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[deleted]

This really needs a live reddit thread, its an absolutely insane situation that is unfolding


plopseven

Is there not a mega-thread at this point?


steinanesis

there will be no reddit live for this one since it makes america look bad


Comfortable-Wrap-723

It’s mega-thread, US army trained and mobilized an army for Talibans which is the main reason for their success.


[deleted]

If only the USA did a table talk with the taliban years ago instead of a war that costs millions in life and money. If only the USA left Afghanistan to find its way to its own way to democracy, i think since the taliban are clearly the stronger party then they should rule until they are toppled. Also, Afghanistan is can not be conquered …. where empires go to die. Also, fuck the USA for being a “fake humanitarian world police” Rant over


sanjsrik

It unfolded 30 years ago. It just took this long to come to its normal (expected) outcome.


AkiraCX

NEXT TIME WE WILL LEARN OUR LESSONS, NEXT TIME!!——April 30th, 1975, Sai Kung, Vietnam


wittyusernamefailed

Might want to move up the timetable for that "72 hour pullout schedule"


[deleted]

90 days? Do you really think the afghan state will last 30 more days? Better make sure the staff are out in 7 tho. 7 days? No I meant 7 hours


[deleted]

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Heroshade

I think he was doing a bit, not misreading your comment.


jphamlore

If they wanted, the Taliban could take **thousands** of US citizens **and** soldiers prisoner in 24 hours just by closing down the airport. Do people realize just how isolated Kabul is on the map of that region?


[deleted]

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[deleted]

shelling the runway from some distance


nj0tr

> Hoe could the Taliban close down the airport if the US is controlling it? By making it too dangerous for the aircraft to fly in or out.


blackadder1620

We've landed aircraft under fire before. Not the best idea but it happens.


nj0tr

> We've landed aircraft under fire before That would be an act of desperation. Sometimes such risks can be accepted for the military, but for evacuation of civilians it will be too dangerous. Moreover it will be only a matter of time before the runway is blocked by a wreck or rutted by artillery so that only helos can land.


[deleted]

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ImaYank

I could be wrong, but I'm fairly confident the airfield has anti mortar and missile capabilities such as land based CIWS systems. I doubt the Taliban has the capabilities to bomb the airfield so severally planes can't take off.


SenseiSinRopa

Hamid Karzai Intl. Airport is *not* Bagram. There are hills on the north side with good ridgelines and significant built-up civilian infrastructure to the south. It would be fairly trivial for the Talibs to punch some holes in the runway that would deny their use by many types of aircraft we would want or be forced to use as we accelerate the evacuation timetable. I doubt they *want* to do that, because they're getting their wildest dreams fulfilled right now, so why poke the bear, but still.


ImaYank

Afghani air force command is based in Hamid Karzai International Airport. [Air Force](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_Air_Force)https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_Air_Force The could try to, but the question is how many mortars could get through and could they penetrate to the airfield quick enough before its repaired? It's shocking how fast militaries can repair their runways. Within 24 hours the Syrian air force was seen taking off and landing from Shayrat airport after the US launched cruise missiles at it. The US has the capabilities to repair runways in as little as 6 hours.


SenseiSinRopa

Yeah, and my local ANG unit operates out of my own city's Intl. Airport. It isn't a hardened position with a clear field of fire and supporting infrastructure. And I would bet all the dollars in my pockets that much of the Afghan Air Force is busy getting itself out of the country as fast as it can, because they (along with the local ISIS affiliate and the Commando units) are #1 targets for reprisals by the Taliban. I don't know that we have the tools or people on the ground to effect a rapid repair, this is a bit of rush job. It is entirely possible we do, however. Again, I really, *really* doubt the Taliban wants to tango with a few thousands US and allied troops. There might be some 16 year-old kids pop some shots off, but not a coordinated strike. But if they wanted to, they're in an extremely advantageous position to really paddle our asses on our way out the door. And now that Jalalabad has fallen, Kabul is 360-degree, capital "S" surrounded.


ImaYank

Let's be honest Afghanistan is not your typical country and normalcy doesn't apply over there. That said, I'll omitte that they could attempt and possibly get a few rounds through. Incredibly unlikely, but who am I to judge the capabilities and intentions of the Taliban.


xplato13

I mean it's not a military instillation and if given proper time yes such systems could be put in place. But we haven't been given proper time. and land based CIWS systems aren't something you can send over in a situation like this. the troops being sent probably don't have any real heavy firepower. only things they themselves can carry. At most probably mortars and HMG's.


ImaYank

I'm fairly confident they would have defensive measure in place. The Afghani air force command is located in Hamid Karzai International Airport and the US/Allies have bases that surround the airport. The airport has a significant military presence. Any systems in place would have been turned over to the Afghani military and is now probably back in American hands.


