[News] Kabul Explosion Being Reported Near Airport

[Easy 10]

Such a desperately sad and terrifying situation.

If I was one of the fortunates who managed to get on a flight, I would be absolutely bricking it about the possibility of it being brought down by an RPG. I'm far from convinced the Taliban leaders are fully in control of what all their foot soldiers are doing on the ground.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Didn't Trump arrange for the release of a bunch of Taliban from prison?

What should have happened? The Afghan Army gave up without even a fight despite outnumbering the Taliban by 3:1. We've been in there 20 years, spent 10 years training them up - what more can we do other than UK/US being in there forever to 'police' it ? Afghanistan is a very complex country made up of many different tribes rather than a single country. The West tried to rebuild it as a single unified country which would never have worked

Biden is in charge.

The original plan was a gradual exit, not this mass panic we’ve seen.

Don’t think you will find many saying we shouldn’t leave, but not like this - leaving people/weapons behind.

 

[Springal]

Yes because Trump will have dealt with this situation in a modest and calm way, and the outcome would have been so much better.

He caused this! He started the withdrawal process of US troops from Afghanistan and set the deadline of 31st August and negotiated with the Taliban including releasing 5000 Taliban prisoners

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-51689443

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Never going to happen.

They just want to get as many people safely out, and get themselves out, in the next few days.

You do wonder how the last flight (or few flights) get out safely because as soon as the troops securing the airport get on a plane to get the hell out of there, there's no-one left to ensure that plane(s) gets off the ground.

It's Vietnam all over again.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Yes because Trump will have dealt with this situation in a modest and calm way, and the outcome would have been so much better.

And there is the issue

Biden V Trump

Awful

 

[Icy Gull]

Never going to happen.

They just want to get as many people safely out, and get themselves out, in the next few days.

You do wonder how the last flight (or few flights) get out safely because as soon as the troops securing the airport get on a plane to get the hell out of there, there's no-one left to ensure that plane(s) gets off the ground.

Yep, would really not fancy being on the last flight out. In truth I’d be with Easy and crapping myself until the aircraft was well away from Kabul even now and I’d be one of the lucky ones

 

[Dick Swiveller]

But I guess that doesn't fit in with your left wing politics

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

You forgot to mention Biden who has caused all of this!! But I guess that doesn't fit in with your left wing politics. Going back to Blair and Bush is a complete deflection of the trouble Biden has caused. Life had improved for most, the west only had to keep a few thousand troops in there...maybe for another 50 years but that would have been better than just walking out on a developing country and leave them to the Taliban.

Don't have left wing political views, just my own.
No one comes out of this smelling of roses or even in the right, because this was always a no win situation.
The only people who came out of this with any benefit are arms manufacturers and all those linked within the industry of war.
Surely that is plain for anyone to see.

 

[Springal]

Biden is in charge.

The original plan was a gradual exit, not this mass panic we’ve seen.

Don’t think you will find many saying we shouldn’t leave, but not like this - leaving people/weapons behind.

We've been there 20 years, the Afghan Army surrendered without any blood shed within 1 week of this starting despite dramatically outnumbering the Taliban. There is nothing to suggest any more of a gradual withdrawal would have changed things.

Unfortunately the country of Afghanistan can't be helped, it has to help itself.

 

[Wardy's twin]

it was always going to be difficult getting out of there, once you turn your back to leave you are at your weakest and that would be the case even if it were a planned evacuation.

It's not in the Taliban's interest for this to happen if a) they want to show the world they have changed b) they want to show they have control.

Its quite possible an ISIS V Taliban war will escalate (there has been inter group fighting for a while).

Not sure how long the Panjshir will hold out.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

We've been there 20 years, the Afghan Army surrendered without any blood shed within 1 week of this starting despite dramatically outnumbering the Taliban. There is nothing to suggest any more of a gradual withdrawal would have changed things.

Unfortunately the country of Afghanistan can't be helped, it has to help itself.

A gradual withdrawal/having names everything set up for those that have helped UK\US etc forces would have at least been organised

The US didn’t even give its allies a heads up it seems.

