Afghanistan in the rear view mirror...

Korab said:
A simple google search shows contrary evidence, and that is just the ones who were caught. See the CIS report for some historical data from public sources. As the article indicates, there is likely much more data that isn’t publicly available, and that article was from 2018, I believe. Two Yemenis on the terror watch list were apprehended crossing the border in April of this year.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I read that CIS (Center for Immigration Studies) article. That "non-partisan" group seems to have quite the connections with Fox News, Newsmax, The Federalist Society, One America News Network, etc. You know, "non-partisan" groups. I perused the website trying to find a single positive comment of any kind regarding immigration - zero. Immigrants (legal or otherwise) = BAD is the theme.

Reference: https://cis.org/Oped/CBP-Removes-Pr...Terror-Watch-List-Who-Crossed-Southern-Border

Seems like the author was more interested in promoting his anti-immigration book than simply reporting news. Of course, he has successfully made a living out of hysterical anti-immigration & anti-jihadi writings, in the guise of reporting "news". The "secure-the-border" industrial complex. Guy wouldn't been a John Bircher looking for commies on public school boards in the 1950s. Likely would been a Catholic-immigrant-hating Know Nothing in the 1850s. Probably talks to Steve Bannon & Stephen Miller daily about the evils of non-white border jumpers. Laments too many Dominicans in the Major Leagues. Gets angry when Kenyan runners win marathons.

Check out this fair-and-balanced journalism:

www.toddbensman.com

Townhall Media: Biden Administration Gives Assist to Jihadist Student Visa Holders - Todd Bensman

By Todd Bensman as originally published July 26 in Townhall Media Jihadist hate for Jews allegedly inspired 24-year-old Egyptian Khaled Awad on July 1 to viciously stab Boston area Rabbi Shlomo Noginski outside a Jewish day school. Suffolk County authorities were planning to charge the Egyptian...
www.toddbensman.com www.toddbensman.com

"Trump’s regulation was good, apolitical governance that America sorely and obviously needed."

"The sad probable truth is that a life-saving piece of governance died of petty political avarice over one fact about it: that Trump was the one who proposed it."
AF6872 said:
A better than HSM if they have to fight their way out without air support and without heavy weapons, counter battery fire capability or amour after our supplied Mortar Rounds start landing on the only runway out after they learn how to use them. The Chosin Reservoir and Khe Sahn will look like a walk in the park. Pray for them. Baby cuddling should have been in the manual somewhere after Splinter and Sucking Chest Wound. Probably way in the back pages. It comes naturally if you are a human being or a Corpsman.
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The Chinese PLA and the North Vietnamese PAVN were vastly more formidable foes than the Taliban. One reason the Talibs don't try to overrun the airport is they have infinite patience, as we've witnessed over the last 20 years. Another reason? They aren't certain they'd win. When your enemy is retreating and ceding the field to you, let them go. That's either von Clausewitz or Sun Tzu, I believe.
 
The word I would use to describe most of my social circle’s reaction to this debacle is “disbelief”. Disbelief that we’re in this position, and disbelief in the defeatist-sounding leadership regarding what to do about it.
And that’s from both sides of the political spectrum.
 
NJROTC-CC said:
I hate to turn this political, but at least I am not taking sides with what I am about to say.

The withdrawal is a total clusterf_€k. It is on Biden’s watch and the buck stops with him. He gets the blame. He owns it. But I don’t think for one second that his predecessor would have handled it any better. There was no viable exit plan put in place by anyone. This is an American political failure, not a Democratic or Republican failure. And NOT a failure by our Military.
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Well, maybe not the military boots-on-the-ground folks. But the flag officers have been saying the war was just about won since the Sopranos 2nd season came out on HBO. And the 4-stars have been in lockstep with the Trump & Biden administrations regarding the withdrawal of all US troops. I don't recall any high level resignations over disagreement with withdrawal plans from Afghanistan.

No, this is the failure of the American people who've basically stopped paying attention to the war, blithely saying "Thanks for your service" to the 1% who serve, while being more interested in watching "Dancing with the Stars" or "Duck Dynasty" while the war was grinding on year after year. Nobody paid attention, nobody cared. Nobody protested when the US negotiated with the Taliban over a withdrawal.

And nobody will care going forward. It's big news now, but just wait a few weeks. Back to California wildfires & COVID vaccine wars & culture wars ad nauseum.

However, US leadership of the free world - a given since 1917 - is absolutely gone.
 
2020HD said:
The word I would use to describe most of my social circle’s reaction to this debacle is “disbelief”. Disbelief that we’re in this position, and disbelief in the defeatist-sounding leadership regarding what to do about it.
And that’s from both sides of the political spectrum.
Click to expand...

Well, it was never really a war to be won, was it? Wasn't it always just a "wedge issue" for politicians to use to bad talk the other political party? Like everything? America, the dysfunctional? The rest of the world sees the US as being about as stable as the Ottoman Empire circa 1912 & they're right.
 
Day-Tripper said:
However, US leadership of the free world - a given since 1917 - is absolutely gone.
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Based on your posts in this thread, you sound a bit more cynical than me. But on this ^^^ I’m afraid we agree.
Si vis pacem, para bellum only works if you’re feared.
 
Day-Tripper said:
Yeah, I read that CIS (Center for Immigration Studies) article. That "non-partisan" group seems to have quite the connections with Fox News, Newsmax, The Federalist Society, One America News Network, etc. You know, "non-partisan" groups. I perused the website trying to find a single positive comment of any kind regarding immigration - zero. Immigrants (legal or otherwise) = BAD is the theme.
Click to expand...
From the CIS "About" page, "The Center is animated by a unique pro-immigrant, low-immigration vision which seeks fewer immigrants but a warmer welcome for those admitted."

