat paths.
Russian military is insanely poor at fighting non conventionally even to this day they simply canât grasp the concept. look at Ukraine they simply are bad.
Afghanistan tribal population is very adapt at fighting and using their climate, it make conquering them almost impossible outside of just murdering enough civilians that they give up.
Funny but majority of high profile leadership of Al-Qeada that planned 9/11 died in Pakistan.
Yes they are good at using their terrain and not saying it would have been a walk in the park as it wasnât but the turning point was when the US started arming the hell out of the Afghans.
They werenât going to beat the Soviets with cheap small arms. Even though Russia fought the Chechens when they were a shell of their former power after the fall of the Soviet Union. The Chechens had little chance with outside arms mainly because of the location they only trickled in. They had to fight with the older Soviet arms they had before the fall of the Soviet Union.
No different than when the Soviets armed Vietnam during that war. Vietnam sure as heck didnât make tanks, planes and SAM missiles capable of taking out America fighter jets and bombers. The super powers found it much easier to bog down their opponent using proxy forces.
Either side could have turned Afghanistan into glass.
He was against Trump doing it also. There were many politicians for and against Trump doing it. Letâs see who remains consistent.
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WellâŚit worked so well when Obama pulled us out of Iraq. Everything just settled right down and now we know, this is the correct strategyâŚamirite? 
Halloween
Thatâs where I am at. I think sunk cost is a bad reason to continue. But I am deeply worried about the day after. As I said earlier, I am glad somebody finally bit the bullet and did it, but I am concerned
NoâŚ
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Consequences for whom? And what will those consequences be? The last time a group attacked the U.S. and hid out in Afghanistan it ended poorly for them. Are you expect them to make the same mistake again?
its part of the deception.
until aq assassinated the leader of the northern alliance who was the only person who could have possibly led astan toward a more stable future.
We got all those Saudis, in A-Stan?
We got Bin Laden when he was in Pakistan. He was primarily responsible.
