Afghanistan; did we waste our time, and even worse, our soldiers lives?

I don’t think the troops wasted their time. They gave those poor people a few years of relatively normal life whilst they kept the Taliban at bay and that is something worth fighting for. Many lost their lives for the sake of others.

Whitewavemark2

So the agreement to allow foreigners to leave peacefully hasn’t held then?

It certainly appears that way.

Commercial flights have stopped according to the BBC as it’s too unsafe. I guess everyone will be trying to get on any military or private flights there are.

So the agreement to allow foreigners to leave peacefully hasn’t held then?

Whitewavemark2

So all American embassy staff gone and all American personnel are being airlifted by American army.

It seems that U.K. personnel are being left to try to get commercial air flights out??.

What a dreadful mess it all is.

As the airport in Kabul is under fire and people have been warned against trying to get there, they have been advised to lay low

US Embassy has apparently burned all sensitive papers and helicopters were seen coming and going early morning Afghanistan time.

There are reports that the Taliban are now in control of the US Embassy.

So all American embassy staff gone and all American personnel are being airlifted by American army.

It seems that U.K. personnel are being left to try to get commercial air flights out??.

What a dreadful mess it all is.

So the monsters have arrived and taken over . The President has fled, not to the UK I hope, and left his people to die. I feel another Iran has been born, with China being its first allie mainly for the minerals, and reconstruction, in bed with the devil.
warontherocks.com/2021/08/a-reluctant-embrace-chinas-new-relationship-with-the-taliban/

Is there any hope for ordinary people when the president of the country flees?

I'm so angry with NATO, and the US & UK governments - can't articulate my thoughts any better than that right now.

There are reports coming out that Afghanistan President Ghani has fled the Country.

Whitewavemark2

Is that to take out Brits and Afghan nationals under threat do you know?

In the piece I read it said they were going to help with the evacuation I dare say they are going to be economical with details at this stage of the situation.

Parliament is being recalled next week too.

Is that to take out Brits and Afghan nationals under threat do you know?

Whitewavemark2

I think that is to protect American personal as well as those afghans that worked with the Americans and to get them out safely.

Are we doing the same?

U.K. have deployed 600 para’s

I think that is to protect American personal as well as those afghans that worked with the Americans and to get them out safely.

Are we doing the same?

President Biden has announced that he is deploying 5,000 US troops to Afghanistan, according to Sky News.

Those fleeing for their lives can expect no help from our government.

“Senior military sources say the Home Office is reluctant to give many of these people asylum because of the message it will send to other refugees.”

I fear for the future when the Taliban are in power, as they will surely be, where will they stop?

There is an emergency COBRA meeting this afternoon on the situation in Afghanistan. I sincerely hope he doesn't tell us our troops are getting involved again.

I do agree that Rory Stewart said much that makes sense, as did the widow of a soldier killed in Afghanistan on BBC2 news at lunchtime.

Unfortunately you cannot rule out the influence of Islam and the desire to import sharia law here. I think it already operates but I haven't checked that in detail so please don't jump down my throat.

I used to live in a university city and a perfectly ordinary seeming woman opened a little corner shop. Like all the good liberal Westerners I was happy to support her. She was more than open about being a Muslim, fine with me until on various occasions I went in the shop to find her in mid conversation supporting the chopping off of thieves hands ('stops' em doing it again dunnit'), the veiling of girls, intense criticism of young girls going out to clubs and wearing revealing clothes, trashing unsupervised mixing of young men and women and supporting the execution of homosexuals. I stopped going to the shop and unfortunately I think she was expounding the views of many more cautious, silent Muslims. I am not being racist I'm telling you what I saw and heard, it's about returning to the 7th century and it's not confined to Afghanistan.

I think Rory Stewart talks a lot of sense, there was nothing he said that I disagreed with.

We're sending soldiers back in, aren't we? To support the evacuation? Its like that image from Vietnam where everyone was fighting to get on the last helicopter.

Here is Rory Stewart being interviewed this morning:

(sorry, it's a twitter link, but it's easy to see the clip)

twitter.com/KayBurley/status/1426091416564928518

What do we think of what he is saying?

It is absolutely true that the West cannot police the world nor should it, it also cannot stay in Afghanistan or anywhere else indefinitely, this of course plays well for the Taliban who only have to watch and wait, time being on their side. Using this time profitability, with help from their point of view, from Iran? and? so when the time comes as inevitably it will, they can move forward with a vengeance. What a mess!

It's worth reading today's BBC article about the resurgence of the Taliban. It explains both the difficulties there have been in training national security forces in a country that is still basically tribal and that Pakistan is and has been a major player in supporting the Taliban and the demise of Afghanistan.
What's happening is both upsetting and alarming at a point where the world is unstable to say the least.

One of the consequences will be an increase in refugees fleeing the Taliban. Some will no doubt end up in small boats crossing the channel.