Afghanistan veterans are 'riveted in horror’ by
Taliban's 'faster-than-expected' takeover
The Week,
by
Brigid Kennedy
Original Article
Posted By: NorthernDog,
8/13/2021 9:21:55 PM
As Afghanistan continues to fall to the Taliban at a "faster-than-expected" pace, those who served in the war are reportedly "riveted in horror" watching the militant group make gains, and immensely frustrated by the withdrawal that's threatening to undo their 20 years of work, The Washington Post reports. "It makes me angry, really angry," said Tom Amenta, a retired veteran who was originally deployed in 2002. Afghanistan "has never had a clean solution," he told the Post. "But now that it's gotten hard, we're just going to bounce? It doesn't make it right." The United Kingdom's Foreign Affairs Select Committee
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Venturer 8/13/2021 9:32:35 PM (No. 878051)
This Congress will probably fund an infrastructure bill for the Afghani Taliban shortly.
64 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
velirotta 8/13/2021 9:34:06 PM (No. 878053)
The credit for this disaster goes strictly to der Fuhrer Biden and his storm trooper politicians. It will go on his resume permanently.
69 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Catherine 8/13/2021 9:44:52 PM (No. 878073)
The woke left and new world order people had four years and unlimited money to make this disaster happen both here and in Afghanistan. It's been in the works for maybe 20 years and would have happened sooner if Trump hadn't won. Lord help us.
41 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
MEdwards1776 8/13/2021 9:50:32 PM (No. 878080)
This stupid decision by Biden to leave Afghanistan is going to make us the laughing stock of the world. Trump was positioning us so that when we say “USA” it leaves other countries shaking in their boots. Trumps return in 2024 couldn’t come sooner.
68 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Penney 8/13/2021 10:03:58 PM (No. 878090)
Biden and his Administration handlers now have no friends except their media puppets. We seem to have leaders intent on destroying freedom for everyone in America and beyond. Who can deal with hateful politicos? mmm mmm mmm
36 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Urgent Fury 8/13/2021 10:06:03 PM (No. 878092)
How many of them shrugged when Biden stole the election? How many of them voted for that senile pos?
66 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
MickTurn 8/13/2021 10:11:37 PM (No. 878096)
Hello Fellow Veterans...you are seeing the stark fact that everything Biden (Democraps) touch turns to CRAP in short order.
70 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
MrDeplorable 8/13/2021 10:12:35 PM (No. 878097)
Those of us who have actually lived with the Afghans inside their own country might be horrified at the speed of the Taliban takeover but not one bit surprised. Everything in the world is based on the least common denominator and the least common denominator in that society goes back to the 9th Century for which the 21st is no match at all.
61 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
GTO6.0 8/13/2021 10:46:38 PM (No. 878128)
Is General Hunter running the Pentagon now?
s/
21 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
spacer 8/13/2021 10:51:14 PM (No. 878131)
All though it's been over 45 years I can relate to the horror. All the sacrifice was for naught. Democrat m o.
47 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
zephyrgirl 8/13/2021 10:51:20 PM (No. 878132)
Our choice was to stay indefinitely in a primitive, tribal country that doesn't share our western values, losing more of our young men, or let the place revert to its previous state. I vote for the latter. Twenty years, thousands of our soldiers sacrificed, and trillions of dollars have made little difference. We need to learn that culture trumps everything, and some cultures don't and will never share our reverence for freedom and democracy. If their ME neighbors are so upset at the rise of the Taliban, let THEM sacrifice their young men and wreck their economies for a change.
54 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
wilarrbie 8/13/2021 11:23:39 PM (No. 878149)
Good work Soldiers. Too bad we didn't mean it.
