Taliban captures key northern Afghan city of Kunduz......

This is a major blow to the Government of Afghanistan. We dropped in for a few Airstrikes and 30 minutes ago Government forces were trying to take back the city. The Taliban has just stepped it up a notch and this is after AQ pledged allegiance with them. What say ye?





The Taliban captured most of the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan on Monday, raising fresh concerns about the country's ability to provide its own security.

Most of Kunduz "is in the hand of terrorists. We have sent reinforcements, and the ultimate goal is to launch operations and clear the city," Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said in an email.

If the Taliban consolidates control over the entire city, it would be the first time the group seized a major city in Afghanistan since the Taliban was pushed from power by a U.S.-led coalition in 2001.....snip~

Taliban captures key northern Afghan city of Kunduz

More on this. The Taliban did hold after our Airstrikes.



Why the Taliban takeover of Kunduz is a big deal ......

The loss of the major city of Kunduz to the Taliban is a stunning reversal for the Afghan government, deepening worries about the ability of its security forces to take the fight to the Islamic militants. Here are the main reasons why the fall of Kunduz is a big deal:

It's the biggest Taliban victory since 2001
It highlights the weakness of Afghanistan's NATO-trained forces
It complicates the next move for the U.S.
It shows the Taliban remain a force to be reckoned with
It's a fresh blow for the Afghan government....snip~

Why the Taliban taking Afghanistan's Kunduz matters - CNN.com

Our military was there for years... :/

I understand why people would be reluctant to oppose the Taliban if they face constant humiliation by corrupt policemen and incompetent civil servants. They just pick between predictable and less predictable savages to rule them.

Olive said:

Our military was there for years... :/

I understand why people would be reluctant to oppose the Taliban if they face constant humiliation by corrupt policemen and incompetent civil servants. They just pick between predictable and less predictable savages to rule them.

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Heya Olive. :2wave: The ZMan from AQ Prime pumped them up with all that talk about the Taliban being where the True Caliphate will be.

But again it does highlight the NATO Training. Even our own with those we trained for Syria. Then there was the Iraqis dropping equipment and running off.

MMC said:

This is a major blow to the Government of Afghanistan. We dropped in for a few Airstrikes and 30 minutes ago Government forces were trying to take back the city. The Taliban has just stepped it up a notch and this is after AQ pledged allegiance with them. What say ye?





The Taliban captured most of the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan on Monday, raising fresh concerns about the country's ability to provide its own security.

Most of Kunduz "is in the hand of terrorists. We have sent reinforcements, and the ultimate goal is to launch operations and clear the city," Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said in an email.

If the Taliban consolidates control over the entire city, it would be the first time the group seized a major city in Afghanistan since the Taliban was pushed from power by a U.S.-led coalition in 2001.....snip~

Taliban captures key northern Afghan city of Kunduz

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I say that this was visibly in the cards, when we decided to withdraw.

joG said:

I say that this was visibly in the cards, when we decided to withdraw.

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Heya Jog. :2wave: Well now with Daesh in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Taliban has more than just the US or NATO to worry about.

Another foreign policy failure, brought to you by the Obungle Administration.

The dumb**** started troop withdrawls too early and too fast. And then, like a person suffering from a serious case of ADD, he got distracted by some shiny object (another issue, most likely Global Warming) and didn't keep tabs on Afghanistan.

At least Afghan troops didn't run away like little bitches when the **** started getting deep, unlike their ***** counterparts in Iraq.

MMC said:

This is a major blow to the Government of Afghanistan. We dropped in for a few Airstrikes and 30 minutes ago Government forces were trying to take back the city. The Taliban has just stepped it up a notch and this is after AQ pledged allegiance with them. What say ye?





The Taliban captured most of the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan on Monday, raising fresh concerns about the country's ability to provide its own security.

Most of Kunduz "is in the hand of terrorists. We have sent reinforcements, and the ultimate goal is to launch operations and clear the city," Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said in an email.

If the Taliban consolidates control over the entire city, it would be the first time the group seized a major city in Afghanistan since the Taliban was pushed from power by a U.S.-led coalition in 2001.....snip~

Taliban captures key northern Afghan city of Kunduz

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Video of Taliban control of Kunduz


Afghanistan is destined to fall. It seems the majority of people in the country do not care who governs them.... Just want to be left their ways.

TheDemSocialist said:

Video of Taliban control of Kunduz


Afghanistan is destined to fall. It seems the majority of people in the country do not care who governs them.... Just want to be left their ways.

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Let us put it a little differently. The elite and the power structure that supports it do not like the idea of gays and feminists and, Allah forbid!, the vox populi ruin the moral fiber and destroy their grip on power. The West showed itself rather incompetent there other than militarily.

joG said:

Let us put it a little differently. The elite and the power structure that supports it do not like the idea of gays and feminists and, Allah forbid!, the vox populi ruin the moral fiber and destroy their grip on power. The West showed itself rather incompetent there other than militarily.

