Article

2021-05-30 Afghanistan

Key US Military Base in Kabul Handed Over to Afghan Forces, 210 Talibs toes up in last 24 hours

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Posted by trailing wife 2021-05-30 00:00|| || Front Page|| [18 views ] Top
File under: Taliban

#1

Kinda reminded of Saigon 30 April 1975, 46 years ago and 1 month to the day ago.

When will we, the US Citizens, put our foots down? Haven't we learned yet we should not be fighting wars like NAM and Sandlands the same way we did WW1 and WW2?

It is cheaper to use Surgical Strike Teams (Black Ops) and eliminate the Leaders .

But just like the 1960's and 1990's and 2000's too many politicians and their families have a vested interest ($$$$) in long protracted wars.

Posted by NN2N1 2021-05-30 06:37|| 2021-05-30 06:37|| Front Page Top

#2 It is cheaper to use Surgical Strike Teams (Black Ops) and eliminate the Leaders.

You recommend rebooting Phoenix?

Posted by Skidmark 2021-05-30 10:15|| 2021-05-30 10:15|| Front Page Top

#3 huge numbers of Taliban commanders have been killed

and for that matter huge numbers of regulars have been killed, about 50k since 2001 which compares to their current strength of about 60k

they have been able to replenish losses by recruiting or commandeering from the madrassas

Posted by Lord Garth 2021-05-30 10:35|| 2021-05-30 10:35|| Front Page Top

#4 huge numbers of Taliban commanders have been killed

and for that matter huge numbers of regulars have been killed, about 50k since 2001 which compares to their current strength of about 60k

they have been able to replenish losses by recruiting or commandeering from the madrassas

I wouldn't call 50,000 huge. At a time when its population was similar to Afghanistan's, the UK lost about a million dead in the course of the Great War. The traditional counter against guerrilla war was a huge initial massacre against recalcitrants - an exemplary atrocity that punished those who resisted to warn others of the consequence of fighting on, combined with benefits - mainly being left alone - for those that did not. We've heaped on the bennies without that large-scale atrocity. That's why the resistance continues. All cheap, quick and successful pacifications of rearguard resistance have commenced with large-scale atrocity. That includes the sepia-toned accounts of the immediate aftermath of Communist revolutions in the 20th century, which have been distorted by fellow travelers as example of Communist humanitarian ideals. The reality was more prosaic, with millions slaughtered in summary actions:

Wikipedia: Chinese Land Reform

But this isn't some new development. The ancients did this stuff and worse:

Wiki: Sack of Thebes
Wiki: Alexander Sacks Persepolis
Wiki: 70CE Destruction of Jerusalem

That is why so many rebels in antiquity chose to commit suicide when surrounded and faced with certain defeat - the end game upon surrendering was execution after gruesome tortures.

In Indonesia, a communist revolt came to a quick end after the authorities slaughtered not just party members, but their kin.

Wiki: Indonesian Mass Killings of 1965

Posted by Zhang Fei 2021-05-30 13:59|| 2021-05-30 13:59|| Front Page Top

#5 Large-Scale Atrocity.

Hmmm... No problem with those words. Especially when it's about moslems. And yes, that is what works. It's why people made the A-bomb.

Eliminate leaders.

Any decisive action would be again misplaced if it didn't include the devil's den, Quetta, and neither the WH nor the ⭔ will touch that, for reasons best known to them.

But all this is moot since the objectives of wars shifted from dominance and deterrence to grift and posturing. Also, the conventions of martial propriety imposed by militaries on themselves, the factoring of ROEs and collateral avoidance, an unregulated media empowered by elevated liberal laws ... there is just not much margin for atrocity anymore.

As for the 'huge' numbers of Taliban dying everyday, I wouldn't trust any numbers reported by the Afghans themselves. If they're so goddamn good at killing tangos they didn't need your help anyway.

The best thing the taxpayer can demand is complete disengagement with this place. Trump realized this and would have pulled out. These bastards are going to play act and dig deeper in somehow, I'm sure.

Posted by Dron66046 2021-05-30 14:51|| 2021-05-30 14:51|| Front Page Top

#6 ^ Start with the media.

Posted by Chesney Henbane8088 2021-05-30 23:01|| 2021-05-30 23:01|| Front Page Top

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