Immigration is a polarizing issue. Open Borders advocates won't be quoting studies from CIS unless the data fits their narrative for unlimited immigration.

There is very little common ground between CIS and New York Magazine, for example. B
 
Day-Tripper said:
The era of Pax Americana, which began with the fall of the Berlin Wall, is most definitely over. For better or worse. Taiwan, Israel, Europe, the Middle East, etc. are all on their own now.
Click to expand...
***REMOVED*** damnit! It is NOT over.
 
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Day-Tripper said:
Yeah, I read that CIS (Center for Immigration Studies) article. That "non-partisan" group seems to have quite the connections with Fox News, Newsmax, The Federalist Society, One America News Network, etc. You know, "non-partisan" groups. I perused the website trying to find a single positive comment of any kind regarding immigration - zero. Immigrants (legal or otherwise) = BAD is the theme.

Reference: https://cis.org/Oped/CBP-Removes-Pr...Terror-Watch-List-Who-Crossed-Southern-Border

Seems like the author was more interested in promoting his anti-immigration book than simply reporting news. Of course, he has successfully made a living out of hysterical anti-immigration & anti-jihadi writings, in the guise of reporting "news". The "secure-the-border" industrial complex. Guy wouldn't been a John Bircher looking for commies on public school boards in the 1950s. Likely would been a Catholic-immigrant-hating Know Nothing in the 1850s. Probably talks to Steve Bannon & Stephen Miller daily about the evils of non-white border jumpers. Laments too many Dominicans in the Major Leagues. Gets angry when Kenyan runners win marathons.

Check out this fair-and-balanced journalism:

www.toddbensman.com

Townhall Media: Biden Administration Gives Assist to Jihadist Student Visa Holders - Todd Bensman

By Todd Bensman as originally published July 26 in Townhall Media Jihadist hate for Jews allegedly inspired 24-year-old Egyptian Khaled Awad on July 1 to viciously stab Boston area Rabbi Shlomo Noginski outside a Jewish day school. Suffolk County authorities were planning to charge the Egyptian...
www.toddbensman.com www.toddbensman.com

"Trump’s regulation was good, apolitical governance that America sorely and obviously needed."

"The sad probable truth is that a life-saving piece of governance died of petty political avarice over one fact about it: that Trump was the one who proposed it."


The Chinese PLA and the North Vietnamese PAVN were vastly more formidable foes than the Taliban. One reason the Talibs don't try to overrun the airport is they have infinite patience, as we've witnessed over the last 20 years. Another reason? They aren't certain they'd win. When your enemy is retreating and ceding the field to you, let them go. That's either von Clausewitz or Sun Tzu, I believe.
Click to expand...
Your entire post slams the author, but doesn't dispute the data. Facts aren't partisan. The undiputed fact is that terrorists ARE coming to America through the southern border, something you contended wasnt happening.

To get this issue back on track, we will see how quickly the absence of American troops in Afghanistan results in a return of terrorist training and activities inside Afghanistan.
 
A reported firefight Monday morning involving German, American and Afghan security with unknown assailants. One Afghan security killed two wounded. ISIS also reported wandering around taking in the sights.
 
NYT reports that US troops and helicopters have been deployed to select locations in Kabul. No information about other locations in Afghanistan.
 

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If you think this war against our way of life is over because some of the self-appointed opinion-makers and chattering class grow 'war weary,' because they want to be out of Iraq or Afghanistan, you are mistaken. This enemy is dedicated to our destruction. He will fight us for generations, and the conflict will move through various phases as it has since 9/11. General John F. Kelly


Separate topic but I love this quote from him.

Kelly has stated that during the initial assault on Baghdad he was asked by a reporter for The Los Angeles Times if, considering the size of the Iraqi Army and the vast supplies of tanks, artillery and chemical weapons available to Saddam's forces, he would ever consider defeat. Kelly's response, as recounted by him at a 2007 San Diego Military Advisory Council networking breakfast, was, "hell these are Marines. Men like them held Guadalcanal and took Iwo Jima, Baghdad ain't ****."
 
Well they got the platform correct and there is a capital U in the name. I guess reading markings is not required.
 

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AF6872 said:
Well they got the platform correct and there is a capital U in the name. I guess reading markings is not required.
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I don't think anyone really cares whose plane it is. One way or another our diplomats and military on the ground are trying to make due with an untenable situation.

It's the least the UAE can do to help with the evacuation. After all they provided transport and safe passage for Ashraf Ghani, 50+ of his friends/family and a pallet load of our money.
 
Yeah but if you can't read the markings when it is standing still and you post it as an official notice from the DoD you are grasping for good news from anywhere. Even if you make it up as you go along. It's like proofreading something going out over your signature because you own it. Competent people don't do it. ;)
 
Russia withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989. We supported the Mujahideen during their opposition to the Russians (See Charlie Wilsons War) prior to Russia leaving. The Taliban was constituted around 1994 and were and are enemies of the Mujahideen which they fought and dominated.
 
Wait For It: They are now beginning to compare the current evacuation to the greatest since the Berlin Air Lift. If I remember my history correctly we were bringing in supplies to West Berlin through open air corridors (land access was closed by the Russians) and dropping candy bars. We were not trying to evacuate thousands of people from West Berlin. I don't think we gave weapons to the Taliban until last week.
 
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