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No offense but im guessing the gay and feminist rights movement really did not much exist........ And nor do I think the US can do much about that.....

Roadvirus said:

Another foreign policy failure, brought to you by the Obungle Administration.

The dumb**** started troop withdrawls too early and too fast. And then, like a person suffering from a serious case of ADD, he got distracted by some shiny object (another issue, most likely Global Warming) and didn't keep tabs on Afghanistan.

At least Afghan troops didn't run away like little bitches when the **** started getting deep, unlike their ***** counterparts in Iraq.

Click to expand...

TheDemSocialist said:

Video of Taliban control of Kunduz


Afghanistan is destined to fall. It seems the majority of people in the country do not care who governs them.... Just want to be left their ways.

Click to expand...

After the number of years of relative stability (considering the last 30 years of history in Afghanistan as a comparison) and it's your deemed opinion that it was always destined to fall. Mmmkaaaay.

Actually, the Afghan people were dancing in the streets when the Taliban left / forced out; finally able to dance, listen to music on their transistor radios.

I don't think that they are glad to be under the extremist fundamentalist Islamic thumb of the Taliban again.

Roadvirus said:

Another foreign policy failure, brought to you by the Obungle Administration.

The dumb**** started troop withdrawls too early and too fast. And then, like a person suffering from a serious case of ADD, he got distracted by some shiny object (another issue, most likely Global Warming) and didn't keep tabs on Afghanistan.

At least Afghan troops didn't run away like little bitches when the **** started getting deep, unlike their ***** counterparts in Iraq.

Click to expand...

To tell you the truth, it is not clear that Obama fumbled. At least I know very little about the global strategy he follows. Maybe an Islamist state on the underbelly of Russia could pay out.

eohrnberger said:

After the number of years of relative stability (considering the last 30 years of history in Afghanistan as a comparison) and it's your deemed opinion that it was always destined to fall. Mmmkaaaay.

Actually, the Afghan people were dancing in the streets when the Taliban left / forced out; finally able to dance, listen to music on their transistor radios.

I don't think that they are glad to be under the extremist fundamentalist Islamic thumb of the Taliban again.

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Ummm... What reality to you live in?

joG said:

Let us put it a little differently. The elite and the power structure that supports it do not like the idea of gays and feminists and, Allah forbid!, the vox populi ruin the moral fiber and destroy their grip on power. The West showed itself rather incompetent there other than militarily.

Click to expand...

Afghanistan's government has to deal with Pakistan, which is an illiberal state mostly run by religious fundamentalist Muslims - which has elements within that still support the Taliban, and Afghanistan never had a real chance to develop a civil-society, that even today is small and struggles to even keep girls in school and basic human rights - which is made difficult by Islamic hardliners in the government and the Taliban.

Afghanistan had a slight bit of hope under the repressive Soviet state, and then when the US invaded and deposed the Taliban. But in both cases, the hope of a remotely secular state was quashed by Pakistan and the Taliban. The West isn't 'incompetent', instead it has the same problem the Soviets faced, which is a country surrounded by religious fundies that would only ever accept a repressive theocracy in Afghanistan.

If Afghanistan's government could they probably would try and push for more human rights protections, but I think I heard it said by a Saudi official to paraphrase, 'public opinion takes time to change', and you can't change public opinion when it is war and you are trying to include as many people as possible in the fight against the Taliban.

eohrnberger said:

After the number of years of relative stability (considering the last 30 years of history in Afghanistan as a comparison) and it's your deemed opinion that it was always destined to fall. Mmmkaaaay.

Actually, the Afghan people were dancing in the streets when the Taliban left / forced out; finally able to dance, listen to music on their transistor radios.

I don't think that they are glad to be under the extremist fundamentalist Islamic thumb of the Taliban again.

Click to expand...

TheDemSocialist said:

Ummm... What reality to you live in?

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Which point in my post do you disagree with?

eohrnberger said:

Which point in my post do you disagree with?

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All of it. Since they havent left extremist control... And especially because of the progress of the war itself...

TheDemSocialist said:

All of it. Since they havent left extremist control... And especially because of the progress of the war itself...

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If you compare the years of Russian occupation to the years of coalition forces conducting combat operations, I have a feeling that once the Taliban were cleared out, that the latter might be considered as more stable and more free. I recall TV coverage of the Afghans celebrating the Taliban departure / displacement in the streets, and yes, with music and their radios and dancing.

I remember this clearly as it struck me how little some had, and yet were happy and celebrating.

eohrnberger said:

If you compare the years of Russian occupation to the years of coalition forces conducting combat operations, I have a feeling that once the Taliban were cleared out, that the latter might be considered as more stable and more free. I recall TV coverage of the Afghans celebrating the Taliban departure / displacement in the streets, and yes, with music and their radios and dancing.

