So who are the US/DEA protecting it from?
Afghanistan
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
The US/DEA
Far right cnuts demonstrating at a refugee center here chanting ‘our own people first’ with and I kid you not fireworks after they just fled a warzone. Scumbags, lowest of the low, makes me absolutely sick. Miserable miserable miserable cnuts.
Graveyard of empires is no neocolonist phrase even local Afghans have a similar phrase for their land
I think analysts like showing off as being smart by "debunking" stuff like graveyard of empires but there is merit to the statement. If you're gonna think of it as Afghanistan as a region being a place that simply can't be conquered then yeah it's not that but fact is many a strong empire has found it very difficult to fully control the region.
The terrain and lack of central power has often been proved an issue. The fact that also has been in a unique geographic location close to competing empires several times in its history adds to that. It's a tough nut to crack especially the rougher parts of it.
There's an old book I read that talked about how in the 80s mujahideen would require flipflops, dried bread and a bag of tea leaves compared to the Russian invaders who needed all sorts of military equipment to compete in the same terrain. Even U.S army upkeep costs is eventually what didn't make it worth it.
Personally I think "debunking" graveyard of empires and the "myth" that the Taliban has nothing to do with the mujahideen who were funded by CIA/ISI sounds like weird history revisionism to me. No one from the area or involved in the issue would think as such.
That's quite sick. Even if you think like that go protest infront of a government office who signed the policy why the people ?
Because they hate the people.
Did you actually read the article? Cause it points out that the term is less than 20 years old, and that Afghanistan was not at all a 'difficult' place before the late 1970s. Throughout its many centuries of history before that, it has been both a productive part and powerful heart of many actual empires. So it is most definitely a myth.
As for the neocolonialist angle that I mentioned: if the US use the 'graveyard of empires' trope as one of their reasons to leave Afghanistan, then the implication is that the US is an empire that doesn't want to find its grave there. Not an empire in the traditional sense, that conquers and then governs territories; but in the modern, indirect sense, where a country intentionally controls (more or less) another country's economic and/or politics - just like European countries did in Africa.
(In case it helps, Wikipedia defines neocolonialism as 'the practice of using economic imperialism, globalisation, cultural imperialism and conditional aid to influence a country instead of the previous colonial methods of imperialism or indirect political control (hegemony). Neocolonialism differs from standard globalisation and development aid in that it typically results in a relationship of dependence, subservience, or financial obligation towards the neocolonialist nation. This may result in an undue degree of political control or spiraling debt obligations, functionally imitating the relationship of traditional Colonialism.')
I know where these articles come from and my previous post still applies.
In summary it's not that there have hardly been conqueres of Afghanistan but the fact that there have been several upsets throughout history is what coined the term.
Compare it to the ease of operations in Iraq Afghanistan for it's terrain and warrior like ideology has always been a tough nut to crack even all the way back to the British.
I know that's what the military leaders were telling the press. Though I recall very clearly that at the start of the war CNN had stated that Afghanistan had been providing approximately the high 70 percentile of the world's opium
10 or so years into the war, CNN upped it to 90%
I don't always trust CNN but these figures raise suspicion
Maybe it was just too dangerous to fully investigate how these figures increased halfway through an American occupation.
That's the furthest I'll seriously take this 'conspiracy'
'All the way back to the British' is really not very far back; Afghanistan's history stretches way further back. I can tell you still haven't read the article, which in fact states this about the Brits:
But go on then, where did this article 'come from', as you put it? And what has happened in history that makes Afghanistan truly a graveyard of empires (not just geographically complex; a graveyard!), in a way that makes it stands out across the world In the last three or four millennia?
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Imminent terrorist threat in Kabul according to the MOD. Makes for grim listening.
I think/hope it's just a scare tactic so people don't crowd the airport.
They are indeed sitting ducks there. The coalition forces have control within the confines of the airport. Everything outside is manned by Taliban checkpoints. Some terrorist group could just fire a missile at a departing aircraft or even the Taliban might want to shoot at the last exiting folk to say they drove them out with force.
Got a message from a friend in Peshawar, Pakistan.
A lorry driver from the City went to drop off goods in Kabul. He went missing for 3 days with the family fearing the worst. Yesterday evening got a call saying he had boarded a plane and was now safe and well in the US.
A lorry driver from the City went to drop off goods in Kabul. He went missing for 3 days with the family fearing the worst. Yesterday evening got a call saying he had boarded a plane and was now safe and well in the US.
It's not the Taliban though, it's an IS Khorasan threat, isn't it? The Taliban would be foolish to commit a terrorist attack at this moment, just a few days away from all Americans leaving and having the country for themselves.
There are pockets of ISIS and certain local elements who are anti-Taliban who would want to cause issues.
Yeah I thought the same and hope so too.
They’ve obviously not gone into any detail on the intelligence but the commentators I’ve seen discussing it are suggesting that it could be Al Quida, ISIS or it could even be members of the Taliban as things are so chaotic there right now and there isn’t really any real centralised control yet. It doesn’t really matter who it is though I guess, a terrorist attack at Kabul airport now would be heartbreaking considering the desperation already of the people camping there praying for a flight out.
What's to make of that - laying low until the world's eyes are not fixed on Afghanistan anymore, or preparing for something big and imminent?
An attack on the airport right now would be heartbreaking. Imagine being so desperate that you still go to a place which is being marked as a potential target for a terrorist attack
Some analysis further down the thread:What's to make of that - laying low until the world's eyes are not fixed on Afghanistan anymore, or preparing for something big and imminent?
