Collapse in Afghanistan

[Double Edge]

Why is this BBC anchor holding briefs for the Paks ?!? at least Chris managed to get a punch in "You are doing their (Pakistan's) propaganda"

https://mobile.twitter.com/Constanti...06274515410945




No one better than Arnab to call out this BS

Isn't it ironic that a hard core liberal and avowed Trump hater like Chris is ALSO getting shut out by the "liberal" media (!)

She knows us better than we know ourselves

The anchor asks what happens to the Afghans now and she quotes this Bollywood song from a 50s Raj Kapoor movie.

Mei awara hoon means "i'm a vagabond"

Full version of the editorji (PC free and no TRP chasing) interview here

[Tronic]

Anyone with eyes can call out the BS.. Let's not attempt to legitimize monkeys like Arnab as some legitimate journalists here. Even all the OSINT channels I follow openly claim that they won't touch Indian media by a ten foot pole and usually wait for any other international media to confirm.

Christine Fair is spot on though, as always. I really don't see how partisan politics shows up in every topic and post of yours. I do not see BBC as "liberal", or "illiberal" for that matter..

[Tronic]

As each day goes by, it is also becoming crystal clear that the defeat in Afghanistan did not come at the hands of Taliban but rather, Pakistan. The ISI chief just did a victory lap in Kabul last week and now on 9/11 anniversary, we have the Pakistani PM Imran Khan calling Osama Bin Laden a "martyr".

The West really needs to stand up for it's ideals because as of now we have only been fighting with puppets but have been propping up their patrons, our real enemies, the Saudis and Pakistanis. Qatar and Turkey also not far off that list.

[Double Edge]

Anyone with eyes can call out the BS.. Let's not attempt to legitimize monkeys like Arnab as some legitimate journalists here.

And what does the western media have to say about Panjshir ? Pak boots on the ground ? crickets!! not their monkeys, not their circus.

What got things going was her pointing out that it was the Paks in Panjshir. The Taliban did not suddenly learn to fly drones and pilot gunships now did they.

This the anchor interrupted her on. Can't get the whole interview, just short clips on twitter.

Even all the OSINT channels I follow openly claim that they won't touch Indian media by a ten foot pole and usually wait for any other international media to confirm.

Western media does not talk about Indian interests.

Christine Fair is ispot on though, as always. I really don't see how partisan politics shows up in every topic and post of yours. I do not see BBC as "liberal", or "illiberal" for that matter..

Why stop her ? anchors are supposed to be combative but they don't do this when Pak spokespeople are talking. Why not ?

I'm going to post what i consider relevant because the indian media is covering this more closely. More commentators in the know who are much more forward in their commentary than their western counterparts. Less constraints with digital media.

[Double Edge]

As each day goes by, it is also becoming crystal clear that the defeat in Afghanistan did not come at the hands of Taliban but rather, Pakistan.

Surprisingly no. The TB screwed the Paks as well. Paks expected a civil war and they would be the saviour that ushers in the era of the TB. TB showed they did not need them in the end.

Paks were used and discarded. The threat to the Paks is independent actors in Afghanistan.

The Pak plan is to keep the Afghans divided as that way their western border is safe. Any Pak statements about wanting stability in Afg are patently false.

Keeping Afghans fighting among themselves suits every one too. No resources to cause trouble elsewhere.

The ISI chief just did a victory lap in Kabul last week and now on 9/11 anniversary, we have the Pakistani PM Imran Khan calling Osama Bin Laden a "martyr".

He's there fire fighting and plotting the offensive on Panjshir.

The deal is Paks help TB defeat Panjshir in exchange for TB assistance with personnel to throw at Kashmir.

There is no victory here for the Paks. Just blowback that will increase which could culminate in another partition with time.

The West really needs to stand up for it's ideals because as of now we have only been fighting with puppets but have been propping up their patrons, our real enemies, the Saudis and Pakistanis. Qatar and Turkey also not far off that list.

The average Amercan policy maker does not consider the TB a threat to American interests. That's just the blunt reality.

Now those that are harboured by the TB are a different matter and will be addressed when necessary.

Closing of the American embassy in Kabul means the Americans have outsourced their Afghan policy to the Paks like back in the 90s and the Paks are going to shake the west for benefits to manage this problem. That is how Chris sees it.

It's a regional game for now and up to the powers here to handle things. It's very fluid. There will be unexpected surprises. Complex.

Tracking this is going to take effort.

Let the Americans focus more on China and leave the region to sort this one out.

[Officer of Engineers]

A billion may not be a lot for a modern govt. But it definitely is big money for a cartel. Nothing stops them from taxing the population and implementing an administration on face value to pacify the crowds.

Tax what? Men are selling daughters for food. Even if the TB doesn't want to run a national government, they still have to take care of their own people. That means, food, water, shelter, clothing, education, and health care. They need accountants to run their business. They need engineers to build their LOCs. They need farmers to yield their crops. And they need doctors to take care of the sick and injured. In short, they need a national government.