27 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
bighambone 8/13/2021 11:29:34 PM (No. 878151)
This rapid Taliban advance just shows that the leftist and socialist connected Democrat operatives who are actually running the Biden figurehead White House, and the “woke” Generals who never won a war, did not have a clue as to what the Taliban was up to in Afghanistan. As they gave the Taliban the “go” signal, by allowing the US military to abandon Bagram air base in the middle of the night surreptitiously without consulting with the Afghan Government or military leaders, and having Biden come out publicly announcing that he was immediately ordering the withdrawal of all US forces from Afghanistan. To the Taliban that indicated a power vacuum that they immediately started moving in to fill. On all that the “buck” stops at Biden’s desk, even though some will try to blame Trump for initiating negotiations with the Taliban in the first place, but there is no indication that Trump would have ever authorized such a disorganized retreat from Afghanistan as Biden and his crew have initiated. If you remember history this current retreat is absolutely reminiscent of the disorganized retreat in 1975 from Vietnam after the Democrat Congress including Biden pulled all aid and military assistance from the then South Vietnamese Government.
62 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
SALady 8/14/2021 1:40:08 AM (No. 878221)
If I am a foreign country, I am never trusting the USA or her allies to rescue me again. They will come in and take over. Then there will be a change of administrations, and they will desert you in days. Then you are just left with a lot of really mad bad guys ready to get revenge on anyone who helped the USA.
We never should have gone into Afghanistan. But to desert them like not-my-president Lyin' Joe biden did just destroys our standing in in the world!!!
53 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
DVC 8/14/2021 2:41:47 AM (No. 878244)
Time for the green glass maker.
13 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
Strike3 8/14/2021 4:07:16 AM (No. 878269)
Vietnam veterans are still riveted in the same horror. In both cases the leadership was incompetent, insensitive and got a lot of people killed for nothing. We haven't had good military leadership since WW2.
60 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
mifla 8/14/2021 4:50:48 AM (No. 878287)
Next time, leave the soldiers at home and send the politicians. Then, just maybe, we as a country will learn something.
59 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
Lazyman 8/14/2021 6:26:41 AM (No. 878318)
Didn't they see what happen in Vietnam? No war stories here but I faced the draft and went to Nam and unwillingly at that. Life interrupted and sometimes, I'm still there. In retrospect, I wouldn't give up the great adventure especially as it pertains to my brothers. That is what is important not understanding that we are a nation without resolve, too much hubris or well thought out big picture plans. I shrugged when Saigon was taken. Now that I am older I feel worse for these kids many of whom paid dear prices for the folly of politicians and the big contractors who cashed in. Welcome Home brothers, stay there.
40 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
DCGIRL 8/14/2021 6:31:03 AM (No. 878319)
Everything that President Trump achieved is down the toilet with Biden.
40 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
privateer 8/14/2021 6:51:15 AM (No. 878329)
Everything bad President Brainstem's administration does is 'unexpected'. Everything good they do---I know, work with me here!---is totally specious. We are ruled by master criminals and their willing tools.
23 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
Red Jeep 8/14/2021 7:27:41 AM (No. 878353)
Amazing, ragheads on motor bikes defeat the U.S. Army.
26 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
bpl40 8/14/2021 7:28:27 AM (No. 878355)
Just waiting for a CNN talking head to compare the Taliban to the Founding Fathers.
19 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
chance_232 8/14/2021 7:31:09 AM (No. 878358)
Afghanistan had 20 years of US occupation, US cash infusions, training and assistance to put together a functional military and government. So, I'm conflicted. On one hand, I'm glad that we are out of there and on the other I'm furious at the manner in which the pull out was done. To any observer, it looks like we ran away. We left a schoolyard of squabbling children to face the wolves alone.
Either our government is completely incompetent and didn't see this coming, or our government didn't care. Neither answer gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.
34 people like this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
F15 Gork 8/14/2021 7:40:13 AM (No. 878370)
The good thing about Vietnam is it only took us 10 years to decide to cut and run.....
18 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 8/14/2021 7:53:20 AM (No. 878383)
All of the stans have been cursed for the ages. Nation-building in Afghanistan was doomed to fail from the very beginning. W made sure of it after he failed to find bin Laden. The Russians failed and we failed.
