The Afghanistan and Pakistan Thread

We shouldn't be looking at just signing a deal, but looking at signing trade agreements for the export of Aghan goods. Some might disagree, but look where Vietnam is now. I know they're not the same, but it takes the extra step in good faith to help. What they do with that money, who knows.
 
GOTWA said:
We shouldn't be looking at just signing a deal, but looking at signing trade agreements for the export of Aghan goods. Some might disagree, but look where Vietnam is now. I know they're not the same, but it takes the extra step in good faith to help. What they do with that money, who knows.
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The majority will go to the Chinese, the only exports we'll receive in bulk are poppy derivatives.
 
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I just remember sitting there at ESM-St Cyr for the Colloque Guerre Irreguliare (Irregular Warfare Conference) in 2009. One of the speakers called in via VTC, a British BG and he stated that everyone in NATO knew that it was a 20 year project and everyone was committed. The next thing after that was Obama's New Way Forward speech at West Point in Ike Hall, 1 DEC 2009, where he said in the same speech we would surge in Afghanistan and then begin a phased withdrawal. My first unit deployed to Afghanistan under a 70% force cap, I got there after JRTC and got left home, also got fenced and couldn't go anywhere else. Then while they were there, they were chosen for deactivation. Took 6 Months to get orders out of Ft Knox!

I then of course have watched all of the BS since! At no point have I seen this 20 yrs worth of commitment for Afghanistan that a general once said NATO had.
 
ThunderHorse said:
I then of course have watched all of the BS since! At no point have I seen this 20 yrs worth of commitment for Afghanistan that a general once said NATO had.
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We didn't, we had 19 one-year commitments and NATO/ ISAF wasn't commited to anything except American dollars underwriting their efforts. This was different at the soldier's level but it always is...
 
Details of agreement:

The United States is committed to withdraw from Afghanistan all military forces of the United States, its allies, and Coalition partners, including all non-diplomatic civilian personnel, private security contractors, trainers, advisors, and supporting services personnel within fourteen (14) months following announcement of this agreement, and will take the following measures in this regard:
A. The United States, its allies, and the Coalition will take the following measures in the first one hundred thirty-five (135) days:
1) They will reduce the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan to eight thousand six hundred (8,600) and proportionally bring reduction in the number of its allies and Coalition forces.
2) The United States, its allies, and the Coalition will withdraw all their forces from five (5) military bases.
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https://www.state.gov/wp-content/up...or-Bringing-Peace-to-Afghanistan-02.29.20.pdf
 
"This war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with a decisive liberation of territory and a swift conclusion.

It will not look like the air war above Kosovo two years ago, where no ground troops were used and not a single American was lost in combat.

Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes.

Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen."
 
AWP said:
1. I'm glad we're leaving.
2. Those murderous, terrorist, motherfuckers won.
3. Our civilian and military leaders couldn't win a game of BINGO and checkers is too advanced for them.

All of our blood and treasure...
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Although I'm quoting your statement, I'm not specifically calling you out here per se, however, I'm always curious about statements like the one bolded above. As a result, the following questions are not directed to you alone, although I'd love more of your insight, but more broadly to others that share this view.

Why is it you think "they" won? And who are we specifically referring to -- the Taliban, Al Qaeda, ISIS, all the above, someone else?

But more importantly, what does "winning" like to you? How is it defined and what shaped your expectation for "winning"?
 
Man I wonder how long will it be before the Taliban break their promises? Question Why couldn’t the Afghans get their country together? After all we spent?
 
Jaknight said:
Man I wonder how long will it be before the Taliban break their promises? Question Why couldn’t the Afghans get their country together? After all we spent?
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6 Weeks.

I don't care. I don't see the current government being much better. We should arm the crap out of the warlords and let everyone have at it.
 

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