Pakistan influence on Taliban commanders helped Afghan breakthrough

antimony said:
If the Taliban are in a bind as you say and if they continue to be dicks like this, why does the USA even bothers? Just let the ANA off the leash :mad:
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Because no American General would ever tolerate wholesale slaughter of old men, women, children, and dogs of even just suspected Taliban villages,
 
Firestorm said:
And what's this business about NATO ROE's somehow reigning in the ANA and "letting the ANA off the leash after the US leaves"? What is the ANA going to do that NATO couldn't or wouldn't? Burn villages? Kill civilians? Take the fight into Pakistan? More likely that they are going to be overwhelmed by the Taliban after the US troops leave. These peace talks are simply a tactic to quicken the US exit. The NA couldn't defeat the taliban till they got US airpower (and eventually, troops). Before that they were on the defensive and their most important commander was assassinated by suicide bombers. There were no ROE's reigning them in back then. The ANA is unlikely to be any more effective.
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The ANA outmanned the Taliban by 10 to 1 and they outgunned the Taliban by even a greater margin.
 
Officer of Engineers said:
The ANA outmanned the Taliban by 10 to 1 and they outgunned the Taliban by even a greater margin.
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If that is the case, then operating within NATO ROE's shouldn't have prevented them from bringing the Taliban to their knees. The fact remains that the Taliban can't be destroyed unless their safe haven's in Pakistan are removed, not to mention the fresh recruits and weapons they obtain from there. The only thing that can touch those areas are the drones, which may not be a problem after the US leaves.
 
Firestorm said:
Stupidity knows no bounds. They could have left this equipment for the ANA.
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PA has already rejected the left over equipment, the maintenance costs were going to be astronomical for PA to maintain this equipment use worthy. As of now, majority of the advanced platforms in possession of ANA is being serviced by the US. ANA lacks the logistical base required to operate these platforms, this is why most of the equipment will be mothballed and sold for scrap.

Firestorm said:
Who's willing to bet at least a portion of this equipment will magically appear in the hands of the Taliban? :rolleyes:
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And how will the Taliban keep this equipment use worthy? Where are the spares going to come from? :rolleyes:
 
Firestorm said:
If that is the case, then operating within NATO ROE's shouldn't have prevented them from bringing the Taliban to their knees. The fact remains that the Taliban can't be destroyed unless their safe haven's in Pakistan are removed, not to mention the fresh recruits and weapons they obtain from there. The only thing that can touch those areas are the drones, which may not be a problem after the US leaves.
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The ANA could be a million strong and they still could not eliminate the Taliban fighting the way we have been fighting. There are simply too many nooks and cranies to hide in. The only way to truly conquer Afghanistan is via Genghis Khan ... and that is what the ANA will do once we leave. They know their ways of war much better than us.
 
Officer of Engineers said:
The only way to truly conquer Afghanistan is via Genghis Khan ... and that is what the ANA will do once we leave. They know their ways of war much better than us.
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And what do you think the Pashtun units of the ANA will be doing as the ANA officer corps goes 'Genghis Khan' on the Pashtun majority regions where the Taliban hold sway?
 
Officer of Engineers said:
The ANA could be a million strong and they still could not eliminate the Taliban fighting the way we have been fighting. There are simply too many nooks and cranies to hide in. The only way to truly conquer Afghanistan is via Genghis Khan ... and that is what the ANA will do once we leave. They know their ways of war much better than us.
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Genghis Khan would have invaded and laid waste to FATA and Khyber Pakhtunwa and then finished off those who were trapped on the Afghan side with nowhere left to hide. The ANA can't do that. Genghis Khan also wouldn't have had Pashtuns in his army. You are expecting too much from the ANA.
 
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Agnostic Muslim said:
And what do you think the Pashtun units of the ANA will be doing as the ANA officer corps goes 'Genghis Khan' on the Pashtun majority regions where the Taliban hold sway?
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The ANA is now about 43 percent Pathan (Pashtun), 32 percent Tajik, 12 percent Hazara and 10 percent Uzbek, with the rest made up of smaller ethnic groups, which is approximately the percentages of these communities in the Afghan population.
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The Afghan National Army in 2014 | Small Wars Journal
 
Firestorm said:
Genghis Khan would have invaded and laid waste to FATA and Khyber Pakhtunwa and then finished off those who were trapped on the Afghan side with nowhere left to hide. The ANA can't do that. Genghis Khan also wouldn't have had Pashtuns in his army. You are expecting too much from the ANA.
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What? To go midevil on the Taliban? There's a bloodbath coming and everyone knows it. I don't see an end to this. Once the ANA finishes off the Taliban, it will turn on itself.
 
Officer of Engineers said:
What? To go midevil on the Taliban? There's a bloodbath coming and everyone knows it. I don't see an end to this. Once the ANA finishes off the Taliban, it will turn on itself.
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Only if the funds run out.

The funds run out if the election next year is perceived to be unfair.

Otherwise there is no reason for it at least not yet.
 
Arming the north can only maintain the status quo, anything more than that? hardly. Norths priority should be to salvage what it can and fortify itself.
 
1980s said:
BBC News - Afghan army chief: 'Pakistan controls Taliban'

"Fighting in Afghanistan could be stopped "in weeks" if Pakistan told the Taliban to end the insurgency, the head of the Afghan army has told the BBC.

Gen Sher Mohammad Karimi said Pakistan controlled and gave shelter to Taliban leaders, deliberately unleashing fighters on Afghanistan."
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Pakistan rejects claims of Afghan Army Chief

ISLAMABAD, Jul 3 (APP): Pakistan Wednesday rejecting the claims of Afghan Army Chief said it is another effort and attempt to malign Pakistan.Foreign Office Spokesman Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry while rejecting the reported comments of Afghan Army Chief said, “The allegations that Pakistan “controls” the Taliban and has “unleashed” them on Afghanistan have no basis.” Rejecting these comments categorically, the foreign office spokesman said, “Pakistan has exercised extreme restraint in the face of highly provocative language used by the Afghan civil and military officials over the last few months, not to mention some totally fabricated accusations.”The spokesman said such comments also reflect insincerity on the part of some elements in Afghan government.

He said, “On the specific request of the Afghan leadership itself, Pakistan has been fully supportive of the reconciliation process and our concrete steps to facilitate this process, are well known.”

The spokesman said Pakistan will not be deterred in its efforts to support the international community’s efforts to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.

“We would, however, hope that the Afghan officials would refrain from leveling baseless allegation and work towards creating a conducive environment that helps advance the shared objectives of peace, stability and prosperity,” said the spokesman.
Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - Pakistan rejects claims of Afghan Army Chief
 
Officer of Engineers said:
Because no American General would ever tolerate wholesale slaughter of old men, women, children, and dogs of even just suspected Taliban villages,
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Colonel,

I am not disputing your knowledge of the situation but something does not feel right. If the Taliban know that they are in for a carnage and that they need these talks to go through, why would they do these dick moves? Does it not make sense to enter a truce at least while the talks are happening? Or is this a matter of bravado?
 
Officer of Engineers said:
What? To go midevil on the Taliban? There's a bloodbath coming and everyone knows it. I don't see an end to this. Once the ANA finishes off the Taliban, it will turn on itself.
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I do not doubt their willingness to go medieval, just the effectiveness of their actions which will be confined to the Afghan side. The Taliban can go medieval too and they have safe havens (and training/recruitment camps) on the other side of the border where the ANA can't touch them.

Then, as others have pointed out, there is the question of the Pashtuns in the ANA who'll be mighty pissed if the ANA starts wiping out villages in the Pashtun dominated areas of Afghanistan.
 
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