Running scared for the border like we did after losing the Vietnam War is not very becoming of what is supposed to be the greatest nation on earth. Ok, so if we were to stay there another 20 years, for what? If we were always planning to leave, what was stopping the Afghans from learning how to run their own country as free people and defend themselves against this taliban? After all, the country had 20 years to learn how.
15 people like this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
TCloud 8/14/2021 8:39:07 AM (No. 878438)
20 years of War Lite with PC ROE and no interest in winning but now losing. FUBAR, right Vern? Vern says good copy!
11 people like this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
udanja99 8/14/2021 9:04:08 AM (No. 878473)
The Taliban won’t stop with Afghanistan. If you think that they aren’t already sending their pals over our southern non-existent border posing as Central Americans, think again. We could start a pool on how long it will be before we suffer another 9/11 attack. With our out-to-lunch president and our woke military, they are not going to waste the opportunity.
27 people like this.
Reply 28 - Posted by:
GO3 8/14/2021 9:11:04 AM (No. 878484)
Gen. “Courage of Restraint” McChrystal pick up line 1.
8 people like this.
Reply 29 - Posted by:
bigfatslob 8/14/2021 9:31:13 AM (No. 878510)
It's push the helicopters off the carrier deck time. We have never beat an enemy into submission with unconditional surrender since WWII. The United States generals are experts at retreat and withdrawal, negotiate then give the enemy pallets of money to act nice. It's Obama era JV warfare. There are many injured, limbless veterans who wish the had their entire bodies and being back. Thank lifelong politicians like the fraud Joe Biden for that it's all on him and his cabal of nitwits. I know the feeling I served in 1969 and watched the US do the same thing in 1975. We have cowards leading while CRT is more important than lives of the willing youth who fight for this country.
24 people like this.
Reply 30 - Posted by:
Speedypetey 8/14/2021 9:32:25 AM (No. 878517)
Historically the Brits, Russians and now the USA have been unable to educate, raise up the quality of life, cherish life over death and all in all pacify the jihadist cult. The Chicoms are now welcomed in as the previous Taliban arms and IED dealer. If they don't succeed it will because they will try to initiate communist capitalist style reforms. If they are smart they will instead be more brutal than any of the prior occupiers eliminating all suspect terrorists. Without leftist media that they control they could succeed.
7 people like this.
Reply 31 - Posted by:
Robert Jones 8/14/2021 9:55:54 AM (No. 878547)
Plus, how much military weaponry are we giving them? Remember all the Stinger rockets we gave them the last go around? They were thought to be the weapon used to take out the Pan Am flight from New York.
7 people like this.
Reply 32 - Posted by:
MDConservative 8/14/2021 10:01:42 AM (No. 878559)
OP - No, it's not the US giving Afghanistan back on a silver platter. It's those "freedom loving" Afghans who are doing that.
7 people like this.
Reply 33 - Posted by:
Zigrid 8/14/2021 10:43:19 AM (No. 878632)
The fact that this is happening so quickly is directly because the Taliban leaders know what they are dealing with... creepy Joe...the mental case in the White House... obama can back off now because he got the isis forming and his buddies in iran are very happy...he walks away blaming biden and Joe will get credit for all the problems obama started...so now obama can stay jacked up on weed and enjoy the fruits of his labor...
10 people like this.
Reply 34 - Posted by:
planetgeo 8/14/2021 11:09:44 AM (No. 878658)
At this point I don't ever want to see another single American life or limb lost to "save" any of these barbaric countries. And if, for ANY legitimate national security reason, it ever again becomes necessary to go in, I'm all for killing every living thing in sight until they get the idea that they better not mess with us ever again.
That should be our new standard Rules of Engagement from this point forward.
17 people like this.
We gave those people 20 years of our best soldiers and untold American wealth to change into a better international neighbor. They refused. Afghans have NO interest in being anything but what they are. Muslims. And all that entails. A pox on them and their country and their culture. I hope the Chinese annihilate them.
7 people like this.
