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

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.

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

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.”

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

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?

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

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

Parliament is being recalled next week too.

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.

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

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.

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/

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.

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

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.

Whitewavemark2

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

It certainly appears that way.

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.

As the airport in Kabul is under fire

I read that warning shots were fired by the US to prevent people running onto the tarmac to reach the planes, rather than the airport being under fire.

The lesson that must finally be learned is that to try to impose a different way of life on a culture, will never ever work unless you are prepared to stay for generations and invest untold vast quantities of money and perhaps lives in doing so.

What we must ask ourselves is that however abhorrent we may find a particular culture do we have the moral right to try to change it?

The U.K. is as guilty as anyone and the misery and damage done by us in our mission to bring light to dark continents does not bear investigation.

This is repeating itself now in Afghanistan.

The most dangerous fallout from the breathtaking success of the Taliban is the boost in moral and intention of every terrorist in the world both abroad and those sitting in their houses in the U.K.

You also need to ask do we have the moral right not to change it.

Absolutely, Galaxy. Whitewavemark2 asks: "What we must ask ourselves is that however abhorrent we may find a particular culture do we have the moral right to try to change it?"
You would have to pose the question - where would we be now if we had taken that attitude in 1939.
My son served tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq, helping to train the local army, and said they knew this would be exactly what would happen when they left.

What we must ask ourselves is that however abhorrent we may find a particular culture do we have the moral right to try to change it?

We don't want to just change it, we want to make it a copy of ourselves and that isn't how things work.