Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi)
Anchorage Daily News/Washington Post: Surprise, panic and fateful choices: The day America lost its longest war
KABUL - On the day that Afghanistan’s capital fell to the Taliban, delivering the definitive verdict on a war that had lumbered on ambiguously for nearly 20 years, one of the city’s top security officials woke up preparing for battle.
The day before, government forces in the north’s largest city - Mazar-e Sharif, a notorious anti-Taliban stronghold - had surrendered with barely a fight. The same had happened overnight in Jalalabad, the traditional winter home of Afghanistan’s kings and the country’s main gateway to the east.
As dawn broke over the misty mountains that ring the city, Kabul had suddenly become an island - the last bastion of a government that the United States had supported at a cost of trillions of dollars and thousands of lives. But it was an island that some were still prepared to defend.
“Everyone was ready to fight against the Taliban,” said the Afghan security official, who had spent the previous evening distributing new uniforms to his officers. “All the security forces were ready.”
Or so he thought. When he prepared to reinforce one of the main checkpoints protecting the city that morning, his commander waved him off. “He told me, ‘Leave that for now,’ " the official recalled. " ‘You can do it in a few days.’ "
But Kabul didn’t have days.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: This Washington Post article is a must read.
The part of the above post that caught my eye was this .... .... In a hastily arranged in-person meeting, senior U.S. military leaders in Doha - including McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command - spoke with Abdul Ghani Baradar, head of the Taliban’s political wing.
“We have a problem,” Baradar said, according to the U.S. official. “We have two options to deal with it: You [the United States military] take responsibility for securing Kabul or you have to allow us to do it.”
Throughout the day, Biden had remained resolute in his decision to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan. The collapse of the Afghan government hadn’t changed his mind.
McKenzie, aware of those orders, told Baradar that the U.S. mission was only to evacuate American citizens, Afghan allies and others at risk. The United States, he told Baradar, needed the airport to do that.
On the spot, an understanding was reached, according to two other U.S. officials: The United States could have the airport until Aug. 31. But the Taliban would control the city.
Fighters were now on the move throughout Kabul, with the group’s spokesman issuing a revision of his earlier guidance:
The Taliban hadn’t intended to take Kabul that day. But Ghani’s exit gave the group no choice.
“The government has left all of their ministries; you have to enter the city to prevent further disorder and protect public property and services from chaos,” read a message that pinged on Muhammad Nasir Haqqani’s phone.
Wow!!!!
This piece of news is being under-reported.
The Taliban had offered both Kabul and the airport to the U.S. to enforce security. But the U.S. refused.
The Taliban, fearing government offices would be sacked and looted, then made the decision to enter the capital.
Update: Correction. This piece of news is now being reported .... Taliban offered Kabul to US, but Americans said no: report (FOX News).
17 comments:
"I made early withdraw possible by already pulling much of our billions of dollars and equipment out and, more importantly, reducing our military presence to less than 2,000 troops from the 16,000 level that was there,"
"Getting out of Afghanistan is a wonderful and positive thing to do," Mr. Trump said. "I planned to withdraw on May 1st, and we should keep as close to that schedule as possible."
Thank you President Trump for starting the procees to get out of Afghanistan! Your vision on this was wiser than the pundits who say we should still be there. It was well past time to stop wasting money and resources for a problem that couldn't be fixed by the US.
It would have been civilized, if the US had guarded Kabul and then handed over the keys, when evacuation was complete.
Consider the Roman Empire. They could have rolled up the Garamantes. Yes, who are those dudes. Most people do not know. But like every other peoples including the Romans, they raided. The Romans counter raided and then they came to an agreement. The Roans could have rolled the Gramantes up at any time and enslaved them all. Instead they built them some baths. It was for three reasons,, A province of Garamantia would cost too much for the tax collected. Being far enough away there were communication problems. Lastly, but most importantly in the near term there was an opportunity cost. To conquer the Garamantes they would have denuded the frontier defenses somewhere like Germany or Persia. Take too many legion away from 1 frontier and the Empire would be invaded.
Afghanistan is too far away given the geopolitical realities. Pakistan is not an ally . It is a bloodsucking cockroach. Better that the US (Rome) focus on China (Persia) and have be with it.
But no, dickhead had to choose the worst option.
ah, Monday morning quarterback
tip: we did not know the Afghans would quit, fall apart so soon. Easy enough to say X,Y,Z after the fact.
4:26 is a troll.
I have a problem with headlines that read America "lost" the Afghan "war." First of all, since congress didn't declare it a war, it technically wasn't one. It was, like Korea and Vietnam, a "conflict." Second, how could America lose a conflict when essentially there was no long-term PLAN? The initial invasion was basically in order to kick some butt, which we did. But as time progressed, there seems to have little to no specific objective beyond the nation building bullshit and defending the various bases scattered around the country ongoing patrols. In short, there was no specific timeframe assigned to complete whatever we were supposed to be doing and then withdraw. How is that something you lose?
Germany and Japan LOST WWII. But the American politicians and foreign policy assholes finally figured out, after only 20 years, that we really weren't fighting for anything worth the money and political capital being spent in order to accomplish almost nothing (they never did give a shit about American lives being lost).
I kind of agree with 4:49, but go tell it to Burnham.
We were never going to win, since we never attacked the enemies center of gravity.
Where is the media criticism of Bush & co. for turning the attempt to kill Bin Laden into this unwinnable occupation without clear goals. It doesn't exist because Bush, Obama, and the Clintons are best pals and the war criminal said "orange man bad" so all is forgiven.
On Bush.
First, Congress voted for the AUMF.
Second, was there any reason to suspect that Pakistan would fuck us over?
The answer to that is yes, but the common wisdom at the time among the intelligencia, media, body politics and belt way was no.
One and two do not let Bush and Cheney off the hook. Cheney authorized the Airlift of Evil. At what point did Bush and Cheney realize that Pakistan was not going to turn over a new leaf and was going to keep on ass raping the US?
Though maybe true what does all of this have to do with the decisions and statements made to make this withdrawal?
Get w/ the program boy. I was answering 6:31
No I think I'll stay just like I am, the comment was addressed to you!
I repeat what does the past have to do with this withdrawal. I await your answer.
You may not know but some of us do know
Fred, that's as old and tired as you are patch cord.
Well then tell us, I await.
Hey everyone Freddy's might answer a question!
Lapides is going into his secret squirrel persona! I wonder if his merry little band knows the truth about him.
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