2020 US General Election

[Ollie the Optimist]

This mess that Biden has created by withdrawing from Afghanistan is a complete disaster.

He has withdrawn without a real plan it seems, made several false statements (such as our intelligence is the Taliban has no capability of overrunning the Afghan government in 90 days. It’s taken 4 weeks), his press secretary came out with something equally as stupid when she said the taliban need to think about what they want, if hte proceed then they wont get help from the international community. When they are taking back their country (in their eyes) i dont think they give a shit about the international community.

But while there has been protest in some media & from front line politicians on how bad a decision it was by Biden, and then by NATO//.UK to leave (not sure how feasible it was to stay without US) Biden is lucky he isnt trump. If this was Trump, teh calls for impeachment would be on every news channel, mass protests etc. Yet this decision by Biden is up there with the worst foreign policy decisions Trump made

[Mac76]

Have you morphed into NQ or something?

This is far more complicated than that and began when Bush and Blair invaded in the first place, this is their legacy

[Ollie the Optimist]

Have you morphed into NQ or something?

This is far more complicated than that and began when Bush and Blair invaded in the first place, this is their legacy

I accept its complicated, not pretending it isnt.

It’s also fair to say its a legacy of Blair/Bush but it is also fair to say that the US just packing up & leaving the Afghans to be overrun by the taliban is also one of the worst foreign policy decions of recent times.

Over recent years, there hasn’t been much actual combat but the troops were training local soldiers etc. Given the way warfare has changed massively over recent years, its not something that can be done in just a few years. The taliban have now taken over the entire country & ousted the government. The country will now go backwards as freedoms that were fought for by locals will be unwound such as the right to education for women etc. We know how the taliban oppose these things.

Yes the ultimate legacy is Blair & bush and many questions can rightfully be asked of why we got involved in first place but hiding behind that now just doenst work. This is Biden’s decision to pack up & leave without any real plan in place. He has regularly claimed over hte last few weeks that taliban wouldn’t be able to overrun locals and no war would happen. They have taken over in just 4 weeks. Trump did the same in Syria, he was told not to leave as turkey would bomb the Kurds (US Allies) yet he did it anyway resulting in deaths of the Kurds through turkish bombing.

Regardless of who started this, the US & allies including the UK/NATO abandoning Afghanistan in his current state is a massive failure of leadership

[Mac76]

True, that country's almost worse off than before we went in there, not least as the US have left a load of milotary kit behind which is now in Taliban hands

And i can't deny itust be horrible for the women in particular to be oppressed again after being freed

[Letters]

It’s a complete shit show although I think Biden’s stance is “what are we supposed to do, stay there forever?”. It’s been 20 years, how long are we all supposed to stay there?
I mean, the Taliban being in power might be a bad thing for the people of Afghanistan but is it really anything to do with anyone else?
I will admit a fair bit of ignorance about all of this

[Ollie the Optimist]

On the point of 20 years or so & how long to stay, well US has bases & military in countries for decades such as Korea, germany etc. Appreciate they are slightly different countries but its not like they aren’t in places for the long haul.

Again normally you would say this is nothin to do with us so why get involved. That argument to me doenst apply here because we already were involved. The only reason the taliban are taking over is because the US have withdrawn. Therefore it is a lot to do with us, those deaths that will occur as taliban slaughter anyone they suspect of working with US/UK troops etc are on our hands. It is a direct result of our withdrawal.

[Mac76]

True again Ollie, we give assurances to people then leave them in the lurch

Trouble is for whatever reason the 'ordinary' people in these countires can't seem to mobilise enough to successfully take people like the Taliban on even when we initially help them, of course foreign invasion is an easy recruitment tool and i suspect in the case of Afghanistan it's also because it's one of those countries which is really just a collection of ancient tribal fiefdoms

[Ollie the Optimist]

The tribal point is a good one and thats not just an issue in Afghanistan but the vast majority of the Middle East.

We were training the Afghan army but that takes time, its not a 20 year job especially as it wasnt 20 years given first few were war like operations. The quick withdrawal by the US also removed huge amounts of air support from the Afghan army so suddenly they are on the their own, with none of the defences they had come to rely on while training. It’s no surprise they were overrun

[Ollie the Optimist]

I think 100% of the blame for Afghanistan mess right now in my opinion is on the US. Biden has been a complete failure here and i expected better on foreign policy given that is strength supposedly.

As soon as US were going, UK couldn’t stay. We didnt have many troops & theyd be overrun as well. So that one basis, on the withdrawal this 100% America’s mess.

However, our leaders have failed massively on supporting the Afghans. Not giving visas to translators who risked their lives to support our troops. The taliban will kill them as soon as they find them. Withdrawing student visas for Afghans currently. That is a failure from the UK and not how “Global Britain” should operate

[Mac76]

I think 100% of the blame for Afghanistan mess right now in my opinion is on the US. Biden has been a complete failure here and i expected better on foreign policy given that is strength supposedly.

As soon as US were going, UK couldn’t stay. We didnt have many troops & theyd be overrun as well. So that one basis, on the withdrawal this 100% America’s mess.

However, our leaders have failed massively on supporting the Afghans. Not giving visas to translators who risked their lives to support our troops. The taliban will kill them as soon as they find them. Withdrawing student visas for Afghans currently. That is a failure from the UK and not how “Global Britain” should operate

Well Global Brltain was always just the Leavers' BS anyway, 'sold-out Britain' is more like it