Reply 36 - Posted by:
LadyVet 8/14/2021 11:41:43 AM (No. 878706)
I still want the name of the lawyer who advised not to bomb the Taliban leadership when they were all assembled at the very beginning of the war. Don Rumsfeld reportedly was so mad he was spitting nails at the stupidity of the lawyer and the commanders who took his advice. Anybody know the name of the lawyer/JAG? I do not think it was ever released. When that happened, I figured our generals did not have a mindset to win the war. That lawyer and the politicians lost this war.
10 people like this.
Reply 37 - Posted by:
Strike3 8/14/2021 12:05:41 PM (No. 878737)
The Chinese will be much smarter than we have been (as usual). Afghanistan is where the majority of their opium and heroin comes from so they will let the Afghans grow it and buy it for pennies with the overflow being sold for big bucks right here in the good ol' USA. They continue to play us like a fiddle. Having Brainless Biden for POTUS is like pitting a first grader against Bobby Fisher in a chess match.
5 people like this.
Reply 38 - Posted by:
Strike3 8/14/2021 12:21:15 PM (No. 878757)
#31, the Stinger has a ceiling of 12,500 feet and TWA 800 had already climbed beyond that when it exploded. A far more likely cause was the US Navy out there doing tests with Raytheon on new missiles but the US Government, for the usual reasons, will never admit to that. Thus we were fed the exploding fuel tank theory for non-explosive fuel.
2 people like this.
Reply 39 - Posted by:
NotaBene 8/14/2021 12:25:01 PM (No. 878760)
Our military cannot execute even a retreat in order. SecDef Idi Amin is busy uprooting Republicans from the troops, and General Milley is working on White Rage CRT training while in high-heels. Send in the army of Social Worker Commissars to save the Afghan women’s rights. Clowns.
The Donald Trump/Eric Prince plan was if you attack during the withdrawal we flatten out the villages and towns of the leaders and we know where you live. This method worked fine with The Isis Califate.
Let the Muslims enjoy the fruits of their religion among themselves. But, we have to vote Trump back in before the Muslims attack us in our Country again.
Our present generals never won a War, but were great - Milley, Mattis, McCrystal, Petraeus, Kelly, McMaster, and many others - at facilitating the BLM/Biden stolen election by blocking the use of the insurrection act (until they occupied D.C.).
7 people like this.
Reply 40 - Posted by:
antitox 8/14/2021 12:51:25 PM (No. 878793)
This is SO bad. There will be a lot of blood on Biden's hands. Many will die.
4 people like this.
Reply 41 - Posted by:
oldmagnolia 8/14/2021 12:58:52 PM (No. 878803)
The Taliban will declare victory on September 11.
7 people like this.
Reply 42 - Posted by:
Hermit_Crab 8/14/2021 3:49:55 PM (No. 878993)
They shouldn't be. They should have expected it.
People with direct experience there, and students of history should have fully expected it.
(Although I have to admit that it looks like they are 3-4 days ahead of schedule of what I expected before they take over Kabul.)
0 people like this.
Reply 43 - Posted by:
red1066 8/14/2021 5:20:39 PM (No. 879056)
I don't think Afghan veterans aren't watching horror, but watching in disgust. I'm pretty sure the rank and file soldiers knew exactly how good the Afghan soldiers, and aren't all that surprised by what's happening, just like Vietnam vets knew just how well the South Vietnamese soldiers would do.
2 people like this.
Reply 44 - Posted by:
NotaBene 8/14/2021 6:23:18 PM (No. 879111)
Yes, the Taliban will parade in Triumph on 9/11/2021 in Kabul. Joe Biden and his generals are so stupid they could not recognize the significance of their deadlines.
1 person likes this.
Reply 45 - Posted by:
Faithfully 8/14/2021 6:53:23 PM (No. 879142)
Get out of that place and stay out. Take the locals who helped the U.S. too.
0 people like this.
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Looks like we are giving the country back to the Taliban on a silver platter.