Leaving Afghanistan

[BeBMan]

The Taliban hosted the folks who attacked the US, which was clearly a hostile act by the (then) official gov, which the Taliban were in 2001. IIRC they were also given the option after 9/11 to extradite BL to avoid military action (not that anyone expected they'd take it).

So it's not like they are innocent victims of aggression or something. This was the core reason why the US military went into the country, so it's not "unknown". And from then every US gov inherited the prob, and needed to cope somehow.

There are lotsa valid arguments to end the engagement, but I don't see how there's no legitimate reason at all why the US actually did it.

[Egbert]

Twenty years ago the USA had good reason to go into Afghanistan. The USA was a victim of an aggression that emerged from Afghanistan and the Afghan government (Taliban) refused to hand over the perpetrators.

Twenty years has passed since then.

[Bereta_Eder]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E9KBTrvX...jpg&name=large

[Kidlicious]

Nobody here is talking about what's happening? I didn't think so.

[Broken_Erika]

The only way that Afghanistan could have been "won" is if the US invested 10 times as much money as they did and stayed at least 40-60 years.

[Jon Miller]

It would have required a focus on funding healthcare and education and infrastructure, all things that the US refuses to invest in at home. And as you said, probably more than 20 years since more had to be developed than Germany or Japan. Maybe 30 would have been enough, but maybe more.

JM

[Kidlicious]

The only way that Afghanistan could have been "won" is if the US invested 10 times as much money as they did and stayed at least 40-60 years.

You do know that there are different levels of losing, right?

[BeBMan]

The only way that Afghanistan could have been "won" is if the US invested 10 times as much money as they did and stayed at least 40-60 years.

I hardly see the Taliban wearing facemasks, and if they do, they're often rendered useless cuz of those beards, so maybe there's hope.

[Broken_Erika]

You do know that there are different levels of losing, right?

It would have gone horribly regardless of what the US did. It's called "The Graveyard of Empires" for a reason.

[Kidlicious]

It would have gone horribly regardless of what the US did. It's called "The Graveyard of Empires" for a reason.

I guess that's a no. It obviously wouldn't have gone this bad whatever the US did. We could have made sure that the Taliban didn't take over so fast that thousands of people would be trapped inside of hell. We could have made sure that terrorists didn't get all that weaponry. We could have avoided pissing off our allies. And much more.

[Jon Miller]

I guess that's a no. It obviously wouldn't have gone this bad whatever the US did. We could have made sure that the Taliban didn't take over so fast that thousands of people would be trapped inside of hell. We could have made sure that terrorists didn't get all that weaponry. We could have avoided pissing off our allies. And much more.

Unfortunately the previous administration negotiated our surrender terms directly with the Taliban and did not include our allies. Not only that, but they placed barriers and restrictions on our ability to aid the thousands of our Afghan allies in leaving Afghanistan. The treaty also dictates that the US could not support the Afghan military ... which is the reason why it collapsed so swiftly.

JM

[Kidlicious]

Unfortunately the previous administration negotiated our surrender terms directly with the Taliban and did not include our allies. Not only that, but they placed barriers and restrictions on our ability to aid the thousands of our Afghan allies in leaving Afghanistan. The treaty also dictates that the US could not support the Afghan military ... which is the reason why it collapsed so swiftly.

JM

Wrong. Joe Biden did this. Fact. Nobody forced him to do this. It's his decision. The agreement that Trump made with the Taliban was that they would never takeover any cities, which they have. The Taliban have violated the agreement that they made with Trump, not that Trump is the president. Biden is. Agreements with Trump mean nothing. Biden did this, period. And you are trying to cover for him, which is disgusting. You, and anyone else can not blame this on Trump. He did not do this, period.

[Jon Miller]

Have you read the treaty? It is only 4 pages, a lot less if you remove the paragraph saying that the US doesn't recognize the Taliban every time the Taliban is mentioned.

JM

[Kidlicious]

ffs

[Kidlicious]

Have you read the treaty? It is only 4 pages, a lot less if you remove the paragraph saying that the US doesn't recognize the Taliban every time the Taliban is mentioned.

JM

It's not a treaty. It's a cease-fire. The Taliban violated the cease-fire so there is no agreement whatsoever.