An attack on the airport right now would be heartbreaking. Imagine being so desperate that you still go to a place which is being marked as a potential target for a terrorist attack
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Ah cheers, didn't notice it was an entire thread. Sounds worrying, hopefully at least most people will temporarily follow the advice and don't go to the airport, but their clock is ticking and they don't have (m)any alternatives, unfortunately.
I have heard from good sources the majority causing chaos are just those seeking a lottery ticket to the West if a flight can be boarded. The Taliban are trying to guard the perimeters outside of the airport are trying to stop those not supposed to be at the airport as the first line of defence.
There are people at the airport from other countries (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan) seeking to board a flight. The issues are created by the people who have no right to be anywhere near the airport. The armies guarding the gates are not immigration officers and documents can easily be forged to get through the line.
The next step on the journey for those illegals on the flight is to destroy the forged documents prior to landing at your next destination and claim to have lost the documents or confiscated by the Taliban. Asylum secured.
Just been hearing the government are now advising people to go to the borders. This means more chaos on the borders and giving a green light for more seeking unjustified asylum abroad.
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Dutch TV has shown pictures of a harrowing moment on a bus carrying evacuees outside the airport. Seven people who didn't have Dutch passports were "manhandled off the bus" by the Taliban, a source told the Nieuwsuur programme. The bus was one of three carrying 120 people - it took 24 hours for the buses to be allowed into the airport. Source BBC
Just as I explained in my previous post this is exactly what the Taliban have been tasked with. To stop wrong people from entering the airport. The media is not reporting the context and having a go at every opportunity to ridicule the Taliban carrying out instructions from those working on the evacuations.
Just as I explained in my previous post this is exactly what the Taliban have been tasked with. To stop wrong people from entering the airport. The media is not reporting the context and having a go at every opportunity to ridicule the Taliban carrying out instructions from those working on the evacuations.
Yes, always thought that was somehow part of the Trump pull back from the Iran Nuclear deal? Followed then by the show of support for Israel over Jerusalem.
You always get the feeling that if the Iranian's are ever thought to have developed a viable Nuclear threat, the Israelis would strike first and the whole world then gets sucked in... The US has to continue to have a significant edge in projecting power, but will it keep it and for how long?
New Update
Via CNN
7 am EDT
Wednesday
It's all a contradiction and must be terrifying for the remaining Americans and other foreigners in Afghanistan.
The US Dept of State yesterday at 3 pm EDT estimate another 1,500 American citizens still stranded away from the airport in Kabul
Though CNN has the headline 'Evacuation Effort In Final 36 Hours, Estimated 150 Americans Need To Get To Kabul Airport, Gates Now Closed'
Meanwhile an Australian diplomat telling people that if they're anywhere near the airport, stay away until it's safer. The threat of ISIS attacks are every increasing. The Abbey Gate is now closed due to an ISIS bomb threat.
Does anyone have any other information on the scale of danger with the US media now reporting that the efforts to get people out are shutting down 3 1/2 days before the Sept 1 deadline?
Via CNN
7 am EDT
Wednesday
It's all a contradiction and must be terrifying for the remaining Americans and other foreigners in Afghanistan.
The US Dept of State yesterday at 3 pm EDT estimate another 1,500 American citizens still stranded away from the airport in Kabul
Though CNN has the headline 'Evacuation Effort In Final 36 Hours, Estimated 150 Americans Need To Get To Kabul Airport, Gates Now Closed'
Meanwhile an Australian diplomat telling people that if they're anywhere near the airport, stay away until it's safer. The threat of ISIS attacks are every increasing. The Abbey Gate is now closed due to an ISIS bomb threat.
Does anyone have any other information on the scale of danger with the US media now reporting that the efforts to get people out are shutting down 3 1/2 days before the Sept 1 deadline?
Any Afghan seeking to flee the Taliban would have justifiable claims of asylum.
Agree 100%
Some will cling to their anti-immigration beliefs no matter the conditions and that's simply heartless especially in this situation
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Very noble, Raoul. Respect.
However, have you thought this through and is it even practical?
That's most of the country including many Taliban and their families wanting out and claim asylum. Simply and understandably for the betterment of their living conditions. How will it be even determined who is fleeing the Taliban? I can think of many excuses and reasons I can make up against the Taliban just to escape the country.
Imagine the chaos and uproar from the citizens of the US and Europe if millions started to seek asylums?
Meanwhile the Indian government has deported a female Afghan PM who flew to Delhi seeking refuge. She was a Tajik.
https://zeenews.india.com/india/nev...-after-being-deported-from-delhi-2388558.html
https://zeenews.india.com/india/nev...-after-being-deported-from-delhi-2388558.html
All these Americans that are leaving Kabul - are these all diplomats? Or is there a significant chunk of people out their making serious $$$$s?
Seems to be a hell of a lot of non-combat personnel
Seems to be a hell of a lot of non-combat personnel
ah fecking hell
There's usually more military contractors than combat personnel.
Diplomats, contractors, journalists, aid workers, Afghan dual citizens with US passports etc.
It was only a matter of time before something happened.
Suicide Bomber is being reported, also gunfire.
This could end the evacuations
Suicide Bomber is being reported, also gunfire.
This could end the evacuations
If ISIS-K do kick off with the Taliban, which they obvs will, then what a bizarre situation we will find ourselves in, with the US/UK helping the Taliban to beat them
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Do the US/UK have a choice ? If they want to get people out safely