The greatest debacle since Dunkirk?

[Flying10uk]

It is all the "other terrorist groups and hangers on" that flock to Afghanistan, if they are not already there that will be the problem to the outside world. The welfare, rights and wellbeing of the ordinary people of Afghanistan is a separate and important issue which must also be considered.

The "West" will have to decide how much of a terrorist training ground and safe haven they wish to tolerate Afghanistan becoming again before they are ready "to go back in".

Regardless of who actually owned the equipment left behind, I believe the biggest threat, regarding equipment, is where that equipment may eventually end up.

When the Soviets left Afghanistan and the Taliban took control they, the Taliban, could have equipped themselves with a fairly well equipped "army" with all the Soviet equipment that was left behind. That didn't appear to happen and I don't expect this time to be much different. The kit that doesn't end up in 3rd countries I fully expect to be "squandered and trashed".

[Surpmil]

It is all the "other terrorist groups and hangers on" that flock to Afghanistan, if they are not already there that will be the problem to the outside world. The welfare, rights and wellbeing of the ordinary people of Afghanistan is a separate and important issue which must also be considered.

The "West" will have to decide how much of a terrorist training ground and safe haven they wish to tolerate Afghanistan becoming again before they are ready "to go back in".

Regardless of who actually owned the equipment left behind, I believe the biggest threat, regarding equipment, is where that equipment may eventually end up.

When the Soviets left Afghanistan and the Taliban took control they, the Taliban, could have equipped themselves with a fairly well equipped "army" with all the Soviet equipment that was left behind. That didn't appear to happen and I don't expect this time to be much different. The kit that doesn't end up in 3rd countries I fully expect to be "squandered and trashed".

Yes, more or less continuous war since 1980 has thoroughly radicalized a society that was relatively peaceful before, and somewhat liberalized in the urban centres. Just as the overthrow of Mossadeq and the installation of Pahlavi achieved in Iran.

Hopefully most of the equipment will turn to junk from lack of proper maintenance. One has to wonder how much if any was rendered NS before the withdrawal?

This is probably as good a summation of the realities as any.

[shadycon]

We couldn't form a peaceful country in 20 yrs. Are we going to go back for another 100yrs. It failed!

[Flying10uk]

The "West" will have to decide how much of a terrorist training ground and safe haven they wish to tolerate Afghanistan becoming again before they are ready "to go back in".

In other words it could be what may possibly happen outside of Afghanistan as a result of the Taliban takeover that may cause the "West" problems.

The Taliban may decide to turn Afghanistan into a peace loving pacifist country that doesn't harbour terrorist and doesn't give them a safe haven; somehow I doubt it.

[rcathey]

This is probably as good a summation of the realities as any.

Really great article. Bit of a read but I snuck in bits of it throughout the day, just finished up.
Thanks for sharing!

One could quite easily draw comparisons to Vietnam -- a country divided, foreign intervention, human rights, etc.

[Surpmil]

Glad it was of interest. The NY'er is increasingly on the left, but it is at least somewhat intelligently so. The article is only one perspective, but as you noted the final analysis is what effect does all this have on the mass of the population and the basic facts of their day to day lives? That will determine who and what they support.

[rcathey]

I had a roommate in college that was from Vietnam — as in, he was only here for school and then moved back.

He was from WAY north in Vietnam, grew up super poor. He told me once he didn’t SEE a lightbulb until he was eight (so around the early ‘90s).

He was too young to have any personal memories of the war but tells me he’s heard stories that match pretty closely to Shakira’s. Constantly moving, fear of invaders (of any type), relatives conscripted, and so on.

I wish I had talked more with him on this now. I was too busy sampling the culinary aspects of his culture!!