Posted on Aug 16, 2021
What are your feelings as the Taliban reclaim Afghanistan after 20 years of US involvement?
119K
3.92K
1.16K
143
143
0
I can't say I'm surprised that this is all happening. Right now I'm just sad and frustrated.
Posted in these groups: 
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 530
1
1
0
I've noticed that many of my fact proven comments of common sense with military decor have been erased or taken out .I'm already beginning to believe that anti Democratic morons are attempting to sway the narrative to right wing favored arguments, but that would mean " Rally Point " is complicit with a one way discussion and dialogue which could be construed as propaganda.. who's taking my posts down !!!!!!
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
A military withdrawl is not the last chapter written here. I am a little more optimistic than most though I never served in Afghanistan. Remember that there are some decent people in the Taliban and there was at the time of our invasion Harmid Karzi was Taliban before he became opposition to it and the first President of Afghanistan. The problem Afghanistan has is a curse of corruption which erodes greatly the effectiveness of the ANA. It was reported widely the end strength of the ANA was greatly inflated and over estimated with the extra money being embezzled. Logistics and pay to some ANA units was not existant or abysmal If I was an ANA member and had to deal with this repeatedly, I am not sure if I would have fought for that system either. Then you had the Afghan government giving US Aid money directly to the Taliban in the form of a protection racket and in a series of bribes to get access to roads and mountain passes. Afghan government pretending it was soverign at times when it was clear it could not stand without the U.S. also contributed to the collapse when they ignored our advice. The whole house of cards was rotten to the core.
Very telling at the 11th hour that the Afghan government turned to the drug dealing warlords in a last ditch effort to retain control of the country. This tells me that there wasn't really a seperation of the warlords from the government to begin with and they always had a back channel relationship. Given all the negatives I am more of a wait and see person. Perhaps the Taliban will rule differently this time as they have repeatedly stated or perhaps it is another in a long string of lies. Time will tell but I have not written the country off just yet.
Very telling at the 11th hour that the Afghan government turned to the drug dealing warlords in a last ditch effort to retain control of the country. This tells me that there wasn't really a seperation of the warlords from the government to begin with and they always had a back channel relationship. Given all the negatives I am more of a wait and see person. Perhaps the Taliban will rule differently this time as they have repeatedly stated or perhaps it is another in a long string of lies. Time will tell but I have not written the country off just yet.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
It’s an unfortunate situation! It appears that American forces wanted to protect more than the protected. I won’t lie, I felt a little defeated and defensive. I thought, after all of this time from family, friends…through tears, training and casualties; this was the best fight you had in you? Did Afghanistan forces become too dependent on the US? Did they they become to comfortable? President Biden’s words clearly underestimated the Taliban but I am not sure why given their history and “devotion” to their causes!
Our military did an exceptional job as they always do but this is not our fight! Taking care of self is hard sometimes and it was way past time Afghanistan stood on their own two feet as the saying goes. Praying for everyone
Our military did an exceptional job as they always do but this is not our fight! Taking care of self is hard sometimes and it was way past time Afghanistan stood on their own two feet as the saying goes. Praying for everyone
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
If you don't learn from history, you're most likely going to repeat it. They continue making mistakes and then ask me, "How does that make you feel" My answer" You wouldn't understand"
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
"Those who fail to learn from history after doomed to repeat it." —George Santayana
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
I deployed in 08 with the knowledge that this was going to be a pointless and futile war. I had to meet and spoke with many locals in the areas because I am a student of culture. I wanted to really know how they felt about us being there, how long we were there and how they would react to us leaving. I got a lot of negative feed back, mainly that they didn't want us there and wished we would leave. But they were too afraid of the wrath of our government. A few chiefs actually said "it was more stable and least harmful with the Taliban there. They didn't kill, maim, or destroy as much as Al Qaeda did or the US troops that couldn't act right.
I personally witness many different actions that our "solders" did over there to the locals and how much they really cared about life, or bridging the caps of our two nations. I watch guys take bribes from the enemies to give the gas, I seen our guys die because they stopped treating as a war zone and more of their personal playground. Shooting at people randomly for fun and didn't care if they hit anyone.
Sadly, I predicted that the Taliban would take back over back after we leave. They had control before we were there and would be taking back after we left. I knew this in 08 and I'm surprised anyone who has been there, didn't know that or cared.
Honestly, how I feel about the situation is that it was easily predictable and that it's another failed campaign. Just as the one my father fought in while he was in Vietnam. I many more stories to share as I was all over the east of Afghanistan.