I remember this clearly as it struck me how little some had, and yet were happy and celebrating.

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Dont.... Really.... Just dont.. Dont let the cold war blind you that bad....

TheDemSocialist said:

Dont.... Really.... Just dont.. Dont let the cold war blind you that bad....

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Everything that I've heard, the Russian occupation of Afghanistan was brutal.
I wouldn't think that the coalition forces would have used tactics and methods as brutal as the Russian army.

You saying that's blind?

there has been significant gains for women in Afghanistan, last I looked there was a woman in parliament -
that would have been unheard of before.

But the cities aren't the countryside, and fundamentalist Islam takes its' toll.

The ANSF has done quite well -so have the national police - it's a big loss, but it's not defeat.
The Taliban may or may not come to the negotiating table -they won't till after we leave.

So we set the gov'tup the best we can, and hope for the best, while expecting the worst

MMC said:

This is a major blow to the Government of Afghanistan. We dropped in for a few Airstrikes and 30 minutes ago Government forces were trying to take back the city. The Taliban has just stepped it up a notch and this is after AQ pledged allegiance with them. What say ye?

Click to expand...

Same thing like with Syria and Iraq. You can either choose to keep pouring in billions of "aid" and soldiers lives FOREVER, or you better work out a drastically new alternative. Because playing whack a mole forever gets tiring. I say let them have the Taliban or ISIS, but build a wall around the country topped up with a minefield and automatic turrets. Then either they'll finally learn to get rid of fundamentalist islam (or islam full stop) themselves or they'll have the medieval society they crave so much, but either way we won't be bothered.

TheDemSocialist said:

Video of Taliban control of Kunduz


Afghanistan is destined to fall. It seems the majority of people in the country do not care who governs them.... Just want to be left their ways.

Click to expand...

We sent in Airstrikes last night. The Taliban are still holding the city.

Natan said:

Same thing like with Syria and Iraq. You can either choose to keep pouring in billions of "aid" and soldiers lives FOREVER, or you better work out a drastically new alternative. Because playing whack a mole forever gets tiring. I say let them have the Taliban or ISIS, but build a wall around the country topped up with a minefield and automatic turrets. Then either they'll finally learn to get rid of fundamentalist islam (or islam full stop) themselves or they'll have the medieval society they crave so much, but either way we won't be bothered.

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Mornin Natan. :2wave: Whats surprising is BO Team is now talking about our Troopers will need to stay beyond 2016. Of course this was where BO peep said War needed to be waged. Which was before he lost it for us.

BO sent in troops on the ground to take back Kunduz. Advisors to help and assist. According to reports today.....the Taliban have been driven out of the city. Here in Chicago, Radio was broadcasting 40 troops from Illinois NG, in on the fight.



U.S. troops dispatched to Kunduz to help Afghan forces.....


American Special Operations troops and on-the-ground military advisers from the NATO coalition joined Afghan forces trying to retake the northern city of Kunduz from Taliban militants Wednesday, and some came under fire as the effort initially made few gains, officials said.

The increased support from the coalition comes amid growing signs that Afghan forces are struggling to repel the Taliban fighters, who were able to seize Kunduz in a lightning strike Monday, dealing a major blow to Afghanistan’s Western-backed government.....snip~

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...7768f2-66e5-11e5-9223-70cb36460919_story.html

U.S. military shifts policy, now favors troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016.....


According to U.S. officials, Campbell’s options would postpone any major cuts in troop levels this year and give him more leeway on the pace of any reductions next year. The options, officials said, include keeping as many as 8,000 troops there well into next year and maintaining several thousand troops as a counterterrorism force into 2017. The options would allow for a gradual decline in troop numbers over the coming year, depending on the security conditions in Afghanistan and the capabilities of the Afghan forces, who sustained heavy combat losses this year and last.

As far back as March, during top-level meetings at the Camp David presidential retreat, senior administration officials were leaving the door open to a small counterterrorism force in Afghanistan in 2017. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the Republican-controlled Congress favor extending the U.S. military presence. Ghani has expressed worry about militants affiliated with the Islamic State group trying to gain a wider foothold in his country.

Both Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Secretary of State John Kerry have suggested the importance of the U.S continuing its counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan, even into 2017. During the Camp David meetings, Kerry said the administration was concerned about reports that Islamic State militants are recruiting in Afghanistan and that some Taliban were rebranding themselves as Islamic State members. Since then, other U.S. officials have cited the Islamic State as a potentially growing threat, and the Taliban have made inroads in the southern province of Helmand.....snip~

U.S. military shifts policy, now favors troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016 - Chronicle-Telegram


The US Military, huh?