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The Arab Spring and "the War on Terror"


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1 minute ago, chrisp65 said:

You can’t really think that Biden could have extended the occupation of the airport today?

I don’t think he will/would. And if you mean specifically start to think about it today ,then even more not. But I can’t imagine over the past week the Americans haven’t contingency planned at Military level for a “what if” scenario(s) - like what if the Talibans don’t keep their side of the deal - shooting people, stopping westerners leaving etc.

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1 minute ago, chrisp65 said:

An extension today was not in Biden’s gift. Not without the potential for a terrorist strike, gun battles with thousands of civilians in the way, hostages or even more of a mess than he’s already contrived. 

I know they are from the dark ages , but even so I'm sure someone in the Taliban has an old Nokia 1011 that Biden could have called them up on and made some form of effort  

if the Taliban are going to activate suicide squads as a first resort , then clearly we shouldn't be leaving  

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6 minutes ago, blandy said:

I don’t think he will/would. And if you mean specifically start to think about it today ,then even more not. But I can’t imagine over the past week the Americans haven’t contingency planned at Military level for a “what if” scenario(s) - like what if the Talibans don’t keep their side of the deal - shooting people, stopping westerners leaving etc.

Yes, I’d like to think they have gamed all the different scenarios.

I’d like to think that someone had already pointed out to him that he could not protect thousands of civilians outside the perimeter, and he couldn’t let them all in.

I’d like to think that would also have been equally obvious to us, hence my amazement we made such a big public play of asking him today.

Hey, like I say, I’m no military expert. Perhaps you can just tell the Taliban you are unilaterally extending the occupation.

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11 minutes ago, tonyh29 said:

I know they are from the dark ages , but even so I'm sure someone in the Taliban has an old Nokia 1011 that Biden could have called them up on and made some form of effort  

if the Taliban are going to activate suicide squads as a first resort , then clearly we shouldn't be leaving  

They’ve got better than an old Nokia, they’ve got media conferences and delegates stationed in other countries. I’m not saying there is no means of talking to them, I’m saying Tuesday 24th is too late to ‘tell’ them we’re staying an extra week or there will be consequences for them. It’s just not a viable stance.

They’ve said no extension. Now I have no idea at all how much sway the Taliban press conferences have over the illiterate teenage soldiers outside the airport.

 

I’m not being a pussy and just thinking they are better fighters than us. In a straight fight, they have roughly zero chance. But it isn’t a straight fight, it’s our soldiers confined to a small defined space, surrounded by thousands of civilians, intermingled with a random army of religious maniacs.

I just don’t fancy those odds. But, as always, I’m not a military expert just a punter with an opinion.

 

 

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6 hours ago, darrenm said:

Just for the sake of accuracy, no-one called for the Taliban to be paid damages. Burgon (who I assume you're referring to) said we need to make sure reparations go directly to the Afghan people (i.e. making sure it doesn't go to the Taliban)

You can listen for yourself here 

When things get misrepresented in the media, it's important to set the record straight. Otherwise, no-one is ever able to make a nuanced point without it being easily distorted and then repeated by those who accept it without question.

Here's what a lot of the usual suspects in coalition with each other said....

Quote

The British government should take a lead in offering a refugee programme and reparations to rebuild Afghanistan, an act which would go a great deal further in advancing the rights of the Afghan people, women in particular, than continued military or economic intervention in the fate of the Afghanistan.

Stop The War

Burgon's statement was an attempt to clarify  the position (thats me being generous) but how you pay reparations to a country without involving the people running that country is somewhat beyond comprehension. Burgon's statement is a reaction to the reaction

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I will admit I haven't been following the news with laser-like focus over the last few days - and the fact I've been able to ignore it seems quite promising about how things are going - but I notice that the Defence Secretary appears to be getting it in the neck from the public about whether or not a plane can land to collect some bloke's dogs or not, which certainly makes it seem like this has become less of a crisis and that the obvious agreement about the Taliban providing a window for shit they don't want to leave the country seems to be happening in a comparatively orderly fashion at this point.

Maybe it's all gonna go downhill again, but.

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Can anyone explain the purpose of the headline news on the Sky news app - ‘Very Lethal Attack’ could happen at Kabul airport

 

A very lethal attack could happen anywhere, any time, I think everyone is fully aware of the volatile situation in Afghanistan right now, i just cannot see any point in the headline / article, nor in releasing that information in the first place (government).

 

Just feels like they’re intent on keeping people in a perpetual state of general anxiety and fear.

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4 hours ago, bannedfromHandV said:

Can anyone explain the purpose of the headline news on the Sky news app - ‘Very Lethal Attack’ could happen at Kabul airport

 

A very lethal attack could happen anywhere, any time, I think everyone is fully aware of the volatile situation in Afghanistan right now, i just cannot see any point in the headline / article, nor in releasing that information in the first place (government).

 

Just feels like they’re intent on keeping people in a perpetual state of general anxiety and fear.

This aged well;)

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On 24/08/2021 at 19:04, tonyh29 said:

 

if the Taliban are going to activate suicide squads as a first resort , then clearly we shouldn't be leaving  

ISIS rather than the Taliban, but I agree with the general sentiment that the US could have extended the departure by a week or so without serious Taliban push back.

Biden’s statement a week(ish) ago that the anti-terrorism mission was complete doesn’t sit seamlessly next to an evacuation that’s being aborted by the threat (now reality) of terrorist attack.

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11 minutes ago, Davkaus said:

This aged well;)

Yeah fair one, although it wasn’t so much that I doubted it could / would happen but just more the perpetual bad news every time you open a news app or pick up a newspaper these days, it’s exhausting.

Was always more a generic comment and prob not best placed in this thread.

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6 hours ago, HanoiVillan said:

I notice that the Defence Secretary appears to be getting it in the neck from the public about whether or not a plane can land to collect some bloke's dogs or not

This story is wild to me.

Good job he's the 'defence' secretary, seems to be in need of those defending skills.

The replies to these tweets are just mad:

This must be what it's like being Philip Schofield.

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13 minutes ago, LondonLax said:

At least 12 US marines confirmed killed. I suspect the Republicans will be putting a bit of pressure on Biden 😬

Wow. Could be a game changer.

The US have been made to look terrible here.

Taliban swanning around in their gear and today had a joyride in a US military helicopter.

Ball very much in Biden’s court.

 

Edited by Genie
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