I personally witness many different actions that our "solders" did over there to the locals and how much they really cared about life, or bridging the caps of our two nations. I watch guys take bribes from the enemies to give the gas, I seen our guys die because they stopped treating as a war zone and more of their personal playground. Shooting at people randomly for fun and didn't care if they hit anyone.
Sadly, I predicted that the Taliban would take back over back after we leave. They had control before we were there and would be taking back after we left. I knew this in 08 and I'm surprised anyone who has been there, didn't know that or cared.
Honestly, how I feel about the situation is that it was easily predictable and that it's another failed campaign. Just as the one my father fought in while he was in Vietnam. I many more stories to share as I was all over the east of Afghanistan.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
1
1
0
Everyone online wants to characterize the fall of Kabul as an American military defeat. It is not. The United States has no vested interest in Afghanistan. We didn’t go overseas to found a nation over there. We went overseas to avenge 9/11. (See attached news clip.) So, maybe we should stop amplifying the attention-seeking figure lamenting “It was all for nothing!” Osama bin Laden is dead.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/sns-worldtrade-taliban-chi-story.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/sns-worldtrade-taliban-chi-story.html
(1)
(0)
SGT (Join to see)
Frankly, I could care less about that sentiment….
I remember sitting in my company’s rec room in Alaska watching the towers come down. We spent the next 3-4 months on lockdown behind barbed wire in the barracks. I remember standing guard at a local power plant (because they were afraid of attacks on other critical infrastructure facilities) — walking patrols in the nighttime snow carrying nothing but ax handles (because active duty on American soil couldn’t carry live ammunition).
There is NOTHING immature or innoble about killing the bastard who murdered 2,996 unarmed American civilians that day — eliminating the threat he posed to the world.
What happened subsequently was that Runsfield tossed the Powell Doctrine out the window (because he so desperately wanted to go after Saddan Hussein) and we allowed mission creep to cloud the clarity of our goal.
However, make no mistake about it. We went to war to kill Osama bin Laden. We gave the Taliban an ultimatum and they refused. But, we got him anyway.
There is no “loss” there.
I remember sitting in my company’s rec room in Alaska watching the towers come down. We spent the next 3-4 months on lockdown behind barbed wire in the barracks. I remember standing guard at a local power plant (because they were afraid of attacks on other critical infrastructure facilities) — walking patrols in the nighttime snow carrying nothing but ax handles (because active duty on American soil couldn’t carry live ammunition).
There is NOTHING immature or innoble about killing the bastard who murdered 2,996 unarmed American civilians that day — eliminating the threat he posed to the world.
What happened subsequently was that Runsfield tossed the Powell Doctrine out the window (because he so desperately wanted to go after Saddan Hussein) and we allowed mission creep to cloud the clarity of our goal.
However, make no mistake about it. We went to war to kill Osama bin Laden. We gave the Taliban an ultimatum and they refused. But, we got him anyway.
There is no “loss” there.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
1
1
0
I said it once before, Ill say it one last time, get all the women and children out, and turn it into a glass plate.
(1)
(0)
SPC Jeff Stassin
You must be one of those special millennials. No wait... your the self entitled American to go and say something like that, Or you can't read and comprehend, Or you may be a Veteran that experience a traumatic event that make you think so ignorantly, there is help out there for that you know.......BUT
To know that you support pedophilia by being one of those douche bags that aren't concerned for the way kids are treated around the world makes you no better than the assholes doing it. So if and when your sons or daughters are being raped, will it still be "No concern of Yours". But Way to show YOUR TRUE COLORS. Do me a favor and stay away from all small kids here in the U.S., I wouldn't want you to witness any children being brutally attacked for fun or perversely raped out of pleasure from someone f***ed in the head, cause you'll be the guy filming saying ...." IT'S NO CONCERN OF MINE"...... Maybe you should do more research before opening your worthless mouth. Then you could reach down and pretend to grab the balls you wish you had. My reference may have been slightly out of line in the "nuclear reference" but after the glass plate cools the women and children could go back and live without fear of idiots for at least a decade or so.
To know that you support pedophilia by being one of those douche bags that aren't concerned for the way kids are treated around the world makes you no better than the assholes doing it. So if and when your sons or daughters are being raped, will it still be "No concern of Yours". But Way to show YOUR TRUE COLORS. Do me a favor and stay away from all small kids here in the U.S., I wouldn't want you to witness any children being brutally attacked for fun or perversely raped out of pleasure from someone f***ed in the head, cause you'll be the guy filming saying ...." IT'S NO CONCERN OF MINE"...... Maybe you should do more research before opening your worthless mouth. Then you could reach down and pretend to grab the balls you wish you had. My reference may have been slightly out of line in the "nuclear reference" but after the glass plate cools the women and children could go back and live without fear of idiots for at least a decade or so.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google