I agree on the last sentence

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

it was always going to be difficult getting out of there, once you turn your back to leave you are at your weakest and that would be the case even if it were a planned evacuation.

Not if it's in the Taliban's interest for this to happen if a) they want to show the world they have changed b) they want to show they have control.

Its quite possible an ISIS V Taliban war will escalate (there has been inter group fighting for a while).

Not sure how long the Panjshir will hold out.

Agree with all your comments.

This isn't the work of the Taliban. They've got blokes on trucks with rocket launchers etc in the vicinity. If they wanted to attack the airport and were indifferent about loss of their own lives like this suicide bomber, they could have launched a much bigger attack) they would have done.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Such a desperately sad and terrifying situation.

If I was one of the fortunates who managed to get on a flight, I would be absolutely bricking it about the possibility of it being brought down by an RPG. I'm far from convinced the Taliban leaders are fully in control of what all their foot soldiers are doing on the ground.

At some point the Taliban are going to have to realise that they've fought for - and won- the right to govern and administer a COUNTRY. They need somebody to take care of bin collections, tax collections, banking business, airport duties. It's no longer just a case of looking mean and moody with a full beard and a rifle and scowling - or worse - at the general population. Hopefully they'll drag themselves into at least the last century and be forced to acknowledge the central role of women and girls in their f***ed-up version of society. Even North Korea manage to do that

 

[Pevenseagull]

With this being IS I guess the 'responsible foreign policy' will be to send aid to the Taliban and help arm them in their fight against IS to secure some stability in the region.

This is not satire.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

He caused this! He started the withdrawal process of US troops from Afghanistan and set the deadline of 31st August and negotiated with the Taliban including releasing 5000 Taliban prisoners

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-51689443

Still, Trump spoke cautiously about the deal’s prospects for success, warning of military firepower if “bad things happen.”

That meant should the Taliban take up arms in an aggressive fashion the US would strike back and support the Afghan Army.

The Taliban ultimately did and this current Administration did nothing to support the Afghan Army.

While both intended to withdraw, only one attached a caveat to that withdrawal.

 

[Springal]

That meant should the Taliban take up arms in an aggressive fashion the US would strike back and support the Afghan Army.

The Taliban ultimately did and this current Administration did nothing to support the Afghan Army.

While both intended to withdraw, only one attached a caveat to that withdrawal.

What bad things happened out of interest? Releasing 5000 Taliban members from prison prematurely sounds like setting everyone up to fail in my opinion. Like I say, we are trying to force a Western way onto a very dysfunctional country where there is only 1 outcome from this unfortunately.

 

[Hugo Rune]

With this being IS I guess the 'responsible foreign policy' will be to send aid to the Taliban and help arm them in their fight against IS to secure some stability in the region.

This is not satire.

Russia and China will take care of that, don’t worry.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

What bad things happened out of interest? Releasing 5000 Taliban members from prison prematurely sounds like setting everyone up to fail in my opinion. Like I say, we are trying to force a Western way onto a very dysfunctional country where there is only 1 outcome from this unfortunately.

The Taliban started an armed conflict with the Afghan Army.

August 1.

Fighting is raging around three major cities in south and west Afghanistan, as Taliban militants seek to seize them from government forces.

Herat, Lashkar Gah and Kandahar saw continued clashes on Sunday.

The Taliban have made rapid rural gains since it was announced almost all foreign troops would go by September.

 

[Billy the Fish]

They were talking about it on BBC this morning. Apparently the local ISIS branch were planning an attack. They didn't explain the relationship very well but apparently they are "rivals" to the Taliban.

 

[Bozza]

At some point the Taliban are going to have to realise that they've fought for - and won- the right to govern and administer a COUNTRY. They need somebody to take care of bin collections, tax collections, banking business, airport duties.

They're well aware of that, which is why they've spoken out about Afghans leaving over the past few days. They are clearly concerned about the brain drain that has been happening.

A country is not a lot of fun if, for example, all the people who know how to run an electricity network all leave.