Afghanistan.

[Dawn.]

It is horrible what is currently going on in Afghanistan at the moment and my thoughts go out to them.

[Everglow.]

I've been following the news on Afghanistan too. I don't feel very knowledgeable about the situation or the background context so I'm not comfortable forming an opinion on things yet, but I do really feel sad for the people who are going through all of this.

Afghanistan has a lot of sad history to it going back decades — probably even centuries.

What I do know about it goes back to the Soviet invasion in the late 1970s. OBL, then a young man, was a rebel who fought against them and a group of these young belligerents formed a group.

They were already a concern as far back as the Reagan administration and continued to be through the Bush Sr. and Clinton administrations.

There are plenty of online sources where this can be read about further.

I'm sure everyone knows — whether or not you were alive yet — about the September 11th terrorist attacks. Bush Jr. had been president for about seven months. It was almost immediately made know AQ and OBL were behind this series of attacks.

On September 18th 2001, GWB Jr. announced the War on Terror and picked out Afghanistan solely because it's where OBL started all those years ago during the Soviet invasion.

So, in twenty years, what has been accomplished exactly? Bush didn't succeed in gunning down OBL; that happened during the Obama administration in 2011.

Other than that? Not a whole hell lot. I am frustrated because this has been ongoing for my whole life, but didn't take note of it until after September 11th.

I am frustrated because GWB Jr. started out on something that Reagan and his father couldn't resolve, something that Clinton ignored; and he had a set goal and he failed.

Obama did a good by killing OBL but that's pretty much it.

Trump. Let's not even start. I think he only made matters worse.

Now Biden is taking the fall by the Republicans; but it was the Republicans' mistake to begin with. Regan, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. and Trump. They failed too.

We've failed Afghanistan and its people.

Who are the Taliban and how did they take over Afghanistan so swiftly? — CNN News, August 16th 2021
Taliban take over Afghanistan: What we know and what's next. — AP News, August 17th 2021
Full transcript of President Biden's remarks on Afghanistan. — New York Times, August 16th 2021

Originally Posted by Stardust.

Afghanistan has a lot of sad history to it going back decades — probably even centuries.

What I do know about it goes back to the Soviet invasion in the late 1970s. OBL, then a young man, was a rebel who fought against them and a group of these young belligerents formed a group.

They were already a concern as far back as the Reagan administration and continued to be through the Bush Sr. and Clinton administrations.

There are plenty of online sources where this can be read about further.

I'm sure everyone knows — whether or not you were alive yet — about the September 11th terrorist attacks. Bush Jr. had been president for about seven months. It was almost immediately made know AQ and OBL were behind this series of attacks.

On September 18th 2001, GWB Jr. announced the War on Terror and picked out Afghanistan solely because it's where OBL started all those years ago during the Soviet invasion.

So, in twenty years, what has been accomplished exactly? Bush didn't succeed in gunning down OBL; that happened during the Obama administration in 2011.

Other than that? Not a whole hell lot. I am frustrated because this has been ongoing for my whole life, but didn't take note of it until after September 11th.

I am frustrated because GWB Jr. started out on something that Reagan and his father couldn't resolve, something that Clinton ignored; and he had a set goal and he failed.

Obama did a good by killing OBL but that's pretty much it.

Trump. Let's not even start. I think he only made matters worse.

Now Biden is taking the fall by the Republicans; but it was the Republicans' mistake to begin with. Regan, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. and Trump. They failed too.

We've failed Afghanistan and its people.

Who are the Taliban and how did they take over Afghanistan so swiftly? — CNN News, August 16th 2021
Taliban take over Afghanistan: What we know and what's next. — AP News, August 17th 2021
Full transcript of President Biden's remarks on Afghanistan. — New York Times, August 16th 2021

I think it was the fault of all past presidents and now Biden has to be the bad guy by keeping to an agreement that Trump made.

The republicans are ignoring that Trump signed this deal. They supposedly took it down from their platform.

I'm not really sure what Biden was supposed to do. He had to keep to the deal that Trump made and earlier this year Trump was saying that Biden should withdraw sooner than he had planned.

Biden is willing to take responsibilty, as he should, but he should not be taking the full responsibilty it was a domino effect with President after President not doing enough /making it worse.

[Dawn.]

Originally Posted by .:Bibliophile:.

I think it was the fault of all past presidents and now Biden has to be the bad guy by keeping to an agreement that Trump made.

The republicans are ignoring that Trump signed this deal. They supposedly took it down from their platform.

I'm not really sure what Biden was supposed to do. He had to keep to the deal that Trump made and earlier this year Trump was saying that Biden should withdraw sooner than he had planned.

Biden is willing to take responsibilty, as he should, but he should not be taking the full responsibilty it was a domino effect with President after President not doing enough /making it worse.

I agree with everything you said and it was exactly what I was thinking.

[Silvan]

I am keen on politics and history, so I've been following the situation in Afghanistan. Debates about the political, religious and social situation there are very interesting from a theoretical point of view. However, it all boils down to the people - citizens, workers, activists - whom the events have caused great suffering. I wish more lives could be saved and started anew in a better place.

[MWF]

The Taliban surrendered in 2001 and George Bush didnt accept their surrender. This is all his fault.
https://theintercept.com/2017/08/22/...r-here-we-are/

[Blackwing]

Afghanistan is like veitnam sadly

Except there were different population groups in Vietnam fighting against one another. Who's fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan? Look what happened a week and half ago when the Taliban were getting close to Kabul; the president fled and the military trained by the US government surrendered.

Again.... And I'll say it forever: This. Is. All. The. Soviets'. Fault.

[Rivière]

Originally Posted by Everglow.

I've been following the news on Afghanistan too. I don't feel very knowledgeable about the situation or the background context so I'm not comfortable forming an opinion on things yet, but I do really feel sad for the people who are going through all of this.

This.

I can't really comment much on the situation. I've followed some of it on the news but I've been so busy and having to limit myself to tunnel vision because there's so much going on at work. I have seen bits of how civilians are having to be flown away from the country via military planes.

I feel so those who have to give up their lives and their homes when they shouldn't have to.

[Dawn.]

Originally Posted by Rivière

This.

I can't really comment much on the situation. I've followed some of it on the news but I've been so busy and having to limit myself to tunnel vision because there's so much going on at work. I have seen bits of how civilians are having to be flown away from the country via military planes.

I feel so those who have to give up their lives and their homes when they shouldn't have to.

I've seen civilians being flown via military planes too.