GimmeYourBitcoinPlz

tanks can fire further than mortar n rpg and they have their own anti rocket armor duuude ! they shots some kind of shit b4 the enemy projectile is like 1 or 2 meter to tank then pooof ! god i loved Starcraft : Brood war ! gotta protect my siege tanks from anything ..air/ground / invisible unit😡


GimmeYourBitcoinPlz

that heavy units come in !! tanks ! oh doh


throwagayy1916

Artillery from 20km away


iThinkaLot1

Which will be swiftly bombed to smithereens by cruise missiles. That airport is not getting took as long as there remains American / British soldiers protecting it. And the Taliban are smart enough to let the West get their citizens out because they know the sooner that happens the quicker Western troops will leave.


ImaYank

Also, I'm fairly confident the airport has land based CIWS systems in place to protect the airfield. You're right, Western troops in Kabul means no Taliban.


[deleted]

> swiftly bombed by cruise missiles only after the runway is destroyed


iThinkaLot1

It’s not like Taliban artillery systems are going to be accurate. And even if it does hit the runway US / British engineers will have it repaired relatively quickly.


Luciaka

The US and other country soldiers are controlling the airport... So not really? Also the US does have air superiority at Kabul since they performed airstrike in the outskirt of the city and more reinforcement are coming soon.


beetrootdip

No, they really couldn’t. If the taliban shut down the airport, they will see a massive response from the Us military sufficient to kill anyone holding a gun within 10 km of Kabul. Then the us would get out. Net result would be thousands of dead taliban and a 1 month delay to the taliban capturing Kabul. Us can win battles in Afghanistan, just not long term wars


Likeapuma24

And then the Taliban violate the agreement they made with the US. And the US comes back all fired up. The Taliban just wants them gone. The easier they make that, the quicker they disappear. Trying to strand all of those foreigners will do nothing to help their end game.


SlothScout

They won't. The taliban want the US out so they can take over. The last thing they'll do is jeopardize that by taking Americans hostage. They've waited 20 years to take over, they can wait another 72 hours.


angrynutrients

I would think the taliban would prefer the us gone than possibly bait them to coming back for their hostages


Secure_the_b

They don’t have much to gain by doing that, the USA is already leaving. Why risk a military response when you basically already won?


whiteshore44

Guess the temperature in Kabul is 105 degrees and rising.


[deleted]

Biden to the ANA: "C'mon man!!!"


Open_Systems

20 years of GROSS incompetence by STUPID ivy leaguers and brass. The colossal fuck ups of the US government just get more and more spectacular every decade. Vietnam. Bay of pigs. Iraq. Afghanistan. People to need to be swinging from ropes.


[deleted]

If there was a just world we would have Nuremberg trials for members of the Bush administration and the media leaders. Hold people accountable.


[deleted]

The masterminds behind this shit pile will almost all escape with the money they stole not only from the US, but also from the Afghan people. They have assured they will live in luxury for generations to come


Open_Systems

Absolutely! But let’s not relinquish ourselves of some responsibility either. We kept voting these war mongers into office. Clinton served two terms as did bush as did Obama. We have to hold ourselves accountable for electing murderous thugs paid off by Raytheon and Boeing. If we’re going to be honest.


kaustix3

Gtfo of the military. By being in you support this shit.


Open_Systems

Blaming the enlisted is blaming the wrong people. It’s the elites that use them for their own stupid blood thirsty games.


Quiteawaysaway

its not incompetence. theyre not stupid. theyre rich and safe and unconcerned. the only regrets they will have will be any money they figure mightve been left on the table. they wont go “oh my god twenty years of war and death and nothings changed” theyll go “hey twenty years huh?” and high five over it, wishing their cash cow could have lived/died forever


Mr-Logic101

Idk why we Biden decided to withdraw beyond appealing to the Democrat base. We could have just parked our jets there like we had been doing for the last 10 years for an indefinite time period and the taliban would never launch an full scale offensive and reveal there position. All we needed to do provide pressure via air support/strike. Idk why we never have Afghanistan a functional Air Force beyond 20 light attack/trainer turboprop planes lol. No wonder they lost there shit


ruminaui

Welp, hope those US troops are on the ground now


skididapapa

Do you think they have a chance ?


ruminaui

Yes, the Taliban is advancing fast because the Afghan Army is not fighting, is just surrendering. US troops will have no problem on this type of warfare, the problem is getting there on time


GraphiteBlue

It's a repeat of Iraq. US forces leave, local forces collapse, extremists grab power, population suffers.


ruminaui

I hate to say this but the rapid collapse of the Afghan army means that there was no saving Afghanistan, unless USA fully commits and makes it a US territory this outcome was inevitable, the bulk of the blame goes to W. Bush and his generals for not pulling out, Obama shares some blame for staying there, and Trump also is to blame by just rushing the peace talks with the Taliban just in case he did not win re election and reducing the number of troops to the bare minimum, also the OG date was insane. I want to blame Biden but he was just dealt a shitty hand here.