The top taliban leadership numbers around 300(500 max). If the cartel can terrorize mass districts into submission around latin america, what stops them from doing something similar in afg? with pakistani military support when required?

FYI, the cartels did all the things I've mentioned because the national government thought to starve them out by denying the local government funds. So, the cartels raised schools, fixed the sewers, provided health care. As Charleton Heston's Moses once said, "A city is made of bricks. The strong makes many. The sick makes few. The dead makes none."

[Parihaka]

Another statistic, who will be forgotten in a week. Seeing the final photo of the family is chilling, my life is blessed compared to what some others have to go through.
Was this operation launched on merit of plausible threat or was there a deadline to show that US was doing something as revenge for the Airport bomb attack?

I've been told several times on this forum that the CIA has an extensive system within Afghanistan even after the retrograde. Logic would dictate that if this were true, the killings must have been rushed for political reasons

[Parihaka]

The Afghan version of the show 'Hardtalk'. Tough questions by the Afghan anchor. Wish it was longer

We've already seen it of course but it reinforces Blinken as a mentally weak man.

[Double Edge]

What is Iran's game plan here ?

Iran slams Pakistan’s role in Panjshir valley, wants probe | TOI | Sept 07 2021

Iran fired the first salvo against Pakistan’s overt involvement in Afghanistan’s internal matters when it questioned reports of Pakistani military presence in the Panjshir valley, where Taliban said it has overcome resistance to its rule, on Monday.

Iran has openly objected to Pakistan virtually running the show in a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

Who is backing Iran ? Is there another axis opening up to the Afghans that bypasses Pakistan & China ?

UK, France & Germany have connections with Iran.

There's 3 bloc's here that will form

China-Pakistan
Iran
CAR-Russia

[Double Edge]

We've already seen it of course but it reinforces Blinken as a mentally weak man.

He's no Pompeo but i've decided to give the new administration a chance.

Nobody did that with Trump when he got going.

Mr. CIA put this withdrawal plan together. I need to check some videos from a year back to see how Mike thought of it.

[Double Edge]

The West really needs to stand up for it's ideals because as of now we have only been fighting with puppets but have been propping up their patrons, our real enemies, the Saudis and Pakistanis. Qatar and Turkey also not far off that list.

Those protests we've seen of late. Women and by various groups. This urban resistance. Who's funding them

[Parihaka]

He's no Pompeo but i've decided to give the new administration a chance.

I haven't seen that any of them are worth much, so in my mind they are irrelevant. I am willing to be pleasantly surprised, which is I guess the same thing.

Mr. CIA put this withdrawal plan together. I need to check some videos from a year back to see how Mike thought of it.

Get back to me on it, with our latest covid panic I don't have much research time, what with feeding watering and clothing all those hiding at home.

[Double Edge]

I haven't seen that any of them are worth much, so in my mind they are irrelevant. I am willing to be pleasantly surprised, which is I guess the same thing.

They're in charge. They make the laws, policy and history.

What Blinken said shortly after the withdrawal, gunnut told me here back in 2012. Got OBL, degraded AQ. He wanted out back then.

Biden did too. But as Vice no one listened to him.

Get back to me on it, with our latest covid panic I don't have much research time, what with feeding watering and clothing all those hiding at home.

American public keeps hearing its a waste of money, can't win better to get out. Over and over again.

I'm leaning to what Bolton said. There was no need to withdraw. Neither President from Obama on down bothered to make the case to stay.

There was this pushback from Mike and Bolton lost that one. Mike had been busy working out this deal.

People blame Trump for the withdrawal based on how things turned out. Is this hindsight reasoning ?

Assume Trump got a second term. Would Trump have changed his mind if he thought there was a risk of things falling apart as they did.

Maybe he'd had put in some more guarantees. Maybe he'd have been caught out the same way. I don't know if Biden extending the deadline from May to Sept makes a difference. Could not expect a new administration to stick to that deadline. New administration needs at least 6 months to get up and running.

There is another angle here which applies to both. The Americans wanted a pull out but would not necessarily mind a collapse after. Be it a few months, a year or more later. Whatever so long as the withdrawal was orderly which Mr. CIA would have worked out and briefed the Biden administration.

They could then say the Afghan govt failed to hold it together.

The South Vietnamese held for two years after the Americans left.

[Parihaka]

There is another angle here which applies to both. The Americans wanted a pull out but would not necessarily mind a collapse after. Be it a few months, a year or more later. Whatever so long as the withdrawal was orderly which Mr. CIA would have worked out and briefed the Biden administration.

They could then say the Afghan govt failed to hold it together.

The South Vietnamese held for two years after the Americans left.

That indeed was their policy, and apparently their intelligence analysis. The obvious failure was in intelligence, and that failure was catastrophic.

[Mihais]

The pattern showed something worse.The intel on the ground was correct.When it went up it got misrepresented and misinterpreted to cover asses.
As early as 2015,when Taliban showed up in relative strength,the ANA would bolt in a heartbeat.Back then we had SOF in the area to take back lost ground.So it did not looked as bad on the news.