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Afghanistan
Taliban Attack Pushed Back in Herat: Governor
2021-07-02
[ToloNews] Taliban
...Arabic for students...
attack on Ghorian district in Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
was pushed back by security forces on Wednesday night, Governor Abdul Saboor Qani said on Thursday, adding that the fighters of the group had gathered from different parts of the western province to attack the area.

Qani said hundreds of Taliban’s armed members took part in the attack and 20 of them were killed in last night’s festivities.

"A Taliban’s suicide boom-mobileer was targeted by security forces before reaching its target," the governor said.

The local security officials also said that more than 20 Taliban were killed in the attacks and more than 10 others were maimed.

Local officials have not commented on possible government forces casualties in the attack.

Taliban has not commented on the attack.

On Wednesday, Afghan forces retook the control of Shinwari district in Parwan.

Sources said that security forces have left several districts including Alasai district in Kapisa, Kaldar district in Balkh, Feroz Nakhchir district in Samangan and Gilan district in Ghazni.

But the Ministry of Defense said that reinforcements have been sent to Ghazni province to repel Taliban attacks and also that security forces managed to break the siege of Hesarak district in Nangarhar
The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country..
province.

Over the past two months, the government has lost control of over 100 districts across the country; however, the Afghan government has said that security forces have retaken control of ten districts in the past few days.
Related:
Ghorian district: 2021-04-21 2 Public Uprising Force Members Killed in Taliban Attack in Herat
Ghorian district: 2021-04-12 Construction on 89 schools completed in Herat province
Ghorian district: 2021-04-10 9 Border Force Members Killed in Herat: Sources
Related:
Herat: 2021-06-28 Hundreds More Take Up Arms as Clashes Intensify
Herat: 2021-06-27 People Take Up Arms in Two More Provinces to Fight Taliban
Herat: 2021-06-27 US Launches Drone Strikes in Northern Afghanistan: Report
Posted by:trailing wife

#14  As long as Uncle Sam is funding the Afghan government, it's hard to see how it could lose.

No matter who wins, Uncle Sam wins itself another well equipped sunni sponsor of terrorism. This one I'm betting won't focus on Asia as much as the last one they propped up.
Posted by: Dron66046   2021-07-02 23:50  

#13  Give em three cups of tea & tell em to fuck off
Posted by: Hupoluse Jesing3050   2021-07-02 19:00  

#12  $5 billion per of hard working Americans taxes? Bah. They should get nothing and like it.
Posted by: Judge Smailes   2021-07-02 18:49  

#11  "When the people see a strong horse and a weak horse, they will support the strong horse"
ObL PBHBM*

*praised be His Blessed Memory
Posted by: Zebulon Poodle2734   2021-07-02 18:33  

#10  Sorry ZF: Next time attach it as a link.
Posted by: Besoeker   2021-07-02 18:20  

#9  Mods: Your attachment had to be removed due to size restrictions. Sorry. Thanks again for your insights.

Given that I spent 20 minutes trying to get that table to fit in there... Anyway, have a great 4th.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2021-07-02 18:18  

#8  The fly in the ointment is the Afghan propensity to change sides. Lots of gov troops with lots of equipment and ammo available for the right price or threat.

They don't change sides for money. They change sides so they end up with the winners. Because money's no good if you end up with the losers - that could mean exile for your tribe, or worse. They're not switching sides for keeps - if the government appears to be winning, they'll stick with it - if the Taliban looks like a winner, they'll switch. This can happen several times in the course of a given period. This isn't a matter of principle - it's a question of who lives and who dies, so tribal heads will be endlessly flexible. Ultimately, they'll side with the strong horse, whatever that horse happens to be.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2021-07-02 17:59  

#7  Besoeker: /\ Very interesting assessment Zhang Fei, and one that I had not heard or imagined. I hope you are correct.

Zhang: Your attachment had to be removed due to size restrictions. Sorry. Thanks again for your insights.

Posted by: Zhang Fei   2021-07-02 17:51  

#6  The fly in the ointment is the Afghan propensity to change sides. Lots of gov troops with lots of equipment and ammo available for the right price or threat.
Posted by: Thraviling Thromons4323   2021-07-02 17:21  

#5  /\ Very interesting assessment Zhang Fei, and one that I had not heard or imagined. I hope you are correct.
Posted by: Besoeker   2021-07-02 16:35  

#4  Besoeker: “History Doesn't Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes” ~ Mark Twain.

The Taliban are presumably looking at Vietnam and their earlier conquest of Afghanistan as the template for their current offensives. Vietnam is a bad analogy. The Soviets and the Chinese sent huge amounts of equipment and dough to North Vietnam to launch a tank-, artillery- and MiG-supported offensive. Pakistan is a (literally) poor substitute as lead moneybags for the Taliban. Note also that the US had drastically cut equipment and monetary aid to South Vietnam. Whereas Biden has committed $5b a year, the same amount the Afghans have gotten for many years now.

Even the 90's era Taliban victory is an imperfect analogue. Then, the Taliban were backed to the hilt by Pakistan. In comparison, the various mujahideen factions they were up against got bupkis from anyone else, having to rely on the usual protection money and shady undertakings that all had to engage in due to the chaos (banditry, destroyed infrastructure, refugees everywhere) of that era.

As long as Uncle Sam is funding the Afghan government, it's hard to see how it could lose. A guerrilla movement can hold territory for days or even weeks at a time, much as a bank robber can probably take over any financial institution at will and take hostages to keep the gendarmes at bay. But to hold out for years - that takes staying power the Taliban does not have.

My estimate is that if the Taliban continues to mount operations at this tempo, it will overextend itself and implode. This could actually the Taliban's last gasp - the storm before the calm.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2021-07-02 16:31  

#3  

“History Doesn't Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes” ~ Mark Twain.
Posted by: Besoeker   2021-07-02 09:20  

#2  Bagram: Last US and Nato forces leave key Afghanistan base
Posted by: Skidmark   2021-07-02 09:18  

#1  Taliban say they 'welcome and support' the exit of foreign forces after final US and NATO troops leave Bagram airbase while the terror group sweeps across Afghanistan
Posted by: Skidmark   2021-07-02 08:59  

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