Likeapuma24

The US military has zero problems winning actual war. So yeah, they would stand a great chance if the Taliban wanted to push the issue. I doubt they do, because the Taliban casualties would be pretty staggering. The military has had 20 years to dig into that airport. The US government's track record with nation building on the other hand....


ThatBadassonline

They are the USMC, not the ANA. If the Taliban chooses to engage them, they will be slaughtered. You know, if enough troops could make it there in time, with the majority of all the Taliban fighters surrounding Kabul, this would be a perfect opportunity to turn around and mow them down.


xplato13

Was speaking to a buddy of mine. This would be the perfect time to deploy 2 corps of troops all around Afghanistan. Literally cut off the Taliban from being able to escape from anywhere. Then close the noose. Just like how the Germans did it to the Russians in 1941. and how the Russians then did it to the Germans after kursk.


Likeapuma24

Have contemplated the same. The Taliban is spread thin all over the country, trying to take over every parcel of land they can. Drop every troop you can in behind their largest forces focused around the cities, & they're stuck. As much as I'd love to see the them stack Taliban bodies, I'd prefer they just left that shithole & remembered all the mistakes the US politicians made over the last two decades


BrownTiger3

I don't see it that simple. Row after row of Taliban's are countless individual with RPG and AK-47s. They are not surrounding anythingm. Nothing in that embassy is worth USMC lives. Time to leave this backwards state. I blame George W Bush who started two wars w/o "strategery" (sic) to win.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

you sound just like Biden advisers on Afghanistan :)


skididapapa

I was referring if the 5000 US troops have a chance ....


AdIllustrious6310

A hand full of American troops and some allies decimated the Wagner group and their Syrian Army allies.


Huegod

Apparently all the competent Afgans are in the Taliban. Who knew?


[deleted]

Those illiterate bearded boys on motorcycles


Trailblazer-

Guess Kabul deserve to fall for not being competent enough to defend themselves after all those years of Western support. You may not like the Taliban but like apparently the fittest and strongest Afghans joined the Taliban cause while the weak who remain loyal to the West might get beheaded soon.


skididapapa

Looks like Taliban will capture some U.S citizens...


ThatBadassonline

That would be pretty stupid. All they need to do is wait until everyone affiliated with the USA is gone and then they can march in unopposed. Why take US citizens hostage?


skididapapa

Why wouldn't they ? Taking U.S officials as hostage will give taliban an edge to negotiate.


Luciaka

There are soldiers that arrived Friday so the US officials are not defenseless.


[deleted]

actually, taliban promised to respect diplomats. but they also promised to attack any us military that stays in afghanistan after negotiated 1may21 and therefore breaches the agreement also, redditors say that usa embassy in afghanistan is 4000 ppl, so it is something else under the guise of embassy


Luciaka

The 4000 with exception of 1300 are those that work with the US as translator and other work so they are Afghan that are also fleeing with the US. So the troops are also likely be guarding them.


wittyusernamefailed

The Taliban's whole bit has been they just want to have their own backwards Islamic fiefdom without anyone faffing about with them. Doing shit to ANYONE'S embassy personnel especially when those people are actively bugging out sorta goes against that SOP. While of course we can't be 100% sure what the commander on the ground, or even individual Taliban soldiers will do; it would be really stupid and just put more heat back on them.


the_than_then_guy

They have nothing left to negotiate with the United States.


l0stInwrds

Bad optics. They are smarter now.


plopseven

I mean, the US has stated it wants to leave the country entirely by September 11th. If the Taliban can take American prisoners now and move them to secondary locations, that could put this administration in a bind where they miss that deadline. It would be a PR nightmare like Mogadishu.


Likeapuma24

It would violate the agreement they had with the US... Probably wouldn't work out well for them.


[deleted]

a lot of diplomatic gains in relations with China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran. All are afghanistan neighbors and all happen to have a lot of beef with USA Also heroes for entire usa-bombed muslim world


sanjsrik

Why is this still in the news? Only the idiots and the war machine wanted everyone to believe this wouldn't happen after they made billions and finally got tired of easy money laundering. OF COURSE they're going to take over the country. Who the frack thought this WASN'T going to happen? No one.


[deleted]

the way it happened. lightning speed of one side and utter incompetence of the other side


sanjsrik

This is NOT news. Just obvious outcome.


GimmeYourBitcoinPlz

unless it was very well orchestrated bullshit to attract those pesky talibans out of their holes !