Re: Afghanistan
 

My father fought in WWII he made it back alive, the psychological scars seem to have been deep.

The twin towers were hit, a lot of civilian casualties. US attacks Afganistan. Trying to help them out from under Taliban rule has failed. So they left. A lot of scars on both sides.

Re: Afghanistan
 

Mujahideen was an umbrella of many groups and ethnicities,, so many did and many didn't have the same issue with women. Some went on to become the Taliban, some were Bibi Ayesha, a woman War Lord, herself, According to the Reagan diary web page for Feb 2, 1983, the woman was an ...Afghan freedom fighter "held in custody for 4 months—tortured daily. She had been a medical student. Her Crime? Caught looking at a “freedom” leaflet"

Re: Afghanistan
 

But mention of Mujahedeen makes me remember that it took them three years to take Kabul from Najibullah, sans USSR support.

Re: Afghanistan
 

It is being claimed that three provinces have been taken from the Taliban in the Panjshir valley region.
Edit: districts, not provinces.

Re: Afghanistan
 

Missing Robert Fisk

Re: Afghanistan
 

Not surprising, if true. Being aghast at the situation there, I will now refer to it as Aghastistan.

Re: Afghanistan
 

I didn’t realise he’d died, until I saw your post. October 2020, either I missed it in the news or the notices weren’t that prominent. His work was solid and well researched.

Re: Afghanistan
 

This raises a general question, how many districts (villages, towns) did the Taliban actually take with boots on the ground, or was it often sipping tea with the local powers-that-be, and an agreement - “ok, so you’ll report to us now? Good man!”

(BTW, if you go back on your word, we will assassinate you.)

Re: Afghanistan
 

Afghanistan: Tony Blair says withdrawal was driven by imbecilic

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58295384

Us has mobilised civilian fleet and is now making combat landings.

Still think the consequences of this will be more significant that the current events.

Re: Afghanistan
 

Most notorious, of course was Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda (and didn't they spread fast!). In the past 20 years the Afghans have had an extended course in modern warfare so the tactics of the Taliban evolved from the casual sporadic raids and bombings practiced by the Mujahadeen into the ability to capture and hold cities and fight battles. Whatever resistance they are encountering from warlords probably won't last too long now that the Taliban have been resupplied.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...5d976eb44d.jpg

Re: Afghanistan
 

Blair has gone further, he has now produced documents from Chad that prove that the Taliban are creating weapons of mass destruction.

Re: Afghanistan
 

Much more likely is a messy civil war

Re: Afghanistan
 

The Mail is saying the heroic British Ambassador was climbing onto a plane when the order came to get back to the Embassy. May be it was the same person who told Raab to cut his holiday.

Re: Afghanistan
 

Makes me think of the Captain of the Costa Concordia.

Re: Afghanistan
 

Intent on making ourselves look good, I see.

Could we really not find room for a handful of security guards?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...L5E-PeXv1f9uwo